The Williamsport Crosscutters (short season A; NY-Penn League) front office is satisfied that the playing field at Bowman Field will be in good condition after used this winter as an outdoor hockey area by the Williamsport Outlaws.
The Outlaws, who play in the minor-league Federal Hockey League, has proposed setting up an outdoor arena at the WPA-era ballpark, with a sponsor already on board and the city lined up to spend $225,000 in weatherization upgrades. The Crosscutters, who were not a party to the original talks between the city and the Outlaws, expressed concern that the Bowman Field turf would be negatively affected by the construction of a ice arena on the playing field, but those concerns were allayed by a pledge by the Outlaws ownership to pay for any turf-management costs come spring of 2013.
The Crosscutters do have a lot of juice in these discussions: the team’s lease is up after the 2013 season, and with plenty of communities — Phoenixville, Morgantown — in search of an NY-Penn League franchise, the city certainly would be smart to look at changes to Bowman Field that would tie the franchise to the city.
RELATED STORIES: Crosscutters: We have concerns about Bowman Field used as hockey arena; Mayor pitches Bowman Field as home to hockey team
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