APRIL 11,
2007 --
Softball returned
to Central Park's Heckscher Ballfields, April 6, with an exhibition
game between The Producers and Nederlander of the Broadway Show
League. These ballfields were down, last season, for a $3 million renovation.
When additional refurbishing is completed -- including the eastern and northern
sections, along with the southwestern section where the five regulation Heckscher
fields are located -- the
restoration goal of the Parks Department and Central Park Conservancy will
have been met and will be maintained, Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe and
Conservancy President Douglas Blonsky indicated, in remarks at the Heckscher
reopening ceremony -- faithful to the
vision of the park's original designers, Frederick Law Olmstead and Calvert
Vaux.
In the seven-inning exhibition game - played in chilly weather -- Producers
defeated Nederlander 20-10.
Producers won four Show championships, including last year, in its six years
with the BSL. The closing of the show's run, this month, also ends the Producers'
run in the BSL.
Nederlander, last year's Organization division champion has been a perennial
BSL power.
The Broadway Show League has played it games on the Heckscher ballfields for
more than half a century.
League games are played on Thursdays. Other leagues and schools play at Heckscher
throughout the week.
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Hansom
cabs -- and the Central Park carousel -- can be seen from
the Heckscher ballfields.
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Central
Park Conservancy President Douglas Blonsky, BSL Commissioner
Tom Godfrey, Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe (l-r).
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Cutting
the Heckscher Re-Opening Ribbon
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Producers-Nederlander
after-game group photo
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Matthew
Broderick with members of the Producers team. Matthew starred,
with Nathan Lane, in the original
cast of "The Producers" and was a team regular.
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Umpire
Butch Krichman. The BSL is only one of the leagues worked by
Butch, who has officiated at more
than 8,000 softball and baseball games.
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