The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation and the County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation broke ground on Dodgers Dreamfields Nos. 69 and 70 at Charles S. Farnsworth Park in Altadena, investing $1.4 million to restore youth baseball and softball access in a community devastated by the January 2025 Eaton Fire, Yahoo Sports reported. Dodgers starting pitcher Blake Snell attended the ceremony.
Snell told reporters that parks shaped his own life and that he plans to return to see the finished project. “I’m going to come back for sure and see what it turns into,” Snell said, according to Yahoo Sports. “I know it’s going to be, you know, top of the line. They deserve it, and I can’t wait to see it.”
Ceremony Brings Foundation Leaders and Players to Fire-Scarred Park
The event featured a shovel dedication and speeches from Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation CEO Nichol McKenzie-Whiteman, Dodgers broadcaster José Mota, and Snell, according to Dodger Blue. McKenzie-Whiteman said in a statement that Altadena has shown “extraordinary strength and resilience” and that the fields represent “restoring a beloved gathering place, creating new opportunities for young people and giving families a space to reconnect, learn, play and dream together.”
Snell also praised the community’s recovery, telling Yahoo Sports that when he first arrived in Los Angeles and saw the destruction, he “couldn’t believe it” and wondered how people got through it. “And then almost two years later, to see where they’re at and how far they’ve come, it shows a lot about LA, the communities in LA,” he said.
What the $1.4 Million Investment Covers
The project will fully restore both fields with new irrigation systems, improved playing surfaces, fencing, and solar-powered hexagonal scoreboards reminiscent of those at Dodger Stadium, Dodger Blue reported. Crews will install improved batting cages and a permanent, self-guided STEM Trail connecting the upper and lower fields through interactive learning moments that incorporate the foundation’s Science of Baseball curriculum and the park’s natural environment.
The fields will support baseball and softball programming for youth ages 5 to 12 and provide open recreational access for youth and teens up to age 18, Dodger Blue reported.
Snell on Parks and Growing Up
Snell drew on his own childhood when asked about the impact of public parks. “I mean, that’s all I did,” he said, according to Yahoo Sports. “It was either a basketball court or a football field or a baseball field every day of my life, and my kids, they’re going to do the same thing. For them to have both of these fields and to hear the stories, it’s going to be, I’m so excited.”
The pitcher also noted that Shohei Ohtani and other players have donated money to the Dodgers Dreamfields project in the past, Yahoo Sports reported.
Foundation Funds Local Field Rebuilds
The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation has poured over $21.3 million into 68 Dodgers Dreamfields since 2003, according to Dodger Blue. The initiative, announced in February 2019, aims to complete 75 fields by 2028. This marks the second Dreamfields project in Altadena since the Eaton Fire destroyed significant portions of the area.
Altadena Project Details
How much has the Dodgers Foundation invested in Dreamfields overall? More than $21.3 million across 68 fields since 2003, according to Dodger Blue.
What ages will use the new Altadena fields? Programming runs for ages 5 to 12, with open recreational access for youth and teens up to age 18, Dodger Blue reported.
When did the Dreamfields initiative begin? The foundation announced the program in February 2019 and has committed to completing 75 fields by 2028, according to Dodger Blue.
The construction timeline for the two fields has not been announced, and Snell said he will return to Altadena to see the finished parks once they open.