The City of Ontario is deciding what should replace a historic baseball field that burned down nearly two years ago.
The Jay Littleton ballpark at John Galvin Park was destroyed in a fire back in 2024, leaving behind questions about whether the city should rebuild the field or use the space for something new.
The ballpark was originally built in the 1930s and was used by minor league and semi-professional teams. It later gained national attention when scenes from the film A League of Their Own — the 1992 baseball movie starring Tom Hanks and Madonna about the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League — were filmed there.
Before the fire, the field was primarily used for youth and travel baseball tournaments. The city renamed the park after Jay Littleton in 1998 to honor his years of coaching, scouting and mentorship to young players across Ontario.
Littleton’s daughter, Donna Phares, says her father was deeply committed to helping kids in the community. She says her father was born in Louisiana before moving to Ontario and later serving in World War II. After returning home, he managed American Legion teams and helped establish Little League programs throughout the city.
“Dad would do anything for a kid here in town. If they didn't have a ball mitt, he'd buy him a ball mitt. If they didn't have cleats, he'd buy him cleats,” Phares said. “Anything they needed, he’d get for them, because he was committed to the kids of this town, he was committed to baseball and seeing that they could play.”
Supporters of youth and travel baseball say losing the field could leave a gap for players in north Ontario.
Ken Braithwaite, who lives in Ontario and has worked as an umpire in youth baseball leagues, said the area lacks a big-league sized diamond for older divisions. Braithwaite says the field had served both youth and adult tournaments for decades and drew competitive travel teams to the city.
“There's been a number of different travel ball organizations that have had tournaments there,” Braithwaite said. “It can be a place where a lot of baseball gets played. I mean, I couldn't think of a better place to hold some CIF playoff games.”
But city officials say the destruction of the ballpark also gives them a chance to reconsider how the land could serve the surrounding neighborhood.
Last month, Ontario City Manager Scott Ochoa presented four possible concepts for the site. One option includes rebuilding the ballpark. But Ochoa says doing so could cost the city roughly $100 million.
Other proposals include soccer fields or a water-park style play area. Ochoa says city data shows soccer is one of the most popular park activities for residents.
He shared the city must balance the historical significance of the field with how often the space would realistically be used.
“Because I will tell you that if we build something that nobody really wants to use or uses only a limited amount of time, you're going to end up creating something that you wish that you had becomes an attractive nuisance,” Ochoa said.
Ontario Councilmember Daisy Macias represents the city’s fourth district, where the park is located. She said while the loss of the field is unfortunate, the city also has an opportunity to create a space that residents regularly use.
“What I want to do is…I agree with the water feature concept,” Macias said. “I want people to utilize this space. I want to even take it a step further to build an amphitheater where people can come, the residents can come and enjoy it.”
Meanwhile, Ochoa said once the council selects a base concept for the site, the city plans to begin a broader community outreach process to gather public input on the park’s future. He added the city plans to honor Littleton’s legacy at the new stadium by naming the Tower Buzzers’ snack bar after him.
At a community gathering at Casa Pitzer last month, Ontario resident Timothy Pickett shared old newspaper clippings about the city’s “godfather of baseball.”
“This is Jay Littleton in the back there. And here's, here's my dad,” Pickett said while pointing to a photograph in an old newspaper clipping. “There are probably half a dozen of these articles.”
Pickett’s father, Larry, was drafted by the Seattle Pilots (now the Milwaukee Brewers) in 1968. In many of the articles he shared, Littleton stood beside his father.
“The interesting part about it is all of the ones that involve my dad,” Pickett said. “They also have quite the bit about Jay and his help in getting my dad, you know, the opportunities to play.”
Pickett says his father struggled after his short stint in professional baseball, but Littleton remained supportive. Before the ballpark burned down, Pickett said he would sometimes take his own son there and share those stories.
“And I put him on my shoulders so he could see over the fence,” Pickett said.
Pickett says he’s not sure whether the city needs to rebuild the field, especially since he no longer lives in that part of Ontario.
“But to me, it's more important as a historical place,” he said. “But baseball here, I mean, it's certainly big. We’re waiting for the Tower Buzzers…we have season tickets.”
Pickett says whatever is built, it should serve the youth of the city, just like Littleton did.
