FLOOD OF 2006

By Rob Centorani

Staff Writer

Although water still

Star photo by Dean Russin Two picnic tables stand Thursday in the middle of Neahwa Park’s Field 1, which is covered with water from Wednesday’s flooding. All four fields that the Oneonta City Softball League uses during the summer were under water Thursday.

covered much of Neahwa Park on Thursday, Oneonta Tigers owner Sam Nader said Wednesday’s flooding had little effect on Damaschke Field.

While neighboring softball fields that host several area recreation teams throughout the summer remained submerged Thursday, the infield dirt at Damaschke Field was dry.

"The field is all right," said Nader, whose team began a three-game series at the Lowell Spinners on Thursday. &#[an error occurred while processing this directive]quot;The dugouts are full of water, but we’re going to be ready for our home game on Sunday."

Nader said barring more rain, his Stedler Division leading O-Tigers will play their next scheduled home game, at 6 p.m. Sunday against the Vermont Lake Monsters.

Nader spoke by phone Thursday from his office at Damaschke Field, something that seemed unlikely a day earlier; almost all of Neahwa Park appeared to be under water Wednesday.

"We’re extremely pleased to be able to play at home," Nader said. "Financially, there’s no question there are pluses."

Though Damaschke Field and Field 6 at Neahwa Park — where Oneonta Post 259 plays its Legion home games — are relatively dry, the softball fields appear to be the equivalent of Hodges Pond. Picnic tables are strewn throughout the park, a portable toilet has tipped over onto its side in the parking lot of Field 4 and some fencing has been destroyed. While the basketball courts were dry Thursday, the jungle gym area has several feet of standing water.

Oneonta City Police directed a handful of people out of the park just before 8 p.m. Thursday, saying Neahwa is closed until further notice. Both entrances to Neahwa Park are blocked off.

Two area Legion coaches — Oneonta’s Mike Jester and Cooperstown’s Ed Dubben — said they didn’t think the flooding would affect their schedules.

Jester’s team is scheduled to play in a wood-bat game tonight at Scranton, Pa.

"They called me and wanted to make sure we were still coming," Jester said. "I’m still seeing if we can get there."

Oneonta then plays in the World Youth Baseball Classic in the Binghamton area July 4-9.

Dan Miller is the tournament director for the World Youth Baseball Classic — one of the largest Legion tournaments in the country. He said that although two of the five fields where tournament games will be played are under water — Conlon Field in Binghamton’s Southside and Union-Endicott High — there are no plans to postpone the tournament.

Jester’s team then plays host to a tournament July 14-16 at Field 6.

Dubben’s team plays its home games at Doubleday Field in Cooperstown and at Cherry Valley-Springfield High.

"Doubleday is in good shape and my field (at CV-S) is soft but playable," Dubben said. "For 8 inches of rain, it’s not too bad."

Dubben said Cooperstown is still scheduled to play at Oxford-Norwich today.

Two Pony League baseball games were played Thursday. Worcester beat visiting Cooperstown, 8-2, and Milford topped visiting Schenevus, 9-8.

"We practiced (Wednesday)," said Worcester coach Russ Keever, whose team plays its games at the high school field. "Our field is dry as a bone. We have a lot of damage in our area, but our field is on high ground."