About SBPA
The Sydney Baseball Park Association is a not-for-profit group working together to revitalize the Bernie MacNeil baseball field. The goal of the revitalization project is to create Little League sanctioned field that is safe and inclusive for the youth of the Sydney and area baseball community. Contact - info@sbpa.ca
Our Vision
- To refit the Bernie MacNeil Baseball Field into a Little league sanctioned baseball field.
- To create a baseball field that will be inclusive to all youth players, including our Challenger Division.
- To create a community baseball hub in Sydney and surrounding communities.
History
“Bernie MacNeil started coaching the Cubs of the Sydney Little League in 1955. In 1960 he coached the Sydney B All Star Little League team. This team had to play local teams to advance to the Maritime Championship held in Amherst. Winning all games to advance to the final against Lancaster NB. Sydney B won the game 9-5. This was the first Maritime championship won by a team from Nova Scotia. In those days there wasn’t a Canadian championship.
Bernie retired from coaching at the end of the 1960 season. Around 1965 the city of Sydney was looking to build a new ball field. We lived on Cottage Road and Dad would take walks behind our home. He went to meet with City Engineers and had them come look at this property. I remember them coming to our house with the plans for the new field. Today this is the Susan MacEachern field. I wish he was here to see this fabulous field today.
In the early 90’s the city planned on building a new Little League field next to the Susan MacEachern field. This field would be basically behind our family home. I contacted Mayor Vince MacLean and requested the field be named after my Dad. My father passed in 1982 at the age of 69. I had to write a proposal as to why, which was presented to council and was approved. I moved to Inuvik NT in 1995 but kept in touch with council members on the progress every time I came home. Thanks to the hard work of Larry MacLean, Ray Paruch and others a beautiful ceremony to open the field happened in September 1999. My 82 year old Mother threw the first pitch. So glad I was able to come home to see my Dad’s name on the scoreboard. Both my parents loved baseball. Never missing games their sons played or just getting into the car to find a game around the city”.
Corinne MacNeil (daughter of Bernie MacNeil)
Our Sponsors
In the Press
Press — Jan 15, 2023
Cape Breton Post
“I think it is something that is important for our community,” she said. “It really will create a positive space, not only for the baseball players, but there’s the soccer field as well very nearby. If we can actually have something you can host events with, the economic spinoff will be awesome for Sydney.”
