New baseball field to be named after Doug Melvin

Chatham’s Doug Melvin

A new baseball field that is planned to be constructed in Chatham, will be named after longtime Major League Baseball executive Doug Melvin.

The CK Dream Field Project is working on raising $4 million until the spring of 2026 to hopefully build a new ball field. The field is scheduled to be built on Tweedsmuir Avenue between Fergie Jenkins Field and Chatham Memorial Arena. Chatham-Kent council will be tasked with granting the approval for the site plans at the proposed location.

The new ballyard is hoped to be scheduled to open in the summer of 2026.

This new facility will be fully accessible and compliant with Challenger baseball standards.

The addition of this field is expected to stimulate economic growth through increased baseball tournaments and foster community inclusivity by hosting Challenger baseball and other Challenger sporting events.

This initiative is led by the Chatham Sports Hall of Fame, Chatham Minor Baseball Association, and the Municipality of Chatham-Kent. More information about the project can be found at www.ckdreamfield.ca.

Melvin was an outstanding athlete at Chatham-Kent Secondary School.

He pitched in the minor leagues from 1972-78 with Pittsburgh and the New York Yankees, followed by administrative jobs including baseball operations assistant with the Yankees in 1983-‘84, scouting director with the Yankees in 1985, special assistant to general manager Roland Hemond in 1987 with the Baltimore Orioles, assistant GM and director of player personnel from 1988-‘93 with the Orioles, and then landing his first general manager’s job from 1994-2001 with the Texas Rangers.

After a brief stint in minor league operations with the Boston Red Sox, was named executive vice president and general manager with the Brewers on September 26, 2002. He was the eighth general manager in Brewers, and was under contract through the 2015 season. Melvin ended 25-year playoff droughts in both Texas and Milwaukee.

Melvin was named Baseball Executive of the Year in 2011 by Baseball America after the team won a franchise-record 96 games and won the National League Central Division title. Melvin was also awarded Co-Executive of the Year by The Sporting News along with Detroit Tiger’s Dave Dombrowski. Prior to that, in addition to Melvin being inducted into the Chatham Sports Hall of Fame in 2000, he won a pair of Executive of the Year Awards in 1996 and 1998.

He was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2012.

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