The people of Muscoy and greater San Bernardino deserve to hear the truth about a good deed that should be celebrated—not dragged into costly legal battles.
For nearly two decades, a local baseball field—once a proud symbol of youth sports and community spirit—sat in disrepair. Overgrown grass, crumbling infrastructure, and unusable restrooms turned it into an eyesore and a safety hazard. No one stepped up to fix it. No one—except the PAL Center.
The Forgotten Field
This baseball field has been part of the Muscoy community for over 50 years, serving generations of young athletes. It is owned by a nonprofit originally known as Muscoy Little League, which later changed its name to Blake Little League, and now operates as Westend Little League. One might reasonably ask: why so many name changes in such a short span?
Regardless of the name, the truth remains: the field belongs to the community—and most importantly, to the children.
A Binding Agreement and a Commitment to Community
Rather than continue to watch the field deteriorate, I took action. As CEO of the PAL Center, I entered into a legally binding 20-year Maintenance and Operations Agreement with then–league president Angel Garcia and several board members of Westend Little League. This agreement gave the PAL Center authority to restore and manage both the upper and lower fields, ensuring shared access for both the league and the broader community.
With that agreement in place, I worked with 5th District County Supervisor Joe Baca Jr. to secure a $2.1 million cost-reimbursement contract from the County to renovate the field.
It’s worth noting: Westend Little League had previously received public funds for this same purpose—and failed to deliver. That track record is part of the reason the County chose to fund the PAL Center instead.
PAL Took the Risk—For the Kids
Under the County contract, the PAL Center was required to front 100% of the construction costs and would only be reimbursed after each phase was completed and documented. In most cases, reimbursements took 60 to 90 days. The entire project was managed by the County, which maintained full control over all funding and permitting.
This created a significant financial burden—but we did it anyway. We managed the entire two-year renovation project without being paid a single dime for our time, labor, or oversight.
Why? Because we believe the kids of Muscoy deserve better.
Today, that once-abandoned field now looks like a mini–Dodger Stadium—a place where kids can feel proud to play and families can come together.
From Celebration to Conflict
Instead of thanks, we were met with hostility.
After renovations were completed, Westend Little League attempted to seize full control of the field, ignoring the 20-year agreement they had signed. I reached out to Supervisor Baca more than ten times, asking for his help to mediate. I also tried multiple times to meet directly with the league. No response. No resolution.
Tensions grew so high during the project that our team faced harassment from league representatives, and the ribbon-cutting ceremony had to be canceled—not once, but twice.
Now, rather than finishing the final upgrades, the PAL Center is being forced to divert resources to legal fees—fighting to uphold a good-faith agreement that was signed, documented, and approved.
“This money should be going toward finishing the rest of the renovation—so kids can play, practice, and have fun,” I said. “This is ridiculous.”
A Field Named in Gratitude—Now a Source of Regret
In a gesture of appreciation, we even named the field after Supervisor Joe Baca Jr., thanking him for his help in securing funding. But today, I feel betrayed and abandoned.
Supervisor Baca had multiple opportunities to step in and resolve this. Instead, he remained silent while Westend Little League—an organization now benefiting from the very renovations we made—launched slanderous and outrageous allegations against me and the PAL Center.
“He could’ve intervened—this should never have gotten this far,” I said. “It should be about the kids and the community.”
All the money we’re now spending on attorneys? I would have gladly donated that to the league—for uniforms, equipment, or anything else the children needed.
Because that’s what this was always about.
Final Word
“We must all still fight to end each day with a good deed, because the world gets better one act at a time.”
