Once we have finished nail dragging, we will let that loosened material dry enough so that any clumps will break down when metal dragging it and the drag will not become clogged with wet material.
This will completely break down any clumps worked up while nail dragging. It should also create an absolutely smooth surface on the infield. After using the stiff metal drag on the groomer, we will then come back in with either the aluminum lute rake or the stiff metal drag and pull conditioner as evenly as possible.
This will once again eliminate any ridges left behind by the drag on the groomer. If there are areas where the conditioner is thin, it is at this point that we will add more conditioner to achieve our desired amount.
There are numerous reasons I chose to go that route, but the biggest and most important was durability. We roll our infield almost daily and are aggressive with maintenance practices to create that smooth surface.
Not only has this created an easier environment for maintenance, it has also saved us significantly from a financial standpoint. Once we have the attained the desired surface with the conditioner, it is time to begin adding water again. I will constantly be checking humidity and dew point levels. I also have to consider wind speed, cloud coverage, and temperature. Each of those three factors will also weigh heavily into how quickly the material will dry. Obviously, we need to take rain into consideration, as well.
Beyond that, the schedule of field use will come into play. Each night after a game, I will visit both our home and visiting managers. I inquire about whether or not there were any issues during batting practice or the game that day. I will also acquire a detailed schedule of exactly what each team plans to do for batting practice and additional early work on the field the next day. This will help me know exactly when I need the infield to be at a point to be played upon.
At our level of professional baseball, a significant number of infielders will not wear cleats during batting practice. Try this Pop Quiz to make sure you have the basics for removing standing water and drying your infield. But what about preventing standing water? If you do not see the quiz button below, please log in at GU to take the quiz. Speedy between-innings touchups and pre-game prep. Former Baltimore Orioles head groundskeeper…. Features a rugged 36" W aluminum rake head with a smoothing and leveling blade on the opposite….
Remove water puddles quickly and easily with this sponge that is built to last through several…. Consider painting lines on skinned area. Note: surface must be moist for the paint to stick to the clay. Instead, firm or roll the infield tight so excess rain will shed and follow natural drainage.
Or be prepared to irrigate. Never put off until tomorrow what can be done today Everything takes longer than expected Instead, prepare for the worst and be pleasantly surprised. Never play on a field without knowing the emergency number to call in case of an injury or medical situation. Injuries can occur at any time — even among volunteers, coaches, and parents. Having a plan ahead of time, and knowing the local emergency numbers — could very well save a life.
The first thing to consider is the size and strength of your athlete. Since larger athletes require increased support from the surface, an infield must be designed to provide in engineering terms the correct amount of load bearing and shear strength to support player movements. This is determined by the soil particle structure of the infield. Professional athletes require higher clay content to increase the load bearing and shear strength of the infield.
While an infield too high in shear strength, may prevent athletes from gripping the infield More on particle size below. The choice to support players with higher clay content must be weighed by the amount of downtime you are willing to sacrifice.
A higher clay content infield is usually more difficult to maintain after the clay becomes destabilized as the moisture level rises. Can you keep your infield in that range after a storm? Just like a broken clock is right twice a day, many materials can be playable at the perfect moisture content. This can be illustrated by a vehicle driving on a beach. It is much easier for the vehicle to drive over the wet sand than the dry sand.
How much watering and maintenance time will it take to achieve that perfect moisture content in your infield? Do you have the resources to achieve this every day? Soil particles are like the DNA of the infield. They decide how your infield will perform.
Soil structure is the composition and arrangement of particles and pores, the open voids that occur between and within soil particles. Clay is the only soil particle that has cohesion without water, a critical component.
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