Rutherford Little League Field

RUTHERFORD LITTLE LEAGUE FIELD

The Rutherford Little League field is located at Memorial Park, an undeveloped tract set aside by town fathers in 1949 to honor borough residents who made the Supreme Sacrifice.

The park, located on the Passaic River between Union Avenue and the Erie Railroad, includes Tryon Field, an artificial-turf exhibition field used for football, soccer, track and field, and other events; a lighted baseball/softball/soccer field, one other lighted baseball diamond, four other softball diamonds (one with lights), three playgrounds, tennis courts, four shuffleboard rinks, a bocce court, horseshoe pits, picnic tables, and a fitness track.

The Little League field is on the north end of the park, along the railroad tracks. It was carved out in 1952 and saw its first action in 1953. The field features recessed dugouts, which were built into the original design and replaced in 2002, as well as lights installed for the 1990 season. There has been an electric scoreboard in left-center field since 1966; the latest model was installed in 2007. Aluminum bleachers seat 200 spectators, with additional bleachers added for tournament play. The field was resurfaced in 2009, and much of the field fencing was replaced at that time as well. Batting cages were added in the 2009-10 off-season. Pre- and post-renovation photos are available.

In 1974, the field was dedicated to the memory of Tom Mellody, a League member for over a decade who was serving as League President when he died in February. A memorial tree was planted outside the fence in center field, and a plaque at the base of the tree bears Mellody’s name. The clubhouse, moved to the site in 1953 and largely rebuilt in 1983 with interior renovations in 2017, was dedicated to former League President Walt Mager, who served from 1995 until his death in 2015, at the start of the 2016 season.

Field Dimensions

The outfield fence is 7 feet high. It is 182 feet from home plate to either foul line, 192 feet to the scoreboard, and 193 feet to straightaway center. No Rutherford Little Leaguer has cleared the fence more than eleven times in a regular season.

How to Get There

Streets approaching the field include Monona and Darwin Avenues. Monona Avenue runs alongside the main parking lot, which is beyond the right-field fence. Parking is available on the street as well.

From out of town, take NJ 21 north to exit 10B, “Passaic Park, Clifton, Rutherford”. Keep to the right, along the river, and turn right at the bridge. This is Union Avenue. Cross the bridge and continue one block to Darwin Avenue. Turn left, and the parking lot is five blocks ahead on the left.

The following maps show the location of Tom Mellody Field, along with the other fields that Rutherford Little League plays on. Fields outside of Rutherford Memorial Park include Tamblyn Field, the one-time Rutherford Athletic Club and Rutherford High School field later dedicated to former recreation commissioner Gerald Tamblyn, and Walls Field, a tract near Meadow Road donated to the borough by Harold Walls.

NOTE: These maps are not to scale.

Figure 1: Area Map.

Figure 2: Local streets in Rutherford, showing locations of Memorial Park, Tamblyn Field, and Walls Field.

Figure 3: The fields at Memorial Park.

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