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ABC 33/40 news anchor Christopher Sign makes it to second base during a celebrity softball game at the grand opening of the new baseball and softball fields at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex on Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018.
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Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato takes some softball swings during the grand opening of the new baseball and softball fields at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex on Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018.
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Hoover High School cheerleaders provide some pep for the grand opening of the new baseball and softball fields at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex on Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018.
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Hoover High School cheerleaders help kick off the grand opening of the new baseball and softball fields at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex on Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018.
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Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato welcomes people to the grand opening of the new baseball and softball fields at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex on Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018.
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Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato and other officials cut a ribbon at the grand opening of the new baseball and softball fields at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex on Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018.
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Abby Lloyd, 12, of the Russet Woods community in Hoover, Alabama, jumps on a Eurobungy at the grand opening of the new baseball and softball fields at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex on Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018.
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Children take part in a flag football game at the grand opening of the new baseball and softball fields at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex on Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018.
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Tennyson Guffey, a member of the Hoover High School softball team, watches as Hadley Williams, 9, of the Ross Bridge community in Hoover, Alabama, hits a ball off a tee during a softball clinic at the grand opening of the new baseball and softball fields at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex on Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018.
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Kids jump on an inflatable at the grand opening of the new baseball and softball fields at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex on Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018.
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Tai Deighton, 9, hits a floating baseball at the grand opening of the new baseball and softball fields at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex on Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018.
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Layton Lewis, 5, of the Bluff Park community in Hoover, Alabama, plays on an inflatable activity center at the grand opening of the new baseball and softball fields at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex on Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018.
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Tiffany Hornesburger, sets up a ball for her nephew, 5-year-old Brian Fairley, to hit at the grand opening of the new baseball and softball fields at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex on Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018.
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Audrey Knight, 3, of the Deer Valley community in Hoover, Alabama, jumps on the Eurobungy at the grand opening of the new baseball and softball fields at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex on Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018.
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Balloon twisters make balloon animals and other items for children at the grand opening of the new baseball and softball fields at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex on Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018. Waiting in front of the line are Laylee and Macy Arthur and their cousin, Zane Painter.
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Aubrey Skinner, 6, of the Riverchase community in Hoover, Alabama, does the Cupid Shuffle with Brittany Manasco (playing Ariel) and Emily Reed (playing Elsa) at the grand opening of the new baseball and softball fields at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex on Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018.
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Sara Vega, 5, of Vestavia Hills, meets Emily Reed (playing Elsa) and Brittany Manasco (playing Ariel) at the grand opening of the new baseball and softball fields at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex on Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018.
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Spain Park HIgh School softball player Kate Campbell rolls the ball during a kickball game at the grand opening of the new baseball and softball fields at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex on Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018.
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Spain Park HIgh School baseball and softball players participate in a kickball game at the grand opening of the new baseball and softball fields at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex on Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018.
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A member of a men's softball team pitches a softball to Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato at the grand opening of the new baseball and softball fields at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex on Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018.
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Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato takes some swings at softballs during the grand opening of the new baseball and softball fields at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex on Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018.
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Hector Ponce, 10, and Emiliano Garcia, 7, play around on one of the new baseball/softball fields during the grand opening of the new baseball and softball fields at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex on Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018.
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Hundreds of people showed up for the grand opening of the new baseball and softball fields at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex on Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018. The grand opening included lots of activities for kids, including inflatables, face painting, balloon twisters, sports clinics and a softball game.
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A member of a men's softball team steps up to the plate to bat during a softball game at the grand opening of the new baseball and softball fields at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex on Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018.
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The pitcher of the Hoover celebrity team gets ready to throw a pitch during a softball game at the grand opening of the new baseball and softball fields at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex on Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018.
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Former WDJC radio host Chris Mileski, at left, announces a softball game between a Hoover celebrity team and a men's 50-and-over softball team at the grand opening of the new baseball and softball fields at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex on Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018.
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Michael Pepper, an event manager for the Hoover Metropolitan Complex in Hoover, Alabama, steps up to bat for the Hoover celebrity team during a softball game at the grand opening of the new baseball and softball fields at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex on Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018.
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ABC 33/40 news anchor Christopher Sign steps up to bat during a celebrity softball game at the grand opening of the new baseball and softball fields at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex on Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
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The grand opening of the new baseball and softball fields at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex on Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018, included a softball game between Hoover area celebrities and a men's 50-and-over softball team.
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Softball players do some batting practice prior to a softball game at the grand opening of the new baseball and softball fields at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex on Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018.
