GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- If you're not looking for it, there's a good chance you'll miss it altogether. Tucked away in a small southeast Grand Rapids neighborhood, Brower Park is every small-time baseballer's dream. But those who play on the field are big time serious about their game.
About 10 years ago, a few life-long and self-described wiffle ball fanatics cleared out a lot full of pine trees, laid down some dirt, and Brower Park was born.
"The neighborhood kind of decided we're going to clear it out, then we cleared out all the trees," said Caleb Corell, one of the field's architects. "Then after that we thought, 'Wiffle ball field would be cool.'"
The friends compete in a backyard wiffle ball league with nine teams playing throughout the summer. And day games are only half the fun. Once the sun goes down, the lights go on, and the fun continues.
The league even has a radar gun to track pitch speeds.
The park itself is named for Brower Park in Newaygo County, a spot the young pals frequented in years past. When Brower Park got new signs a few years back, the old ones were donated to the new Brower Park.
Pretty soon, school bells will ring, and activity at Brower Park will die down. But there are still a few weeks left of summer, so you can bet that day or night there will be plenty going on at this real life field of dreams.
"Even though our homes are right here," said Corell, "it's like a second home out here. A sanctuary."
