Great Smoky Mountain Journal

Staff Reports

Posted: Monday, January 01, 2018 12:25 PM

Maryville's Historic Ball Park Vandalized As Community Reacts
MARYVILLE - WIRE REPORTS - Charles Potter, a Maryville resident, took a sweeping view of the park he loves: "There's kids out here playing ball, there's people here on these tables, there's children over here on these swings and slides and stuff. And it's a very well-kept park."


Normally Eagleton Ball Park in Maryville is peaceful, but vandals are throwing a curve-ball. They left behind an estimated $5,000 in damage.

Potter said, "Well, they're really making me mad."

The Blount County Sheriff's Office responded to a report of vandals in the park Tuesday night.

According to the department's report, two young men busted out a window and door trying break into the storage facility. Park managers suspect the vandals used a heavy rock to break into the door, nearly ripping off the frame.

The park said this isn't the first time they've seen damage like this. The grounds were also vandalized a couple months ago.

David Wells, on the Eagleton Ball Park board of directors, said, "Unfortunately, over the years, we have a neighborhood close by, there's a lot of young kids, and sometimes those kids get a little restless and do things they shouldn't do."