The San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department's partial renovation of the George Wolfman Baseball Fields at Balboa Park is expected to be complete in a matter of weeks.
The $815,000 project to upgrade the four baseball fields began in June 2025. Crews are focused on upgrading the park’s irrigation system, including a new booster pump that will help keep the fields in safe, playable condition.
Work on the Sweeney and Sunberg diamonds, which are suitable for full baseball, junior varsity baseball and middle school baseball, is done, while work on Diamonds 1 and 2, which are suitable for youth baseball/softball and adult softball, continues. Completion is anticipated by March.
Lisa Dunseth
"While this is not a full field renovation, Rec and Park crews used the temporary closures as an opportunity to make small but meaningful improvements, such as grading work and adding fresh cinder to the infields," RPD spokesperson Daniel Montes said.
In 2008, pooling water on the Balboa Park baseball fields drove a resident to alert the news media to the issue. RPD is working to add turf baseball fields in Crocker Amazon to its inventory that are expected to have fewer problems because they require no irrigation.
City College of San Francisco's baseball team, which does not have its own field on City College property, is not talking to RPD about using the newly renovated fields.
"At this time, there is no plan for City College’s baseball team to use the Balboa Park fields," Montes said.
The upgrades are a good start, but more investment is desired by some parkgoers.
"I'm glad they have improved the irrigation system," said John Katz, a neighbor who has coached youth baseball for ten years. Katz wants more upgrades for the diamonds, new sands to backstops. Friends of Balboa Park's Paul Hagen agreed that the entire park needs more upgrades: the bleachers are old, pedestrian lights are broken and the pathway around the park is unfinished, among other issues.
While Katz believes baseball as a recreational sport gets short shrift in the city, he's optimistic about Balboa Park after having met its groundkeepers.
"The gardeners are amazing and keep the grounds fantastic," Hagen said. "It's just they don't have the budget to do some other basics."
