Puerto Rico is not only a baseball Country

A friend of mine ( angel) in P.R. sent me the following fun facts about his country. Pretty intersting read about the small Island

Walmart in Carolina, Puerto Rico broke the selling records of all Walmart stores.

 

Puerto Rico is the country with the most cars per square mile in the world:

 

Thats 146 vehicles per street mile and 4,300 vehicles per square mile.

 

Plaza Las Americas mall in San Juan is the most profitable mall per square foot in the world.

 

The highest grossing Borders book store in US territory is located in Plaza Las Americas Mall, in Puerto Rico.

 

Busiest Toys "R" Us in the world is also in Plaza Las Americas, Puerto Rico.

 

The highest grossing Sears store in the World is in Puerto Rico.

 

The highest selling Kmart in the US is in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

 

The Radio Shack store in Plaza Las Americas mall is the busiest and highest grossing Radio Shack in the world.

 

The largest JC Penney store in the world (a full 4 stories) is located at Plaza Las Americas mall, in Puerto Rico.

 

The Port of San Juan is the fourth busiest seaport in the Western Hemisphere.

 

San Juan is the oldest city in US territory (Older than the city of St. Augustine, FL) and was founded in 1508 by Juan Ponce de Leon.

 

PiƱa Colada was "born" in PR in 1954.

 

The legal drinking age is 18.

 

Puerto Rico has won the Miss Universe pageant a record five times

 

Puerto Rico has the only rain forest in the US- El Yunque.

 

The place in the world with more pharmaceutical companies per square mile is Puerto Rico.

 

There are about 1,100 people per square mile, a ratio higher than within any of the 50 states in the United States. Puerto Rico's population density per square miles is among the world's highest - only Bangladesh, The Maldives, Barbados, Taiwan, South Korea and the city-states of Hong Kong and Singapore are more crowded.

 

Puerto Rico is the third country in the world with more physicians in proportion to its population.

 

The Camuy river in Puerto Rico is among the top three longest underground rivers in the world.

Puerto Rico has one of the highest rates of alcohol consumption in the world.

The longest pool in the world is located in a hotel in Dorado, PR.

It is estimated that there is more Nickel in the mountains of Puerto Rico than the whole United States, including Alaska and Hawaii.

There are more Puerto Ricans living in the rest of the United States than in the island of Puerto Rico itself.

La Fortaleza in San Juan is the oldest executive mansion in the New World.

 

The state of Florida was discovered by Puerto Rico's first governor, Don Juan Ponce de Leon.

 

The first shot fired by the United States in World War I was in Puerto Rico by Lt. Teofilo Marxuach.

 

86% of the rum drunk in the U.S. is from Puerto Rico.

 

Puerto Rico has one of the world's highest productivity ratios.

 

The world's highest concentrations of bioluminescent waters are in Puerto Rico.

 

Coffee grown and brewed in Puerto Rico is the official coffee of the Vatican.

 

Puerto Rico ranks 6th in the world when it comes to college graduates.

 

Puerto Ricans are the only people in the world who regularly applaud when a plane lands and when it reaches the gate.

 

Puerto Rico has more Gas Stations, Churches, Cars, Roads, and  Walgreens per square mile than any other country in the world.

 

World biggest and largest radio telescope is in Puerto Rico.

 

Telemundo, the second largest Spanish language television station in the United States, was founded in Puerto Rico.

 

Puerto Rico has more rivers per square mile than any other place in the world.

 

The second radio station to be inaugurated in the US was in PR.

 

The longest running TV program was in Puerto Rico.

 

The first Emmy went to a Puerto Rican... Jose Ferrer. 

 

He also got the Academy award for the same role.

 

 Rita Moreno got those two and one for Best Actress in a Broadway show.  No one else has matched that.

 

 The most outstanding soldier in Europe at the end of the Second WW was chosen from the Puerto Rican 66th Infantry.

 

 One of the three still living WWI veterans is a Puerto Rican.

 

 NOT TOO BAD FOR A 100 X 35 MILES ISLAND...

