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When they aren't teaching school, counseling people on their finances or working at various other professions, a group of Warwood friends are busy adding to the baseball legacy of their community.

It doesn't matter that they have to put in hours of their own time or sweat a bit under the weekend sun to get it accomplished. These Warwood Redbirds Baseball Organization fathers/coaches are working to refurbish and expand the city-owned North Third Street baseball field in their Warwood neighborhood.

The group has formed a committee to get their "field of dreams" accomplished.

The committee includes Mike Riedel, Mark Nardone, Rodney Cooley, Doug Hlad, Eric Michaels and Mark Delbrugge.

Most of them are lifelong friends. They have played the game, coached the game or just simply love watching their kids slide into home plate.

Now they want to make sure the North Third Street ballfield becomes the premier field in the valley.

The group is looking to add lighting to the field that would extend playing time for teams, expand into the next age level of teams, and allow the Redbirds to host tournaments.

The "Help Us Light Our Field" project is being introduced to the community via letters and door-to-door contact. The Redbirds will conduct a Tag Day at Wal-Mart at The Highlands, the Kroger store in Warwood and various streets in Warwood on Sunday, Oct. 11. Also on that day, the public is invited to stop by the field and see what the committee has done and what needs to be done to complete the project.

The goal is to erect 32 lights at a cost of about $250 each. The Redbirds are seeking monetary help with the lighting and are looking for folks who might be interested in sponsoring a light. Anyone who sponsors a light will have his or her name placed on a plaque to be displayed at the field.

Riedel said the committee has accomplished most of phase one of the project with help from some very generous individuals and groups. The ballfield, which abuts the property now being developed for a strip mall, has received the blessing of that developer, Maracon Inc. of Uniontown, Pa. Workers from Savage Heavy Highway Corporation removed trees and graded the expanded site.

"We've gotten grants and pledges from the Ohio County Commission and the city has been helping out. Anyone we've called has helped," Riedel said.

Delbrugge also noted while the city owns the field, city officials have given their blessing on the Redbirds' efforts to improve the facility.

"The city has been terrific. They've donated a lot but we still have a long way to go to do all the things we want to do here," Delbrugge said.

Cooley said in addition to lights and expanding the size of the field to accommodate not only the Mustang teams but Bronco teams as well, plans are to install batting cages, a bullpen, outfield decks, bleachers, a picnic area and a pavilion.

Nardone said by making these changes and improving the site, the Redbirds organization can offer "the best place in Wheeling to watch a baseball game."

"We are just trying to get the word out that we could use some help with muscle and our pocketbook," Nardone added.

Donations of services and equipment have come in from Bob Contraguerro of Panhandle Cleaning, Sean O'Brien and his rental equipment, Mansuetto Roofing, Beckett's Landscaping and others who just show up and pitch in, Riedel added.

Michaels said the organization also has received a $2,500 grant from the Pirates Charities Fields for Kids program, which aims to improve youth baseball and softball facilities in the tri-state region via matching grants. Pirates Charities is the philanthropic arm of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Redbirds is the oldest and largest baseball organization in the Mountaineer League with more than 70 years of history under their pennant. When the field updates are completed, the organization will be able to host pre- and post-season tournaments that would generate income to support the Redbirds.