Though there’s some use at Frank Frisch Field in Bedford Park, there could be more, according to community groups. It’s enough that an effort to get the word out about the field has been bouncing around.

“[S]omeone’s gonna get a bright idea that they can put up another high-rise,” Barbara Stronczer, president of Bedford Mosholu Community Association said at the latest BMCA meeting on May 2. “People say, ‘Oh they’ll never do that. That’s parkland.’ I’ve seen it done in Harlem. I’ve seen it done in other places in Manhattan.”

It’s one reason why community groups, including Mosholu Preservation Corporation (publishers of the Norwood News) have organized a wellness fair on May 19 at the greenspace. The field falls within Bronx Park.

Frisch Field stands out in the open despite talk of its underutilization. Found on Webster Avenue near West Mosholu Parkway South, the field is complete with a baseball diamond, backstop, dugouts, and stadium bleachers. It’s named after professional baseball player Frank “The Fordham Flash” Frisch. Frisch was born in 1898 and played for the Giants, where he won four pennants.

A review of city records shows the field was lumped with the property belonging to the 52nd Precinct, designating the space an R6. This allows any residential developer to build as high as 11 feet for affordable housing residences and seven stories for market-rate apartment buildings.

The field is sporadically used by little league teams who need permits to use it. Its use is passable. Though general maintenance is done on Frisch Field, there hasn’t been any major projects for the field in 20 years, with then Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer allocating $234,000 for renovations.