Friends of Whitey Ford Field would like to express our thanks to Nelson Santiago, Co-founder of NYC Rising Stars and an advisory board member of our organization. Nelson’s selfless act of showing up hours earlier than his planned permit time frame to remove around forty used firecrackers and flares from Whitey Ford Field is a testament to his dedication. He is a regular presence at the field, supplementing the Parks Department’s efforts to maintain the field, and is a source of inspiration for all of us. We are truly grateful to have him and his organization in our group. On September 29, 2025, around 20 Moroccan soccer fanatics unfurled a massive banner in sections to depict the logo of Ultra Winners 2005, a supporters group of the Casablanca-based soccer team Wydad Athletic Club. First, a fistfight broke out, followed by fireworks and flares being shot from flare guns near the seawall close to third base. Neighbors in the community witnessed large explosions with smoke wafting over the East River that could be seen from Manhattan and Astoria Park. During the display, the co-chair of Friends of Whitey Ford Field, Neil Herdan, received reports and videos from one of the local dog owner groups in Astoria. He immediately contacted the NYPD and the Parks Manager, who oversees parks and playgrounds in the Astoria area. By the time Parks could investigate further, the supporters had long gone. Later, we discovered that the NYPD had visited the field. No arrests were made!   The massive pyrotechnic display impacted the community, unnerving some Astorians and petrifying many local dog owners using the ballpark’s perimeter. Reports of poisonous substances from the used flares in texts sent to organizers of one of the dog groups further underscored the severity of the situation. Anything flammable is not...

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Last Friday, August 29th, the Old Astoria Neighborhood Association, Hydro-Quebec, and Champlain-Hudson Power Express were proud to support Friends of Whitey Ford Field’s partnership with Movies Under the Stars (a partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment and NYC Parks) to exhibit, Field of Dreams, the first-ever movie at Whitey Ford Field. Field of Dreams is an inspirational movie about an Iowa Farmer who dreams of building a baseball diamond in a cornfield, released in 1989. Around forty viewers showed up to watch the movie, and complimentary soft  serve ice cream was offered by Pete Rose of Hydro-Quebec, who brought down Mister Softee. Neil Photo Taken by Neil Herdan Cover Photo taken by Pete Rose of Hydro Quebe

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We are happy to announce we have secured the first-ever permit to show a movie at Whitey Ford Field. This is another first in the revitalization of Whitey Ford Field. August 29- 7 pm -10 pm We will be exhibiting Field of Dreams courtesy of Movies Under the Stars, the NYC Department of Parks movie arm. When Iowa farmer Ray hears a mysterious voice one night in his cornfield saying, “If you build it, he will come,” he feels the need to act. Despite taunts of lunacy, Ray builds a baseball diamond on his land, supported by his wife, Annie. Afterward, the ghosts of great players emerge from the crops to play ball, led by “Shoeless” Joe Jackson. But, as Ray learns, this field of dreams is about much more than bringing former baseball greats out to play. The Movie was released in 1989

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This year is the 25th anniversary of the renaming of Astoria Athletic Field to Whitey Ford Field in Astoria. The ballpark has hosted Public School Athletic League Little League baseball games for over a hundred years since its construction in 1906. However, for the past twenty-five years, no serious baseball competitions could be organized at the field due to the removal of the baseball mound. So it was only fitting that the NYC Rising Stars, affiliated with Prime Time Baseball on 14th Street, hold a home run derby at Whitey Ford Field. The New York City Rising Stars had relocated from College Point and moved its practice sessions to Whitey Ford Field last year. The Rising Stars organize practice sessions in the early evening and run a youth camp during the summer months at Whitey Ford Field. They are a premier youth baseball organization dedicated to developing talent on and off the field. Led by Nelson Santiago (advisory board member of Friends of Whitey Ford Field) and Adrian Castano (formerly of the Detroit Tigers), the program focuses on elite training, competitive baseball, and college exposure — helping over 100 student-athletes earn opportunities at colleges across the country. They have turned out many alums who went on to play professional baseball: Their alumn include Ariel Nunez – Arizona Diamondbacks, Nick Padilla – Philadelphia Phillies and inparticular Josue de Paula – Los Angeles Dodgers (Josue De Paula is a Queens native and homegrown talent who’s been with the Stars since childhood is now the #1 prospect for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Josue recently made headlines after winning MVP of the MLB Futures All-Star Game in Atlanta, GA. In June, Friends of Whitey Ford Field, their fiscal sponsor, the Old Astoria Neighborhood Association,  and new corporate sponsor, Hydro-Quebec, were notified that the NYC...