 

2010 Caribbean World Series starts next week!

Estadio margarita.jpgThe 2010 year's Caribbean World Series will be played in Porlamar which is a small town on the Island of Margarita in Nueva Esparta stadium. Its located off the coast of Venezuela.  The stadium is home to the Margarita Braves. The tournament begins Feb 2.  Looks like Mayaguez out of the P.R. has made it to the final dance. As of this weekend the Escogido and Gigantes in the D.R. are tied up 3-3 in their series and the Magallanes are leading their series against Caracas 2-1.  Keep it on your calendars as the first big international baseball event of the year is just around the corner!

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Baseball Infield Maintenance Tips


Technically, the term infield skin refers to segments of the baseball field that contain clay, specifically the areas around the bases and base paths. The keys to quality infield skin are good materials, proper moisture and consistent maintenance practices. With 70 percent of the game played on the infield, having a consistently firm, smooth playing surface is essential.

Infield construction

Infield mixes are made from various combination's and percentages of sand, silt and clay. People consider the general standard for an OK infield to be 60 to 70 percent sand, 30 percent clay and 10 percent silt. Particle size also makes a big difference in these materials. Infields vary greatly by regional conditions, commercially available mixes and the preferences of the sports field manager and their facility and teams.


The nail drag scarifies the surface and digs deeper to further loosen the infield mix. With any drag, be careful not to drag too close to the turf edge.
Annual laser-grading is used to check the infield slope and correct any inconsistency.

The weight of the infield mix is in the clay and the silt and that's what retains the moisture. You may be in an area with a lot of rain, and if you don't have much maintenance help for tarping you'll want to have a bit sandier infield mix. If you have a heavily used field or one for university or professional play, you'll probably want a more stable infield with a heavier mix containing more clay and silt to withstand the wear and tear of multiple events. For some infield mixes with lesser percentages of silt and clay, a conditioning amendment of calcined or vitrified clay is worked into the top 1 to 2 inches of the mix to help bind the clay and stabilize the infield.

When constructing a new field or rebuilding an existing one, the general depth of the infield material for the baselines is approximately 5 inches. The depth, the type of material used and the subbase components are subject to budgetary constraints. There are fields with the infield mix placed directly on the subbase soil, some on a sand layer over the subbase soil, some directly on a pea gravel layer and some on geo cloth covering any of these subbases.

Opinions differ on whether a geo cloth layer will be detrimental to drainage. While drainage within the infield mix will vary according to the percentages of clay and silt, it is generally slow, so many prefer the geo layer for other advantages. It can keep pea gravel from migrating up into the infield mix and bordering grassed areas. Geo cloth on the pea gravel does keep the infield mix from sifting into the gravel, reducing the need for continual addition of the mix during the first few years of construction and helping stabilize the surface more quickly.

To counteract slow drainage within the infield mix, many fields are constructed with a slope to help move the surface water off the clay and into the grass. A slope of about .5 percent, extending from the edge of the pitcher's mound out past the 95 arc should provide sufficient water movement for most fields. Some skinned baseball infields and some softball fields are constructed with a greater percentage of slope.

It's critical to achieve consistency of slope across the entire surface. Use laser-grading equipment and a skilled operator. Otherwise, once all the material is in place, run string lines from the infield grass to the outfield grass across the infield and work your way across the field with shovels and rakes. Keep moving the string lines every 1 to 2 feet, and check and recheck for accuracy as you move.

Managing moisture

An inground irrigation system with a zone that only waters the infield clay is one way to deliver volumes of water quickly. When water patterns are diverted in windy conditions, hand-watering will be required to reach the places missed.

Quick-connect outlets behind the mound and behind home plate provide access to hook up a water hose. Some field managers place quick couplers at the infield corners behind first and third base in the grass. A 1-inch hose is preferred to deliver a larger volume of water faster. A retractable hose reel installed in the ground behind the mound makes pull out and rollback easier and eliminates hauling the hose out and back for each watering.

Select hoses and hand-nozzle sizes based on the number of fields you need to maintain and the size of your crew. Ideally, your nozzle selection should be able to apply enough water to reach the desired depth for the initial soaking and to lightly mist repeatedly to maintain the desired moisture level. Some infields drain so well that you can "puddle" the infield after a night game and it will be perfect for play by morning.

When necessary, crews can level the infield skin using a string line and hand-held tools and hand-pulled drags.

