SITUATION When it first opened in 1984, The Ballpark in Old Orchard Beach, Maine, was referred to as “the prettiest ballpark in creation” by Sports Illustrated . But in the summer of 2008, almost 15 years after being abandoned, it was little more than a vacant green space overrun with trees and weeds. “Every bit of growth that could have been on that ballpark, it was there,” recalled Al Lappin, the volunteer field manager for the renovation project and owner of Al Lappin Landscaping Co. “The beautiful ballpark was as desolate as it could get.” Lappin and a host of volunteers were called upon to rehabilitate the former gem of a diamond that had played home to two Triple-A affiliates during its heyday. The project ran solely on donated materials and elbow grease. But no corner would be

Join for free to read