Yankees all-star CC Sabathia helps fund $11 million 'Harlem Field of Dreams'; renovated Brigadier General Charles Young Playground field now serves five sports
CC Sabathia , the former New York Yankees pitcher, has helped transform a dilapidated dirt field in Harlem into a place where children can play. Through his PitCCh In Foundation , Sabathia joined public agencies and sports organisations to fund the $11 million Harlem Field of Dreams at Brigadier General Charles Young Playground . The renovated field now accommodates five sports, offers free youth programming , and honours a remarkable figure in American military history. Here is how the project was paid for, what the new field offers local families, and why the history of the playground and its surroundings matters to the neighbourhood.
How the $11 million Harlem Field of Dreams was funded, asset forfeiture money and foundation donations According to a 2025 press release from the Office of the Mayor of New York City, the $11 million project drew on several funding sources. Roughly $7.5 million came from law enforcement asset forfeiture funds from the New York and New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program, in partnership with the New York City Police Department and the New York City Police Foundation. Additional contributions came from Sabathia's PitCCh In Foundation, Major League Baseball, the Major League Baseball Players Association Youth Development Fund, the National Football League Foundation Grassroots Program, the Cal Ripken Senior Foundation , the Manhattan Borough President's Office, and the New York City Council. The release does not say how much each partner gave, so Sabathia's exact share is not specified.
Five sports, more than 800 young players, and new amenities on the renovated Harlem athletic field The project turned a dilapidated dirt field into a 150,000 square foot synthetic turf field built for multiple sports. Eric Adams, then mayor of New York City, told the public in the release that more than 800 young people can now play baseball, football, soccer, and lacrosse there. The city says the field accommodates five sports in total, with softball completing the list. Upgrades include improved drainage and water detention, drinking fountains, fencing, backstops, benches, dugouts, and a sports mister. The release describes a $9 million transformation, while the mayor's remarks and later sections cite $11 million for the full project. Sabathia told the public that giving back has always been at the heart of everything he does, and that New York has become his second home.
Free Saturday Night Lights programming and a public safety approach that keeps young people engaged
The city plans to offer free youth sports on the new field through the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development's Saturday Night Lights program, which the release describes as a way to give young people safe places to play while building trust between law enforcement and communities. The field is part of an upstream approach to public safety that invests in free programming to keep young people engaged when they are not in school. Earlier improvements in 2023 included new asphalt and fencing for the main basketball court, repairs to three basketball courts, and the conversion of one court into a soccer pitch. The field house bathrooms are also set for upgrades with $2.5 million in public funding.
Brigadier General Charles Young, the history behind the Harlem playground and the Hellfighters armoury
The playground is named for Brigadier General Charles Young, who was born into slavery in Kentucky in 1864 and became the third Black graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point. According to the release, he served more than 30 years in the United States Army and became the first African American colonel before being forced into medical retirement in 1917. To prove his fitness, he rode 497 miles on horseback to Washington, though his appeal failed, and he was posthumously promoted in 2022. The playground sits just north of the 369th Regiment Armoury, home to the Harlem Hellfighters , a regiment that saw more combat than any other unit during World War One. Cal Ripken Junior told the public that the field is the 125th Youth Development Park, opened by the Cal Ripken Senior Foundation.
How the $11 million Harlem Field of Dreams was funded, asset forfeiture money and foundation donations According to a 2025 press release from the Office of the Mayor of New York City, the $11 million project drew on several funding sources. Roughly $7.5 million came from law enforcement asset forfeiture funds from the New York and New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program, in partnership with the New York City Police Department and the New York City Police Foundation. Additional contributions came from Sabathia's PitCCh In Foundation, Major League Baseball, the Major League Baseball Players Association Youth Development Fund, the National Football League Foundation Grassroots Program, the Cal Ripken Senior Foundation , the Manhattan Borough President's Office, and the New York City Council. The release does not say how much each partner gave, so Sabathia's exact share is not specified.
Five sports, more than 800 young players, and new amenities on the renovated Harlem athletic field The project turned a dilapidated dirt field into a 150,000 square foot synthetic turf field built for multiple sports. Eric Adams, then mayor of New York City, told the public in the release that more than 800 young people can now play baseball, football, soccer, and lacrosse there. The city says the field accommodates five sports in total, with softball completing the list. Upgrades include improved drainage and water detention, drinking fountains, fencing, backstops, benches, dugouts, and a sports mister. The release describes a $9 million transformation, while the mayor's remarks and later sections cite $11 million for the full project. Sabathia told the public that giving back has always been at the heart of everything he does, and that New York has become his second home.
Free Saturday Night Lights programming and a public safety approach that keeps young people engaged
The city plans to offer free youth sports on the new field through the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development's Saturday Night Lights program, which the release describes as a way to give young people safe places to play while building trust between law enforcement and communities. The field is part of an upstream approach to public safety that invests in free programming to keep young people engaged when they are not in school. Earlier improvements in 2023 included new asphalt and fencing for the main basketball court, repairs to three basketball courts, and the conversion of one court into a soccer pitch. The field house bathrooms are also set for upgrades with $2.5 million in public funding.
Brigadier General Charles Young, the history behind the Harlem playground and the Hellfighters armoury
The playground is named for Brigadier General Charles Young, who was born into slavery in Kentucky in 1864 and became the third Black graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point. According to the release, he served more than 30 years in the United States Army and became the first African American colonel before being forced into medical retirement in 1917. To prove his fitness, he rode 497 miles on horseback to Washington, though his appeal failed, and he was posthumously promoted in 2022. The playground sits just north of the 369th Regiment Armoury, home to the Harlem Hellfighters , a regiment that saw more combat than any other unit during World War One. Cal Ripken Junior told the public that the field is the 125th Youth Development Park, opened by the Cal Ripken Senior Foundation.
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