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Calling all young sluggers! Think you’ve got the power to go yard? Original date Postponed due to weather—the Home Run Derby is now happening on the rain date: July 23rd at 4PM at Whitey Ford Field in Astoria! Ages 14–16 (must bring your own pitcher) Prizes for the winners Scan the QR code to sign up now, spots are LIMITED! Let’s see who can hit it out of the park! #HomeRunDerby #AstoriaBaseball #RisingStarsBaseball #NYCBaseball #YouthSports #whiteyfordfield #friendsofwhiteyfordfield

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The Old Astoria Neighborhood Association (OANA) joined Friends of Whitey Ford Field (FOWFF) in the largest park cleanups in recent memory. Part of the citywide “Pitch In For Parks” initiative, the event prepared the ballfield for spring with 75 volunteers pruning trees, clearing debris, and filling 150 bags with waste. Friends of Whitey Ford Field promoted the cleanup through social media and LinkNYC kiosks, expecting 20–30 volunteers—but turnout far exceeded expectations. Participants included teams from Frank Sinatra High School of the Arts, NYC Rising Stars, East River Sharks, and FDNY’s Youth Explorer Program. A DOT representative also presented on the Queens Greenway Project with support from the Queens Borough President’s office. Special thanks to Peter Rose of Hydro Quebec and the Champlain Hudson Power Express (CHPE) team for their support. CHPE, a $6B project bringing renewable energy from Canada to NYC, is 70% complete, with construction ongoing along Shore Boulevard in Astoria Park. With 75 volunteers citywide, our event ranked third in participation. Friends of Whitey Ford Field is committed to keeping the park in the public eye with more events ahead. By Neil Nerdan Photo Credit Alejandra Vanegas Photo Credit Phyllis Parra

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[Photo credit Phyllis Sharp] The Old Astoria Neighborhood Association is proud to support Friends Of Whitey Ford Field and the NYC City Parks Department cleanup at Whitey Ford Field on March 29 at 11 am. Residents and sports leagues, including baseball and softball teams from all over Queens, will participate in “Pitch in for Parks” to clean up fields and courts in parks across the City. The Whitey Ford Field event will have representatives from The Queensborough President’s Office and the DOT Greenway team who plan to discuss and answer any questions you might have on the proposed sixteen-mile Queens Waterfront Greenway, part of the City’s broader Greenway Expansion Initiative, announced by the Mayor’s office in October 2023, which aims to improve pedestrian and cycling infrastructure across all five boroughs. Other organizations participating in our cleanup include Astoria Sports, Queens Lighted Softball Association, NYC Rising Stars, East River Sharks, and Chateau Le Woof. We are preparing a digital flyer that will be displayed across all the LinkNYC Kiosks around Astoria and parts of Long Island City. The banner will list any organization that wants to assist in the cleanup. The deadline for listing on the LinkNYC kiosk is March 20th. This post was published in the Queens Gazette here.

