For those in the DFW softball world, the Ballfields at Craig Ranch
have become a second home. Speeding down SH 121 you could always tell you made it when the park lights hung high in the sky. Located off of Alma Rd. in Mckinney,
Tx the ballfields promised a long weekend of home runs, double plays and early
morning games.
The park began operation in late May of 2004. On May 30,
2004 the first games were played:
16u Texas Glory v. Texas Thunder
followed by
18u Texas Elite
Gold v. Texas Thunder.
At its inception the park consisted of nine baseball fields,
five softball fields and a more than four acre lake in the middle of the complex.
The purpose of the lake, it was the primary irrigation source for the facility.
Around 2008, four of the baseball fields located in the northern part were
converted into the Dr. Pepper Ice Rink. In August of 2017 the remaining
baseball fields ceased operation and were demolished in the summer of 2018.
On November 30, 2018 the Ballfields at Craig Ranch will
cease operations.
Since the opening in May of 2004 the fields have been under
the operation of a few impeccable individuals. Tim Butz, longterm boss, and his
crew were the initial staff for the park. Tim worked alongside Kevin Shelton
current General Manager for many years managing tournaments while running
USSSA, Triple Crown and PGF events.
In speaking with Kevin he acknowledged that for the past 18
months Randy Hale, whom many of you know, deserves much of the credit for
maintaining the fields and overcoming challenging conditions.
“It is difficult to keep fields in decent shape when they
never get any rest and they are used immediately after heavy rains. But Randy
and the crew went above and beyond working some late nights and early mornings
to keep events and practices going” said Kevin Shelton, General Manager.
The Ballfields were a privately owned venue and in matters
of business they were inevitably going to cease to exist. Kevin informed me
that the ballfields were built as an amenity to the Craig Ranch development. He
went on by saying, “at some point the land was going to be too valuable to use
for recreation. It’s time has come. The land has been sold.”
Of course losing the ballfields is a challenge for anyone
who’s lives have been impacted but rest assured the softball world will adapt
and perhaps find a new “home.”
While it is saddening to lose something, hopefully you
remember all the good times you had at the Ballfields. In Kevin’s words, “I’ll
remember that first game ever played there. My daughter, who played at the
time, was 13. I’ll remember the countless camps and college coaches that have
come to scout athletes. The kickball tournaments were unique. Not many will
remember those. There is a whole generation of players that can say they grew
up playing at Craig Ranch.”
I was able to speak with a former player, Caraline Woodall.
For her the park provided a place for young athletes to come together and
develop a passion for sports. What will she remember?
“Craig Ranch was a big part of my childhood as I spent many
weekends on those fields playing the sport that I love. I’ll always remember
winning a 14u PGF Premier Qualifier.”
The Ballfields will soon become a development project. The
big Baseball field known, as the Gabe will be turned into an entertainment
complex with things like putt-putt and bowling. The Softball fields will soon
be turned into apartments. And finally north of the volleyball area will
become a park and another sheet of ice augmenting the current Dr. Pepper center at the
far north end of the complex.
