Results tagged ‘ Bermuda ’
Estadio Rod Carew to replace field for 2012 WBC
After 12 years it looks like Rod Carew stadium in Panama will get a new field. After working with a great crew and staff on this field for many years, Pandeportes and the LOC committee is replacing the field before the 2012 World Baseball Classic qualifier in November.
The WBC is considerd the new Baseball World Cup. The last World Cup was held here 2 years ago. During the last world cup at Rod Carew, we had several rain outs due to pour drainage of the outfield and infield turf areas. The USA vs.Canada Bronze medal game was cancelled and we almost had to cancel the final. With the rainy season ( Oct-Nov) typically dropping an average of 12 to 15 inches of rain each month, a new field with an updated drainage system was badly needed. The old system served its purpose over the years. In fact back in 2003 during the Olympic Qualifier we had similar rains fall but the field was only a few years old and handled the water pretty well.
The work plan is to remove a couple feet of material which includes about 6inches of thatch of 12 year old Bermuda along with a series of geo clothe fabrics. We will be adding a new drainage system, irrigation system, 10″inches of sand for the grass, and the new sod will be zoysia Turfgrass. We used zoysia on the new fields in Aguadulce and Santiago when they were renovated in 2010 for the World Cup. They have performed very well. Along with the new field there will upgrades to the stadium drainage and locker rooms. Thanks again to Gil, Guy, Lenny, Ruben and Lauren for making this happen!
Marlins Ballpark Looking Good
Stopped into check out the new ballpark in Miami and its amazing to see how far the stadium has come along since my last review. The venue is on schedule with workers putting the final details on the facility. The field is almost completed and more importantly they have their head GK on board Chad Mulholland who was an asst. in Philly. In a week or so the field will be green as the Celebration Bermuda turf will be laid in big rolls to cover the straight sand rootzone mix. With a retractable roof he will have some relief from the typical showers that you have in southern florida. Greg Jones one of our previous turf managers at York will be one of Chad’s assistants this year. Its great to see guys move up the ladder and to achieve their professional goals. 
Baseball Field Construction Tips
Although its winter, Baseball season is closer than we think and now is the time to plan for the new ball yard! People have been sending me
some baseball field construction questions about “How to build….the field…the mound….the infield
etc..? Ive posted a few blogs over the years about these tasks but before you get into the details lets talk about the basics.
First and foremost; Building a baseball field takes planning and unfortunately sometimes
more money than you may have in your budget. One of the first questions to ask yourself is … Do you have enough land or property and will be the field
be oriented properly? A field is about 100,000 sq ft but when you add parking, backstops, dugouts bullpens etc. this number creeps up to 200,000 sq ft quickly. I would also suggest the following questions be
asked of those involved before you put a shovel in the ground.
1. Usage of the field: Who? How much? and when? These questions will guide you towards the level of field you will need to build.
2. What Type of Grass: Natural…Bluegrass or Bermuda?…or synthetic? A big push on synthetics lately have had a lot of folks going that direction but be very cautious when considering this choice as there is still extensive maintenance to the field and eventually you need to change the turf after the warranty runs out. To clarify – synthetic has its place in the sports industry but just do your homework.
3. How much money do we have? That’s a loaded
question but after the previous questions it is time to bring the
accountant in! Where can we find the money to build the field we want?
Are there Grants? Private? Municipal Funds? Donations?
4. Who will maintain the new field and at what level ?
In house maintenance? Outsource maintenance? Again …budget the
entire field including maintenance operations before you build it.
Example: Don’t build a Ferrari when you don’t have the budget to
take care of it. Taking care of a high performance sports field takes a
lot of money 
5. Selecting someone to design and build it? Again..
its an examination of your internal resources and if you have staff
that understands how to develop a design or construction
specification thats great. Designing your new field with the right goals for usage
is what you should be shooting for. Hiring a reputable firm to design
your field is critical to the success of the field.
6. Should you hire a consultant for owners representation?
Unless you have a sportsturf manager in your organization that has had experience the design ad development of sports fields it may be a good idea to bring in someone to help out. 7. Should we consider asking for Sponsorships to help offset material
costs? There are venodrs out there tat will reduce pricing of materials to land a long time agreement but they are limited due to the economic climate.
8. Can the Community help? Have you heard of the MLB’s Baseball
Tomorrow Fund? A great place to start looking for possible grants to help you subsidize your field construction
Once you have decided on some of the issues above and hired a
reputable sports field contractor to install your field, You will be on
your way towards building your field of dreams.
MC
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