FIELD OF THE YEAR PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL
where they need to be. A lot of our off-week work goes into the grass surface— whether it’ s our cultural practices or keeping edges where they need to be for the upcoming series. We will also spend time on off weeks focusing on all of our mounds. We scope out every mound before each series to make sure they are where they need to be at all times. During game weeks, we will switch and give a lot of attention to the infield skin. We have an amended infield mix, so it is key for us to try to make sure the moisture is where we want it in all areas. The last area we focus on is attention to detail. The main goal is for the field to play at peak performance for the athletes, but we also take pride in how it looks for the fans coming through the gates.
SFM: Tell us about your crew and anything else you’ d like us to know about the organization and facilities. Strait: We are fortunate to have a great crew working for us here in Springfield. Not only are they a great help on the field, but they are a tightknit group that have fun as well. By having a fun atmosphere, we are able to retain most of our crew from year to year. Our field staff consists of two full-time staff— me and Derek Edwards, director of field and stadium operations— as well as 15 part-time staff. We also get help from our front office and other game day staff. Without their help with tarp, we would have a hard time playing games in weather situations. We are grateful to have an organization that understands what it takes for us to do our job.
SFM: Please share insight into the Field of the Year application process, as well as tips to other managers who may fill it out. Strait: The application process is fairly simple. To do it right does take some time, but the reward in the end is worth it. There are a couple pieces of advice I would give to other managers that will be filling out this application. The first would be to fill out your quarterly PCI’ s. I believe the PCI’ s to be one of the biggest pieces that they look at when deciding the award winners. Also, don’ t be afraid to focus on your challenges that season and then explain what you did to overcome them. When you are choosing pictures, make sure you include those that show what might have gone wrong, along with pictures of you performing your agricultural practices and general maintenance. It is good to add pictures showing how great your field looks on a daily basis, but don’ t overload the committee with full field pictures. The last piece would be to put as much detail into the application as you can provide.
14 SportsField Management | July 2025 sportsfieldmanagementonline. com