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The Old Astoria Neighborhood Association (OANA), the fiscal sponsor of Friends of Whitey Ford Field is proud to support our dedicated volunteers who have helped revive the fortunes of one of the oldest ball-fields in Queens. Friends of Whitey Ford Field were selected by the NYC Park Department to be part of a Queens-wide initiative, Pitch in For Parks, on April 6, 2024. Volunteer groups around Queens helped spruce up and beautify sports grounds around the borough, including American Fields, College Point Fields, and Flushing Meadows Corona Park. Blair Clancy, Whitey Ford’s granddaughter OANA advertised their event on LinkNYC Kiosks around Astoria during the last week of March and the beginning of April. This has proven to be very effective messaging in the past. The first time we posted on the LinkNYC terminals was back in 2019 for Ford Family Day, a summer event where Whitey Ford’s immediate family and residents came together to advocate for the field. This time, residents from 10 Halletts Point, the Old Astoria Neighborhood Association, a student from Frank Sinatra High School of the Arts, and an Adjunct Professor at NYU School of Journalism all participated, and showed up to remove four large sacks of garbage and waste from the field. We were also supported by Glenny, the manager at Brooklyn Harvest Market, who made sure all the volunteers got hot coffee, tea, and doughnuts. Blair Clancy, Co-Chair of Friends of Whitey Ford Field, the Queens Brough Commissioner for Parks, Jackie Langsam, and her Deputy Chief of Operations, Elizabeth Ripotola, joined the volunteers to discuss future developments at the field; in particular the very serious issue of unleashed dogs running around the ballpark. OANA is advocating for dog runs to alleviate some of these issues.  Indeed, while work was underway, our Parks Manager, Monet Davis, had...

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The Old Astoria Neighborhood Association organized with Friends of Whitey Ford Field their first Spring event of the year at Whitey Ford Field on 26th Avenue and 2nd Street. Fifteen volunteers showed up on a cold and overcast day to perform a little cleanup at the field. Volunteers from Astoria Sports and Frank Sinatra School of the Arts were joined by auxiliaries and community officers from the NYPD 114th Pct. Photo Neil Herdan L-R (Frank Sinatra students Dominick Koziol, Noah Vasquez; Dan Pubblo -baseball coach; Auxiliary Police officer, Monet Davis, PO Dalia Zapparata with four officers 114 Pct., and Phyllis Sharp. Bottom left Raphael Schweizer) At the request of the NYC Department of Parks, with the support of Partnership for Parks, soil that accumulated over the winter, especially around the dugout, was removed. Baseball and softball seasons start at the beginning of April, and the Parks Department is heavily involved in preparing all the fields in Queens. We want to thank the staff at Brooklyn Harvest Market for preparing a nice spread of fruits, muffins, doughnuts, and coffee. OANA member and volunteer Phyllis Sharp brought us doughnuts from Dough Astoria. We thank her for her generosity. Whitey Ford Field is the oldest sports field in Astoria and was built between 1905 and 1906. It’s the birthplace of Astoria and was named after the legendary Yankee pitcher Charles Edward Ford in August 2000. Frank Sinatra High School, Queens Lighted Softball Association, and Astoria Sports use the field from April through November. The Old Astoria Neighborhood advocates for two dog runs to help keep dog owners off the field. Friends of Whitey Ford Field is advocating for more leagues to play at the ballpark, as well as cultural events, such as movie nights and poetry recitals, weekly open street community gatherings, and...

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Friends of Whitey Ford Field, including our supporters from the Old Astoria Neighborhood Association, Frank Sinatra School of the Arts, Queens Lighted Softball Association, Astoria Sports, Partnership For Parks, and volunteers from the local community, will be helping the NYC Parks Department remove litter, garbage, weeds and other refuse from the field. The fall cleanup at Whitey Ford Field will take place on October 14 th, 10AM -12PM. The event is suitable for all ages, so feel free to bring your friends and family down to the ballpark.   Afterward, there will be an opportunity to watch teams from Astoria Sports compete in their softball league, which lasts until 4pm Supplies and gloves will be provided by Partnership For Parks. It is recommended that you bring bottled water, bug spray and dress accordingly, as the field may be muddy in places.

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