SALEM — Not only is Salem hosting the Class B American Legion baseball tournament, it's also showcasing 10 years worth of upgrades. 

Salem is hosting the Class B American Legion baseball tourney on Aug. 2-6, its first time hosting since 2015. Since then, the complex has undergone a number of renovations that make the complex pop for both players and fans alike. 

“Ten years ago when we started this project we wanted to get it up to speed, and what happens is we keep coming up with more projects and challenging ourselves,” Salem/Montrose/Canova Post 140 Legion coach Jeremy Grady said. 

The project started with a new grandstand, dugouts, and a backstop with nets in 2013. Two years later, a new concession stand with restroom facilities, updated batting cages, and sodding of the park area on the west side was completed. 

The upgrades continued in 2017 with a field turf pitcher’s mound as well as a field turf batter’s box. In the fall of 2018 turf was installed on the rest of the infield.

“A lot of the fan-friendly upgrades took place first and then adding double batting cages to the west of the field and ultimately getting the semi-turf infield,” Grady said. “Basically anything that’s agri-limed is turf and anything that’s grass is grass. We were the first ones in the state that I know of to have that type of field where you get the modernization of turf, but yet keep grass to keep that real ballpark feel.”

Salem is hosting the Class B Legion baseball tournament. (Courtesy photo)

In 2021, a new outfield fence and scoreboard were installed. A sideline fence was replaced along with bullpens down each line that are also turf, and most recently, a canopy was added over the main grandstand. 

“Craig Cheeseman and I talk a lot about what we are doing,” Grady said. “Craig is more of a big idea guy than I am, and he’s got some really lofty goals and to date we’ve made them all come true. It’s been pretty fun.”

The most recent field upgrades cost more than $120,000, and Grady projects the entire renovations have been more than $400,000. 

“We’ve always had a good playing surface,” Grady said. “The field has always had a good playing surface. I would say over the last 10 years what we’ve done is actually bring it up to today’s standards and maybe even set the bar a little bit higher for other ballparks.” 

And the Salem complex isn’t being underutilized. The McCook High School high school baseball team uses it during the spring, while the Legion, amateur and teener teams use it. 

It has also hosted the district amateur baseball tournaments, along with VFW tournaments and Legion region tournaments. 

“We’ve done a ton of renovations to our Little League fields, too,” Grady said. “But our numbers are really big in our younger grades. We want to give our kids the best opportunity to play on the best facilities in the state.” 

Salem is hosting the Class B Legion baseball tournament. (Courtesy photo)

Grady said the community has been instrumental in the renovations, and have pushed for other upgrades around the ballpark. The 4-H grounds next to the baseball field and the football grandstands recently underwent upgrades. 

Grady added the renovations would not be possible without donations from the Salem community Salem, the City of Salem and the many volunteers.

“It’s one of those things that you take a lot of pride in those facilities and it makes it really fun when you get that type of support and you are able to do these types of upgrades,” Grady said. 

They will showcase their upgrades this week, and Grady is confident the Salem baseball community will continue to embrace the field with further enhancements. 

“We are really excited to showcase our facilities,” Grady said. “Obviously I am biased, but I think we have one of the nicest ballparks in the state and if you look at small town ball parks it’s really hard to do that. You don’t do it without a ton of support from your communities.”