Working on the grounds
photo by Wes Schultz
Just in the nick of time for historic Engel Stadium - whose fortunes had sagged to a low ebb - came a movie about Dodger great Jackie Robinson with a cast that includes Harrison Ford.
Janna Jahn, who has been waging what had been looking like a losing battle to save the deteriorating stadium, said the movie crew thanked her for letting them use Engel.
She said she told them, "No, don't thank me. Thank you. You're helping to save the stadium."
Indeed, the fact that the major film "42" is partially being filmed at Engel Stadium has given new life to the old park.
It has suddenly gotten a new roof.
The electrical and plumbing, that were in such bad shape that the stadium was padlocked in March 2011, have both been fixed.
The field has been scraped and given a handsome new turf.
"Everything is being cleaned up and the stadium is looking a whole lot better, " said Ms. Jahn, who heads the Engel Stadium Foundation that now operates the stadium.
She said the movie crew is converting Engel Stadium to resemble Brooklyn's Ebbetts Field, where Robinson played and broke baseball's color barrier.
The in-ground dugouts were taken out and replaced by field-level dugouts similar to the ones at Ebbetts.
Plastic seats were removed.
A new wall is being constructed around the outfield in front of the existing wall, a portion of which in left field was recently taken down after sections of it fell in two different storms. Plastic has been placed over the right field wall due to lead paint issues..
The orientation of the field has changed to make it more in line with Ebbetts Field. Home plate was taken further from the stands.
The moldy administration building that Frank Burke erected was demolished.
Ms. Jahn said the movie crew has promised to "fix things back like they were" before they leave. The field-level dugouts will go and in-ground dugouts will return. The bases will be back in their accustomed place.
She said when the movie crew has departed in a couple of months, Engel Stadium should be back into shape to host baseball games again. She also wants to find additional uses, including using it as a concert venue. She aims to launch a museum featuring the legendary promoter Joe Engel and to make Engel Stadium a tourist attraction.
Ms. Jahn said the movie crew, which officials say will create a mini economic development boon while it is still here, told her there are very few stadiums like Engel still standing. "They had been looking for one for a long time," she said.
She said she expects another movie crew down the road may also want to use Engel Stadium as a backdrop since baseball movies are a popular genre.
Historic Engel Stadium
photo by Wes Schultz