Julio Carballo Fields

What was here before?

The Weckquaesgeek lived in the vicinity of the Bronx River. They called the river Aquehung, which means “River of High Bluffs.” When Europeans started to settle in the southwest Bronx in the 1670s, they named the area Hunts Point for Thomas Hunt, one of the first settlers of the area.

In 1874, the City of New York, which at the time consisted only of Manhattan, began to annex sections of the Bronx. Hunts Point, along with a part of West Farms in what was then lower Westchester County, became the newest section of the City. The area was developed after the IRT subway line was built in 1904, linking the Bronx to Manhattan.

How did this site become a ballfield?

In 1992, NYC Parks constructed a temporary baseball/softball field on the site as part of a Mayoral program to find uses for vacant city-owned lands. In 1993, it was transferred to NYC Parks, and the fields were upgraded. Originally named Manida Ballfields after the adjacent street, it was renamed in 1997.

The fields and backstops were rebuilt in 2008. The facility features one Little League field, one tee-ball field, and one multi-use field, surrounded by a running track.

The area surrounding the fields was further enhanced with new amenities such as steel bleachers, picnic tables, benches, game tables, drinking fountains, a basketball court, play equipment, and a spray shower.

Who are these ballfields named for?

These ballfields honor Julio Carballo (1950-1996), who founded The Carballo Youth Baseball League in 1994, several blocks away at Bill Rainey Park. He was a community leader and Bronx resident who mentored children in the neighborhood and continued his League presidency even after he was diagnosed with cancer. Two years later, Carballo’s wife Milka Galarza took over management, and later enlisted her son Jose. The League regularly played games at Julio Carballo Ballfields.

Know Before You Go

Hunts Point Recreation Center