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City Council

Pirates charities and Laborers Union team up to upgrade 20 youth baseball fields.

Drainage problems can stop play on city-owned youth baseball and softball fields. Now, a $300,000 Pirates Charities grant will cover upgrades, such as laser grading, at about 20 fields. On April 20, council also advanced a laborers' union donation for scoreboards at 10 fields. The city is still finalizing which fields will get the upgrades.

Written by Amy Whipple

Pittsburgh’s youth baseball and softball teams may soon stop being benched by heavy rain.

The Pirates Charities’ Fields for Kids Program issued a $300,000 grant for improvements to approximately 20 city-owned fields. 

Chief of Staff Dan Gilman said during the April 20 committee meeting that the grant funds will cover, among other things, the same crushed red brick infield material used at PNC Park and laser grading to help mitigate drainage problems that prevent play.

The Pirates will also purchase a new laser grader for the city. Gilman said the additional equipment will allow for two crews to regularly maintain fields.

Council Member Khari Mosley of Point Breeze North, who also coaches youth baseball, said he hopes that the city can continue to work with the Pirates. “Baseball is just so important to the fabric of this city,” he said. “I think it would be important to make that investment, not just for the sake of baseball, but for the sake of young people.”

At the same meeting, council also voted to move forward with a $300,000 donation from the Laborer’s District Council to purchase and install scoreboards at 10 fields.

According to Gilman, the city is still finalizing the list of fields for the new scoreboards and other improvements.

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Elected officials:
Khari Mosley
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Fixing up city parksBig donors, public bills
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Parks & Public SpaceBudget & TaxesEconomic DevelopmentParks & Public SpaceBudget & TaxesEconomic Development
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Public meetings:
City Council · April 20, 2026
Sources:
Resolution 2026-0354 — authorizing, pursuant to Ch. 210 ("Acceptance of Gifts to City") of the City Code, the Mayor and the Director of the…Ordinance 2025-2250 — amending the Pittsburgh Code, Title Nine - Zoning, Article V, Use Regulations, Chapter 911: Primary Uses, to add…

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