Teddy Ebersol’s Red Sox Fields at Lederman Park is a series of fields along the Charles River

Charles River

The Charles River is an long river that flows in an overall northeasterly direction in eastern Massachusetts, USA. From its source in Hopkinton, the river travels through 22 cities and towns until reaching the Atlantic Ocean at Boston...

 in the city of Boston

Boston

Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...

. The Boston Red Sox

Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...

 foundation and the Esplanade Association in conjunction with the Hill House, a NPO

Non-profit organization

Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...

, helped fund the 1.8 million-dollar renewal project. The field reopened on September 5, 2006, to the Hill House youth soccer program.

The land includes two baseball/softball diamonds, a youth baseball

Baseball

Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...

 diamond, a t-ball diamond, or up to five youth soccer fields, or a regulation-sized soccer field in a design that accommodates a variety of other athletic and community

Community

The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...

 uses. Before the renovations, the fields were uneven and often flooded.

The fields are named after a young Red Sox fan, Teddy Ebersol, who died in a plane crash on November 28, 2004, in Colorado

Colorado

Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...

. Teddy was the son of NBC Sports

NBC Sports

NBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...

 head Dick Ebersol

Dick Ebersol

Duncan "Dick" Ebersol is an American television executive and a senior adviser for . He had previously been the chairman of NBC Sports, producing large scale television events such as the Olympic Games and National Football League broadcasts....

 and Kate & Allie

Kate & Allie

Kate & Allie is an American television situation comedy which ran from March 19, 1984 to May 22, 1989. Kate & Allie first aired on CBS as a midseason replacement series and only six episodes were initially commissioned, but the favorable response from critics and viewers alike easily convinced CBS...

actress Susan Saint James

Susan Saint James

Susan Saint James is an American actress and activist, most widely known for her work in television during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.-Early life:...

.

Controversy

Since the renovation and renaming of Lederman Park, the fields have gone largely unused. The permitting process is guided by an unnamed Advisory Board, and the permit schedule is not made public.. All weekday field use is permitted to Hill House, a Beacon Hill community group.

In 2009, a large metal fence was constructed around the entire park, preventing casual use. The fence was opposed by community groups including the Esplanade Association, but was requested by private donors and installed by DCR.

External links

• Ebersol Field at redsoxfoundation.org.