Top it off

Using the different calcined or vitrified clay amendments as the top surface coat can make it a little easier to manage the skin moisture levels and achieve consistency. You don't want the players to pick up wet clay on their spikes or have the infield get too dry during the pregame workouts. With a topping of 1/8 to .25-inch, you can soak the infield as you would normally and have a good surface for workouts and sufficient moisture retention for the game. Consistency of depth is extremely important during the initial application of the top layer both for accuracy of the slope and footing for the players. Once in place, use a cocoa mat or the back of a fan rake so you're just lightly smoothing the top surface and not moving piles of material.

Dry down

An infield tarp is an important tool in moisture management. No one likes to use it, but covering the infield when you have rain issues can be the quickest and easiest way to preserve playability.

Edging the infield as a weekly maintenance practice will reduce lips and keep turf edges smooth. This Turfco Edge-R-Rite was used in 2004 during the Olympics. Along with edging the bermudagrass, it doubled as a small sod cutter.
Rolling infields is an important practice to stabilize the areas.

The worst thing you can do following a heavy rain on an uncovered field is to work the field too early. Let the sun do its work on the dry down before you get out there to squeegee, rake and dig. The dryer subsurface material will try to draw down the moisture from an undisturbed wet surface. If you must work existing or added material to dry down the surface, use a roller squeegee rather than a rake to spread the water so you're not cutting into the wet material and disrupting that downward movement.

If you have depressions with standing water, fill them with calcined clay and let it soak up the moisture for 15 to 20 minutes. Then, spread out that moist material to dry further, or borrow a technique from ground crews in South America to remove excess water with no surface penetration. They use a supply of 12-by-24-inch foam-rubber sponges (old padding) and place one in an area of standing water, step down on it, allow it to absorb water to capacity, pick it up, wring it out and use it again.

Another technique to combat light rain or drizzle, and to use between innings when the dirt is starting to look shiny, is to apply a very thin layer of conditioner using a regular walk-behind or hand-held spreader set for the largest opening. You'll get a more consistent layer than pouring conditioner from the bag or putting out piles to spread.

Working the dirt

The right equipment used properly is critical in maintaining the infield skin. You'll want a series of different types of drag mats, rigid and flexible steel mats for breaking up dirt clods and leveling, and cocoa mats for finishing the surface. You'll need both a fine nail and heavy nail drag for scarifying the surface and digging deeper to further loosen the mix and allow better moisture penetration. You'll need rakes, brooms, edgers and rollers. The 1 or 2-ton roller will become your favorite tool.

The three-wheel field rakes produced by the major equipment suppliers do an excellent job, and they come with an assortment of attachments, as well as connection points for other implements. You also can use a small tractor, lawn mower, utility vehicle or golf cart to pull the drags.

We bored into the infield to check soil conditions and discovered a layering of different clays. We had to rototill to remove the barriers so the clays would not "plate" when the players took the field.

Always pull the bases and insert the plugs so you can drag the entire infield. Pay close attention to the wear areas around and in front of the bases, such as where the first baseman plants his foot. Consider incorporating a heavier clay mix 10 feet out from first base and also at second and third base to make it easier to reduce divoting and keep indentations from forming. Follow different routes when driving equipment onto the field to reduce compaction issues. Transport the drags to the field and drop them at different spots each day. When working the field, keep attachments, drags and screens 6 inches away from the grass at both edges of the base path to avoid lip build up. Use a variety of dragging techniques, continually altering your patterns and incorporating circular spirals and figure eights. Go slow, especially in the turns, to avoid slinging materials.

Lips

To avoid creating lips when hand-raking, always rake up and down the base path, not across it. Work the grass edges with a fan rake or stiff-bristled broom after every practice, workout and game. If you don't have the staff for that, use the water hose to blast the infield mix from the grass edges at least once a week.

You'll want to edge the infield grass periodically, cutting away turf to remove any lip buildup, then backfill with new infield mix, tamp down firmly and test the edge. There should be no transition between the grass and the clay. If you can feel even the slightest difference with your foot, the ball can feel it when it hits, and that's what causes a bad hop.

