BASEBALL

By Mike Hebrard

The surface of a pool table can take its fair share of damage— cuts or tears in the playing surface that then get glued or taped, spilt liquids, and dropped objects can all lead to an uneven playing surface upon which the balls do not roll true. The same can be said of baseball infields if you have a lumpy surface, lack of quality grass plants or weeds due to lack of water during the hot summer months. But even when faced with low budgets or a lack of quality equipment, there are quick ways to renovate your infield.

Start by marking all sprinkler heads and valve boxes, and mow the infield grass as low as possible. I like to topdress with a washed sand first, as all of the following steps will help work the sand into the grass profile.( Using the wrong sand can also make the field worse; if it contains too much silt or clay, the material will cake up and not work its way into the profile and will restrict drainage). People often toss sand with a shovel and create different layers of sand, making it tougher

to level. Although it can be a bit labor intensive, using a peat moss spreader or a drop spreader with very wide openings will provide more even application. It can be difficult to find a powered topdresser to rent, but check with your local golf course to see if they will loan or rent you a greens topdresser. Remove any aeration plugs first, otherwise you will be pushing them into the soil profile.

If using a peat moss spreader, go back and forth, starting along a base line and load up at each end. If using a powered greens topdresser, start around the mound and gradually turn it into a square pattern to keep from going in and out of drive. When you run out, go to the first or third base area and have a front end loader fill you up.

The next step is renting a common walk-behind aerator from the rental yard and repeating the same pattern as the topdresser( start around the mound and gradually turn into a square pattern). I like to have some moisture content in the soil, as it will allow a better slice. A good

36 SportsField Management | May 2025 sportsfieldmanagementonline. com