Sports Turf News

When It Comes To Baseball Fields, A Little Care Goes A Long Way!

Jim Gordon - Infield specialist and Yankees fan

Today coaches around the country deal with ever-increasing number of baseball injuries; after all, you can’t win if everyone’s hurt. Unfortunately a great number of these injuries are caused by the condition of the baseball field. Focus seems to be so much on winning the game that we forget about including a safe, nice-looking field as part of the game plan.

The list of baseball related sports injuries seem to increase year after year. This should be enough incentive for coaches to not only think about conditioning their players, but the fields they play on as well. A good baseball field should be flexible, uniform, and not break down to wear. It should be soft enough to thwart abrasions from slides and falls, yet compact enough to permit sure footing.

As many as half of serious knee and ankle injuries in baseball are related to poor field conditions; excessively hard field surfaces, poor grass cover, uneven or irregular surfaces, or muddy, slick conditions. Studies have proven that fewer injuries occur on properly conditioned fields.

While visiting a number of school systems in my area it seemed I was hearing the same thing again and again; “we don’t have a staff or an adequate budget to keep their fields in top playing condition”. Some just can’t seem to keep the ground from turning to cement, while others have problems just keeping the grass growing during heavy wear seasons. The fact is, whether it’s baseball, football, or soccer, fields that are mowed on a regular basis, fertilized right, aerified and watered when needed, and the incorporation of a good infield conditioner will stand the test of hard use.

Richard L. Duble from the Texas Agricultural Extension Service suggests the following steps that may help you to produce a quality field without blowing the budget:

Mow to Increase Turf Density

Bermudagrass responds to close mowing by initiating new shoots and leaves. When mowed at the proper height and frequency, a weak, thin turf can be converted to a much thicker and more wear-resistant turf. Mow common bermudagrass sports fields twice a week at a height of 1 inch. Mow hybrid bermudagrass such as Tifway every 2 or 3 days at a height of ½ to ¾ inch. Bermudagrasses form a thicker and more wear-resistant turf that remains green longer in the fall when mowed frequently at the shorter heights. There is now substitute for close, frequent mowing. A fine sports field requires strict adherence to these recommended mowing practices. Cool season grasses respond in the same way. Increase frequency results in thicker turf.

Fertilize to Promote Grass Recovery

Duble goes on to say,

Several aspects of fertilization are critical to the development of a healthy turf on a playing field. Nitrogen is required to produce a good turf, but it should be available to the grass at low and uniform rates. A single application of fertilizer should not provide more than 1 pound of soluble nitrogen per 1,000 square feet. On a new field this amount of nitrogen should be applied at 2- to 3- week intervals. For maintenance fertilization, 8- to 12- week intervals is satisfactory.

Timing of fertilization applications is as important to the vigor of the turf as the rate and analysis of the fertilizer applied. Make applications in the early spring and continue until satisfactory turf cover develops.

Aerate to Improve the Playing Surface

If the field is hard because of poor soil conditions or heavy use, aeration will help. A hollow-spoon aerator will reduce soil compaction, increase water penetration, and promote grass recovery. Aerate fields when soil is moist (not wet) for maximum penetration of the spoons. Multiple passes over the field with the aerator increases the effectiveness of aeration. After aeration, drag the field with a heavy mat to break up soil cores and smooth the surface. Aeration can be done anytime during the season, even during periods when the field is in use.

Water Only When Needed

Wet conditions add to the deterioration of turf on a sports field. Coordinate watering practices with the scheduled use of the playing field to minimize problems. The surface must be dry when the field is in use. When supplemental watering is required, schedule it at least 24 hours before the field is to be used. As water is needed, wet the soil to a depth of 4 to 6 inches on a weekly basis and follow with light watering as necessary. When fields are wet because of rainfall, reschedule the use of the fields when possible to reduce damage to the turf.

Renovate to Keep the Field in Play

If your field resembles a parking lot more than a playing field at the end of last season, renovation is in order. The pride of the school and the community, the performance of the team, and the safety of the players are at stake.

The first step in renovation involves correcting conditions that cause the field to deteriorate. Poor drainage, soil compaction, weeds, excessive use, or lack of a maintenance program can all lead to the deterioration of baseball field turf and infield soils. Renovation followed by a good maintenance program can change a poor field into a well-turfed field in a single season.

A good playing field must be firm, resilient, and uniform from a player’s standpoint and attractive from a spectator’s standpoint. The physical condition of the soil is as important as the turf to a firm, resilient, and uniform surface. A hard, compacted infield soil or a wet, poorly drained soil cannot provide a good playing surface. With or without good turf, a firm, uniform, and resilient infield-playing surface should be mandatory on all baseball fields.

Pro’s Choice Line of Conditioners Could be Your Answer

Soilmaster Red Infield Conditioner is designed to meet the challenges of wet, dry or compacted infields. This league legend has been the first choice of professional groundskeepers to build and maintain winning ball fields for many seasons. It manages the moisture on your infield, keeping it in top-playing condition. Soilmaster is an all-star veteran in the Pro’s Choice lineup. This is the material of choice for renovating and conditioning the infield. Refer to: Renovation vs. Conditioning

Soilmaster Select Infield Conditioner & Topdressing is for use when you want premium performance. It offers all the benefits of Soilmaster infield conditioner, and its particle size blend gives you the look of a professional ballpark. The small, uniformly sized granules make it the perfect infield topdressing. Use what the pros use, choose Soilmaster Select.

Soilmaster Green gives that hall-of-fame performance in the outfield (and turf areas of the infield). Colored to blend with your turf, Soilmaster Green improves oxygen; water and nutrient flow to the root zone for stronger, healthier turf. It also covers wear areas to improve your game day performance.

Rapid Dry Drying Agent can be a real game saver. You’ll want Rapid Dry drying agent in your lineup. Rapid Dry granules quickly wick away excess water from your playing field and help improve soil consistency. It’s not a dusty powder, like other quick drying products on the market today. It’s perfectly sized for both stability and absorption. Rapid Dry’s sand-like texture even improves footing on slippery surfaces. Just pour it on any wet spots and get back in the game – fast.

Pro Mound Packing Clay gives you the best performance on the mound and in the batter’s box. A unique blue gumbo packing clay, Pro Mound bonds to form a solid subsurface that allows players to dig in and establish footing without leaving large holes. It performs all year long – season after season.

Pro Mound Clay Blocks These squares of solid, stabilizing clay, will eliminate deep wear holes and give players firm traction at the mound and in batter box areas. At nearly 7 lbs. each. Pro Mound Blocks are long lasting and won't crumble or crack.

Golf Enviro Systems

For questions about these or any other sports turf products, contact your Golf Enviro Systems representative for a free catalog, or visit our web page where you can find details on Renovation vs. Conditioning.

Site last updated: 01/17/2008