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Frank Adams of the Lake Crest community in Hoover, Alabama, cools off with some Italian ice at the grand opening of the new baseball and softball fields at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex on Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018.
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Tim and Pia Simon of the Ridge Crossings apartment community in Hoover, Alabama, go down a slide at the grand opening of the new baseball and softball fields at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex on Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018.
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Ava Williams, 3, of the Trace Crossings community in Hoover, Alabama, gets her face painted at the grand opening of the new baseball and softball fields at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex on Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018.
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Guilherme Pires, 9 of the Riverchase community in Hoover, Alabama, kicks around a soccer ball during a soccer clinic at the grand opening of the new baseball and softball fields at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex on Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018.
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Dylan Patel, 9, of the Lake Crest community in Hoover, Alabama, kicks around a soccer ball at a soccer clinic put on during the grand opening of the new baseball and softball fields at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex on Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018.
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Joe Lewis, 10, of the Bluff Park community in Hoover, Alabama, plays on inflatable activity center at the grand opening of the new baseball and softball fields at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex on Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018.
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Children line up to play on the Eurobungy at the grand opening of the new baseball and softball fields at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex on Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018.
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John Sparks, the general manager of the Hoover Metropolitan Complex, talks about more offerings yet to come during the grand opening of the new baseball and softball fields that are phase two of an expansion at the complex on Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018.
Hundreds of people came out to the Hoover Metropolitan Complex on Aug. 11 for the grand opening of the new baseball/softball complex behind the Finley Center and Hoover Metropolitan Stadium.
The complex includes one natural grass field and four fields with artificial turf. All five of the fields are NCAA-regulation size but can be divided up into smaller baseball and softball fields, and can also be used for football, flag football and other sports as needed.
The grass field was completed in time for use as batting practice for the SEC Baseball Tournament in May, and the other four fields have just been completed.
Last night, they were used for a family fun night that included multiple inflatable kids activities, a Eurobungy trampoline, face painting, balloon twisters, music, clinics for baseball, softball, flag football and soccer and a softball game with Birmingham area celebrities.
The fields get put into regular action Monday night with the Hoover Parks and Recreation Department’s flag football program using two of the baseball diamonds for six flag football fields, said John Sparks, the new general manager for the Hoover Metropolitan Complex. Then comes a softball tournament later in August, he said.
Complex managers are still in the process of lining up programming for the complex, and plan to balance use by local recreation programs with tournaments that bring in teams from across the state, Southeast and nation, Sparks said. It takes a lot of coordination, but he wants to maximize use of the complex, he said.
“Our ultimate goal is not to have the fields be vacant,” Sparks said. “I don’t want to see the lights out. I want to see it used.”
The baseball and softball complex is the second phase of the expansion of the Hoover Metropolitan Complex. The first phase was the 155,000-square-foot Finley Center, which has 83,000 square feet of continuous floor space that can be divided into 11 basketball courts or 17 volleyball courts, or be used for other events such as trade shows and banquets.
The third phase, already under construction, will include five fields that can be used for football, lacrosse or soccer, 16 tennis courts, a splash pad and playground. That phase is scheduled for completion in January. Complex managers are also still working out the operational details for a new climbing center inside the Finley Center.
Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato told the crowd at last night's ribbon cutting that Brasfield & Gorrie did a wonderful job of coordinating construction for the baseball and softball complex.
“Our facility is really starting to take shape. It’s something the whole community is really excited about and looking forward to using,” Brocato said.
Hoover officials always want to make sure the city has a wonderful school system and top-notch public safety services, but “we also want to be able to provide wonderful facilities in our parks and recreation for our youth and adults to come out and enjoy the good ol’ outdoors,” the mayor said. “These are the types of things that contribute to the quality of life we have.”
Marina Gonzalez, a resident of Ross Bridge, brought her 10-year-old son, Hector Ponce, who plays baseball, to the festivities. She said she wanted to check out the fields and let him evaluate the artificial turf.
“I love it,” she said. If their team ends up playing on these fields, she guesses she won’t have to worry about scrubbing the orange baseball clay out of his baseball pants, she said. He likes the artificial turf, too, she said.
Tim Allen, a Vestavia Hills resident, brought his children out to enjoy the kids’ activities and said the complex is pretty cool.
“I’ve never seen the artificial turf infields,” he said. “How can you play baseball without dirt?” he said. “But I can understand from a maintenance standpoint, that could make it a lot easier.”
For more information about the Hoover Metropolitan Complex, go to hoovermetcomplex.com.