This article was published in sports field management magazine



A decade later...Baseball continues its growth around the World

P8100043.JPGIts hard to believe that 10 years have passed since Y2K and a crazy era of baseball is ending yet another year.  Reflecting on this past year ..the 2nd 09 World Baseball Classic where we spent so much time with our friends in PR and Mexico.  The 09 World Baseball Cup in europe... both being successes.  Meeting President George Bush (above photo) in Beijing was pretty cool. He had a tough decade to work with. The 9-11 terrorist attack that changed the way we live today was on his watch.   Unfortunately there was bad news to go with the good as the end of baseball in Olympics came to pass, even though our leaders made a gallent but failed attempt to reinstate the sport.   There is talk of launching another campaign for the 2020 games but that is a stretch. Considering the poor economic conditions of the world , I guess the sport overall had a pretty good year.  Looking back at the decade was pretty cool. Highlights would have to inlcude the 2004 Athens Olympics, 2006 World Baseball Classic, the many Olympic qualifiers in Cuba, Spain and Taiwan and USA winning Silver in 2008, Gold in 2000 as well as Gold in the past to World Cup Championships.

usa team at memorial.JPGOur teams and ballparks that we all take care of held up well considering the industry and economics.  I guess logged about 250,000 miles this year and probably gone from home half the year. I was happy to celebrate my 25th anniversary this year.   Having said that Im glad to be home for the holidays as many of our military do not have that option .  God bless everyone and have a Happy New year.

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Building an Ice Rink on a baseball field

Ice park 5.jpgIts not something every groundskeeper wants to hear that there field will become an ice rink in the winter months. It has become a standard of operation in Lancastor PA. at Clipper Magazine Baseball Stadium where every winter for the past few years the right field area is removed and slightly graded and the ice floor is installed. This floor is used for numerous activities throughout the winter months and then taken down around mid to late february.  Probably takes about 10 days for installation,  but in these tough economic times...additional revenue in the off season is pretty important to a lot of clubs. As we speak the ice floor is being installed at fenway park for a bruins hockey match.   Our guys have a bit of work to do in the spring but thats the sports venue world we live in. ice park 7.jpg

Australian baseball on the move with the ABL

 

latrobe field in melbourne.JPGSpending a little time in the "land of down under" this week before heading to the winter meetings in Indianapolis.  We have been checking in on the developments of the Australian Baseball League ( ABL) sites and fields.   

A ball game was being played at a small ballpark on the outskirts of Melbourne in Latrobe.  It was pretty cool seeing about 3000 packed house in latrrobe.JPGpeople sitting around a ballpark in arm chairs watching a minor level league baseball game.  There is no permanent seating at the ballpark so everyone brings there own seats.  MLB has injected a few typical minor league game gimmicks such as the dizzy bat spin, Frisbees in the stadium, inflatables,  etc... They played the "charge" song and not one person said a word.  (Guess that's an American thing.)  The 5th inning drag was in the 7th an since the "take me out to the ball game) song was not there they played AC/ DC instead.  Having traveled to Australia a few times and I have fully realized that even though they speak english like Americans...they have a very different culture towards sports and life, in a good way!   The game attendance was good  indicator that  the league is progressing well in its infancy. 

homebush sign.JPGIt's been quite the whirlwind tour thus far as we had a chance to see the Show grounds at Homebush where the main baseball venue was located during the 2000 Sydney Olympics.  The "show grounds" are currently used for a cattle show during March and April and outside of that... they play a little Ausie rules footy on the surface.  Not much left at the venue that tells anyone it was an Olympic venue except a VERY small plaque inside the gates.   The legacy of the Sydney Olympic Baseball venues moved to Blacktown which is about 30 minutes outside of town. We stopped by there briefly and I hoped to catch Matty Carnes but we missed him.  That venue is also being used for the ABL.  It was looking pretty tired during this trip but that's expected when you have a ton of use on the field.  The cooch grass was  also coming out of winter. At least there are some remnants of the 2000 Olympic team. 

So for the record the last 4 main baseball stadiums used in the Olympics have either been torn down or turned into a venue for other uses instead of baseball.  Kind of a sad statement but unfortunately true.  The main baseball stadiums at Atlanta Fulton County, Sydney, Athens,  Beijing...GONE!  

In Melbourne today to see a ABL venues then up to Brisbane to check out another ABL site.  Weather has been pretty nice and as usual the people great.  Some of the soil profiles we have seen of the cooch grass have been really nice.  There are a lot of cricket pitches in Australia there for they understand the need for high level maintenance for pitchers and batters.   Maintaining the wicket of a cricket field is similar to how we maintain pitching mounds. The balance between moisture levels is critical to ensuring proper ball bounce. 

