This fan is building a replica of Dodger Stadium in his New England backyard
Ben Massé lives in West Springfield, Mass.
But his backyard is Chavez Ravine.
The longtime Dodgers fan is a teacher and soccer coach who, like a lot of us, found himself with time on his hands lately. But unlike most of us, Massé decided to use that time to construct a Wiffle Ball field in his backyard — one with a familiar look to baseball fans in Los Angeles.
“The idea of building a mini Dodger Stadium started as a joke," Massé recently told Con Las Bases Llenas, "but then I did some drawing and put together a list of materials. So my father-in-law helped me with the construction and my wife helped me with the painting. Everything was done by hand, including the markers on the wall."
Photos recently posted to social media show some of that loving detail on the outfield wall and a replica of the "Welcome to Dodger Stadium" sign.
This fan built a mini Dodger Stadium in his backyard. 🔥
(via Ben Massé/FB, Official Los Angeles Dodgers Fan Group) pic.twitter.com/Tx48U8lqbJ— MLB (@MLB) May 26, 2020
The photos reveal the distance to the center field wall as 84 feet. The distance at the real-life stadium: 395 feet.
Massé, who told Con Las Bases Llenas he became a Dodgers fan in high school while doing a project on Jackie Robinson, said construction started in April and took about a month "working from time to time."
He added that he hopes to continue adding to his backyard stadium, possibly adding bleachers and a concession stand, with the goal of being able to host charity Wiffle Ball tournaments.