Burns lauded for $50,000 grant to upgrade Roxbury baseball field
‘We’re beyond grateful to Frank for being such a huge part of this’
Rep. Frank Burns August 13, 2025 | 10:35 AM
EBENSBURG, Aug. 13 – Two disciples of legendary Cambria County baseball influencer Dee Dee Osborne – each now coaching the sport at a higher level – reached out to laud state Rep. Frank Burns for securing a $50,000 state grant for a new scoreboard and field improvements at Johnstown’s Roxbury Park.
Ross Kott, assistant baseball coach at Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C. and Tom Walter, head baseball coach at Wake Forest University in North Carolina, say their quest to upgrade the park’s Dee Dee Osborne Field, named in honor of their well-known athletic mentor and coach, got a big boost from Burns.
“Dee Dee’s done more for the baseball community than anyone else in Johnstown. He’s played a vital role in baseball in the Johnstown area, and been a great influence in general for kids in the community,” Kott said. “Tom and I saw how much work Mr. Burns does for the community in our (home) area, in Cambria County, and the work he’s done for recreation.
“We reached out to Mr. Burns and informed him of our vision of where we would like to see the (Roxbury) field move forward. That’s when he helped in securing the grant for the scoreboard and other improvements.”
______________________________________________________________________
“Tom and I saw how much work Mr. Burns does for the community in our (home) area, in Cambria County, and the work he’s done for recreation. We reached out to Mr. Burns and informed him of our vision of where we would like to see the (Roxbury) field move forward. That’s when he helped in securing the grant for the scoreboard and other improvements.” – Ross Kott, assistant coach baseball at Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C.
“Frank Burns stepping up to kind of take the first step in us getting that ballpark back to what it used to be (was big). Frank does so much in the Johnstown community, he carries a lot of water in that community. We’re beyond grateful to Frank for being such a huge part of this.” – Tom Walter, head baseball coach at Wake Forest University in North Carolina.
______________________________________________________________________
Walter said that while growing up in Johnstown, Roxbury Park and its baseball offerings were key features of kids’ daily lives. He and Kott share a vision to keep that recreation opportunity alive for future generations, not only maintaining but improving what the park’s baseball field has to offer.
“You always want to give back. All of us who played for Dee Dee Osborne just want to pay that forward,” Walter said. “We want to grow the game of baseball in our hometown. I just want to see the kids in Johnstown have opportunities beyond high school.
“Frank Burns stepping up to kind of take the first step in us getting that ballpark back to what it used to be (was big). Frank does so much in the Johnstown community, he carries a lot of water in that community. We’re beyond grateful to Frank for being such a huge part of this.”
Burns said he was eager to assist in the effort because he, too, played baseball at Roxbury Park in its city leagues – including playing against Kott starting when Burns was a 13-year-old.
“Without a doubt Ross was one of the best players during that time,” Burns said. “Like Ross and Tom and many others, I have fond memories of Roxbury Park, those fields; it’s what bonds everyone who ever donned a baseball uniform in the city of Johnstown.”
Kott said that he and Walter, both graduates of Johnstown High School, played in AAABA (All American Amateur Baseball Association) Baseball League, which uses the Roxbury field each August for its national tournament. He said the Greater Johnstown High School baseball team, which Osborne coached for many years, also uses the site as its home field.
“I remember playing on those (Roxbury) fields all the way growing up, with the dream of someday playing in that AAABA tournament,” recalled Walter. “We also had a baseball summer camp there for 20 years. Over 200 kids a year. It’s fair to say we had tens of thousands of kids attend that camp.“
Kott shared that sentiment: “We were at that park every day. It played a vital part of our childhood. We want it to become a place that makes Johnstown a destination in this world of travel baseball. We want to do something to boost the economy there.”
Kott said that in addition to the new scoreboard, planned improvements include new batting cages, an improved backstop, a new press box – and an end game to someday turf the field so it can be used as a multipurpose community venue, including for other sports.
For now, though, the new scoreboard and field improvements funded by the $50,000 grant obtained through Burns are a welcome start.
“Frank was great in the process,” Kott said. “Looking at his social media and following Frank’s page, and seeing all the tremendous work he’s done in the area, we felt like Frank would be the person to go to, to help us with this endeavor. He exceeded all of our expectations by helping us secure the grant.”