The profile of the soil and turf in this photo show the difference in soils you may see on a cricket pitch

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Winterizing your Baseball field

beijing_prep2008mlbevent.JPGIf you live above Orlando Florida you are probably going through or have gone through some type of field winterization.  Winterizing a baseball field can mean many different things to groundskeepers.  I recall in West Palm Beach during my Atlanta Braves days we had a list of specific Items to winterize even though it never became cold enough to snow or freeze (except once but thats another story) the check list was composed of the following general items.  Purchasing winter rye grass seed which actually needed to be ordered in the summer as it would run out.  Removing the batters eye wind screens do save them from the abnormally high winds that could blow through across the state.  Removing the turface and diamond pro conditioner off the top of the infields.  After removing the conditioner we would actually dig a small trench around the infield clay about 3 ft in front of the grass line.  The ditch would be about 4 or 5 inches deep.   This would save us from the wind creating lips around the infield grass edge.  DSCF2275.JPG

Winterizing as you go farther north can mean other things such as cleaning out your irrigation lines, spraying a snow mold fungicide out on your turf before the snow covers your field for the winter and most importantly preparing the field with the proper nutrients for the spring.  This is also the time to complete all of your projects if you plan on using the field in the spring.  Developing a winterization plan is crucial for spring use.   One of the main winterizing agronomic plans everyone implements in the fall is aerifying and topdressing.   In some areas topdressing lightly ...others areas heavy -  depending on where you are in the world.  

covered field in beijing.jpgAnother common practice is covering the turf with a geo clothe. One cover I have seen do wonders is called a evergreen cover. ( The cover to the left is black which is what they used in beijing ) I was concerned about the cover but it actually helped even though no light was allowed through it.  The evergreen cover is translucent allowing both water and sun to penetrate the fabric.  You will get an early spring green field and healthy roots. The down side is keeping it in place during the winter.  Wind can play havoc on the cover so it needs to be monitored regularly to secure the pins that hold it down.  Also if it goes down to early you need to pull it up as it could get to hot and then your turf starts growing before Christmas which is not really a good thing.  If that happens many just spray preventive fungicide to reduce the problems. 

   Regardless where you are be sure to plan early to put your field away for the winter. 

Minor League Baseball hosts 1st Sports Turf Clinic at the DAP

group shot.JPGA couple days ago we helped out with Minor League Baseball's first field maintenance clinic in Durham, NC at Durham Athletic Park. ( The old renovated Bull Durham Field)  With 80+ people attending it was a major success. Weather threatened to change the event the evening before and actually it was lightly raining at dawn but within a couple hours the sun came through and the day was perfect. 

groups of 3 on field.JPGDr. Grady Miller was our keynote touching on winterization and educational assistance for the turf managers.  John Cook VP of Business Operations was on hand from MiLB.   Other speakers included Tracey Schenweis from Salem Red Sox, Scott Strickland from the Durham Bulls, Pat Coakley and Jeff Ferguson.  We had about 15 minor league groundskeepers and 15 college turf managers on hand with rest being sponsors, parks & rec members and private school turf managers.  We had a few sponsers that really helped make the event successful.  Burnett, Turface, Carolina Green, John Deere and revels Tractor and turf along with Sand Hill Key sod farm.  from the side 2.JPG

Each session was broken down into turf management, infield maintenance and pitchers mound maintenance. We also had John Deere provide a program on equipment maintenance which was very well received.  It was good day seeing friends and peers.  Hats off to Josh Marden and Jill Russinko who manage the DAP!  Great Job!!

New World Baseball Rankings

For those of you who keep up with baseballs pecking order outside the USA, IBAF issued a press release below with the new rankings an USA moved to number 2.   It was pretty cool seeing Germany in the top twenty as well.

 

USA MOVES TO NO. 2 IN IBAF WORLD RANKINGS

IBAF AA/16U Worlds, Baseball World Cup titles push U.S. up two spots from No. 4

 

( LAUSANNE, Switzerland) - The United States of America moved from No. 4 to No. 2 in the International Baseball Federation's (IBAF) latest installment of the Men's World Rankings which were released Monday.

 

Behind first place finishes at the IBAF "AA"/16U World Youth Championships and the IBAF Baseball World Cup, the U.S. jumped ahead of Korea and Japan and put it within striking distance of Cuba, which has held the No. 1 position since the rankings debuted earlier this year.

