On most Sundays, McCarren Park hums with life as players chase victories across its fields as neighbors gather along the edges, spreading picnic blankets to spectate with local coffee in hand.
On Sunday, June 21, the park took on a different energy. McCarren became a place of tribute as friends, family members, and community leaders came together to rename the softball field after one of Greenpoint’s own, Ronnie Ortiz Jr.
Carmen Mendoza was “overwhelmed with joy” as residents of Williamsburg and Greenpoint came together to remember her son Ronnie, who was murdered in 2022, just days before what would have been his 31st birthday.
“I’m happy there’s something there to show who he was and what kind of person he was,” Carmen said. “Generations to come will know Ronnie through this field.”
The field renaming ceremony included recognition from Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who issued a proclamation officially designating June 21st as Ronnie Ortiz Jr. Day.
Ronnie was born and raised in Greenpoint. He grew up playing sports with his friends and siblings at Milton Park. In his older years, he was usually found hanging in or around McCarren. Carmen told Greenpointers that Ronnie had a way of drawing people in, recalling memories from his schooling at PS 34 on Norman Avenue.
“Kids naturally gravitated toward him,” she told Greenpointers. “He would let kids take his toys home, and I would be like, ‘what are you doing?’ But he would tell me they needed them more than him.”
Ronnie carried that same magnetism throughout his life. Jaime Contreras met Ronnie through the Williamsburg softball league in 2017.
“At first glance, you wouldn’t think I was an athlete, but Ronnie always saw abilities in me that I didn’t see in myself,” Contreras said. “He pushed me to my limits. He made me the person I am today.”
Contreras noted Ronnie’s rare energy that allowed him to effortlessly connect people across teams and cut through boundaries in their lives.
“Everyone wanted to be around him,” Contreras said. “He was superhuman.”
The Pursuit for Ronnie Ortiz Jr., formed in response to Ronnie’s death as a way to honor him through youth programming and community events. The official renaming of the field was made possible, in part, through their efforts.
Holland Cowger, Commissioner of the Williamsburg Softball League, organizes annual youth baseball and softball clinics for the organization. Cowger knew Ronnie personally and was involved in the field’s renaming efforts. He said that Ronnie was a marvel in the league, bumping Cowger himself out of the coveted shortstop position.
For Carmen, the field’s new name and the community’s commitment to honoring Ronnie will keep his spirit intact.
“I have so much pride, so much comfort, knowing that my son grew up in a neighborhood with these people,” she said.
This summer marks the Fourth Annual Ronnie Ortiz Jr. Youth Baseball and Softball Clinic, which will be held on August 16. The clinic is free and open to all children ages 7 to 16. More information is available here.
