The biggest baseball in Manteca could be a big hit with shutterbugs this spring.

A 24-inch diameter baseball with an accompanying 78-inch long bat leaning against it is part of a plaza being developed at Lincoln Park. City leaders hope it’ll become a popular backdrop for team pictures.

It is part of a $275,000 parking lot modernization underway at the park located on Powers Avenue east of Manteca High.

The plaza is being created at the elbow of the Lincoln Park parking lot. The plaza will include trees, shrubs, three picnic tables, and a passenger drop-off zone.

The work involves no general fund money. Almost all of it is from federal pass through funds aimed at improvements in low- to -moderate-income neighbors of which the Powers Tract qualifies. That is why the funds could not have been used to upgrade baseball facilities where other Little Leagues play in Manteca at Northgate Park or Brock Elliot School. Manteca Little League uses the field for their senior division games.

An abandoned South San Joaquin Irrigation District line that the city had hoped to use for a storm drain was found to be too high. It is just 5 inches below the ground. That forced the need to place new pipe deeper to enhance drainage.

The city has already replaced the baseball field fencing, upgraded lighting, installed a new scoreboard and put new sod in place. That is in addition to new playground equipment installed a few years back.