 

With these rankings, the IBAF also introduced several tournaments from the last four years that were not originally taken into consideration for the World Rankings. These events include continental pre-qualifying tournaments and invitational events like the "Good Luck Beijing" Baseball Tournament in 2007.  The inclusion of the new events has introduced 22 national baseball teams to the IBAF World Rankings, and all of the new tournaments meet the criteria of events which the IBAF considers for rankings points.

 

Overall, tournaments and championships that have been added, replaced or removed for the 19 October IBAF World Rankings include:

 

Added: 2007 "Good Luck Beijing" Baseball Tournament, 2007 and 2009 Asian Baseball Cups (for 2007 and 2009 Asian Championships, respectively), 2006 and 2008 European Continental Qualifiers (for 2007 and 2010 European Championships)
Replaced: 2005 IBAF Baseball World Cup with the 2009 IBAF Baseball World Cup, 2005 IBAF "AA"/16U World Youth Championships with the 2009 IBAF "AA"/16U World Youth Championships
Removed: None

Next to be replaced: 2005 Southeast Asia Games (2009 Southeast Asia Games set for later this year, replacement will be reflected in year-end rankings)

 

Other notable changes in the rankings include Italy moving from No. 15 to No. 12 and Germany moving into the top-20, going from No. 23 to No. 20.  Belgium witnessed the largest jump in the rankings, going from unranked to No. 34 while both Cameroon and Samoa saw the biggest decline, falling from a tie at No. 51 to again even at No. 72.

 

The complete IBAF Men's World Rankings are listed below:

 

The first number is Current Rank, 2nd is Previous Rank, Member Federation, Total Rankings Points

1, 1, Cuba, 1159.68

2, 4, United States, 1051.32

3, 3, Japan, 912.07

4, 2, Korea, 850.76

5, 5, Chinese Taipei, 561.63

6, 6, Netherlands, 405.33

7, 8, Canada, 360.19

8, 7, Mexico, 353.75

9, 9, Venezuela, 298.86

10, 10, Puerto Rico, 231.39

11, 11, Australia, 211.24

12, 15, Italy, 166.00

13, 13, Dominican Republic, 135.68

14, 14, Nicaragua, 117.49

15, 16, China, 102.00

16, 12, Panama, 92.32

17, 18, Spain, 67.38

18, 17, Thailand, 63.38

19, 19, Philippines, 62.33

20, 23, Germany, 48.38

21, 25, Great Britain, 45.76

22, 24, Czech Republic, 44.91

23, 21, South Africa, 40.05

24, 29, Netherlands Antilles, 34.93

25, 40, Croatia, 34.19

26, 27, Indonesia, 28.50

27, 32, Russia, 23.45

28, 36, France, 21.63

29, 26, Sweden, 19.07

30, 37, Hong Kong, 17.92

31, 49, Pakistan, 14.75

32, 28, Palau, 12.50

33, 22, Colombia, 12.00

34, NR, Belgium, 10.96

35, 20, Brazil, 10.50

36, 30, Nigeria, 10.00

36, 30, New Caledonia, 10.00

36, NR, Greece, 10.00

39, 33, Myanmar, 9.50

40, NR, Ireland, 8.49

41, 48, Austria, 8.14

42, 33, Ghana, 7.50

42, 33, American Samoa, 7.50

42, NR, Sri Lanka, 7.50

45, 49, Lithuania, 7.00

46, 44, Ukraine, 6.69

47, 38, Virgin Islands, 5.00

48, NR, Belarus, 4.78

49, NR, Slovakia, 4.75

50, NR, Slovenia, 4.35

51, NR, Poland, 4.28

52, 39, Aruba, 4.25

53, NR, Switzerland, 4.12

54, 41, Zimbabwe, 3.75

54, 41, Fiji, 3.75

56, NR, Romania, 3.38

57, 43, Guatemala, 3.25

58, 45, Malaysia, 2.25

59, NR, Israel, 2.09

60, 45, Lesotho, 2.00

61, NR, Finland, 1.93

62, 47, Bahamas, 1.75

63, NR, Bulgaria, 1.72

64, NR, Georgia, 1.42

65, 51, Cambodia, 1.38

66, NR, Portugal, 1.36

67, NR, Hungary, 1.17

68, NR, San Marino, 0.83

69, NR, Serbia, 0.62

70, NR, Norway, 0.54

71, NR, Malta, 0.44

72, NR, Turkey, 0.25

72, NR, Latvia, 0.25

72, 51, Cameroon, 0.25

72, 51, Samoa, 0.25

 

Tsunami hits American Samoa

fagatogo city.JPG Pago Pago - Just a couple months ago I visited American Samoa to help them develop better baseball fields.  The recent tsunami that hit this island caused extensive damage and the death toll is still being determined.  During my stay I met some wonderful people that invited me into there homes like I was part of their family.  It was a great experience both professionally and personally.   My prayers go out to the Samoans through these very difficult times.   A few photos I took of the youth fields are right on the water.  In this photo you can see across the inlet, the town of Fagatogo which is the government center for the island.  If you notice the green building tops in the photo above they are the National Park Facilities seen in the photo taken by the AP after the tsunami.  Go to the web site below and you can see the same buildings damaged from the flooding.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,557282,00.htmlpele barbecue.JPG

Pele lives on the water on the north side of the island.  His family invited me to a cookout at there home which is directly on the water. He is the chief of there village and a member of the governors cabinet.   

The following is the blog I posted a couple months ago about the fields in American Samoa.

The Island of American Samoa is taking steps towards becoming a better baseball country with help from the International Baseball Association ( IBAF). With a long history of producing NFL and College football athletes, I can assure you that the South Pacific Island will soon have a few more Samoans headed for the big leagues.   

A island country of only 69,000 people with a handful of baseball fields is the beginning of true grass roots development in our International sport.  It's estimated that about 600 to 800 kids play baseball on the Island and the resources they have to compete are very limited.  One fact that is hard to believe as it relates to the countires scenic mountain view.JPGpotential athletes....there are 28 current NFL players from  Samoa.  ESPN reported that a Samoan is 40 times more likely to play in the NFL than a kid from mainland USA.  There is only 1 football stadium on the entire island.  It can use some TLC as well.

  seating bowl.JPGThe main ( and only) baseball stadium on the Island will require some Major improvements to bring it up to international competition standards but having spent a few days with the people here...I'm pretty confident they will get it done with a little help.  Renovated a few years ago everything looks OK except the field.  Again with the right resources and training it can be improved.  

tony_solaita_autograph.jpgTony Solaita Stadium was named after the first  MLB player  out of Am. Samoa.  Playing 7  big league seasons with the Royals, Yankees, and Angels. Blue Jays , Expos.   Tony's Brother Ben is the President of the countries Baseball federation and is heading up the troops to upgrade the playing field.  Tony passed away in 1990 and  the country named the only baseball stadium after him in his honor.   There are several other players of Samoan decent that have made it to the Majors in recent years. Benny Agbayani ( Mets, Rockies) Chris Aguila ( Marlins and Mets) Matt Tuilasosopa ( Mariners) Wes Littleton ( Red Sox).   There's another 15 or so guys outside of this group that have played professional ball in the states over the past 20 years.  Again not bad for country of 69000.

Field maintenance equipment is minimal.  Pull behind gang mowers and hand tools.  There is no packing clays for the mounds/bullpens and the Island chiefs will not allow you to move soil from part of the Island to another.  The native language is Samoan but everyone speaks English as it is a US territory and all American Samoans have US citizenship.  The area is also Known  for "Charley the Tuna" and the "Mermaid Tuna"  factories. The highest speed limit on the island is 25mph...and the police do not even have to carry weapons.  It's very common to see Samoan men wearing traditional skirts (known as Lava Lavas) and sandals like you and I wear jeans.  One of the guys told me jokingly that the Irish were descendents of the Samoans as they have the kilt.  i began to chuckle but with 28 players in the NFL... I dont think anyone will ever poke fun at the Samoan men.   Everyone I have met looks like they all play for the NFL right now.  All kidding aside they are a very proud and kind people. Ben Solatia and Ken Tupua have been great to work scotts island.JPGwith and there sincere ability to do whats right for the future generations of Samoan baseball players is really remarkable.   Hopefully soon we will be seeing more baseball players in the Majors and more back on the field here in Pago Pago.

 

How about this island!