Baseball
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The most common problem we face right off is, "how do I get rid of all those weeds in my infield dirt, my base paths, and on the warning track?" Many of you have asked me this question. Of course you can use weed killer. Here are three options that work depending on how thick and how mature the grass or weeds are in the dirt areas: 1. Use a hula hoe and hoe them off at the ground; then rake up the grass. This works best if the ground is not muddy, and the grass is spotty and not too thick or mature yet - more like seedlings. This could be a lot of work - put the players to work on it if needed. 2. Use a sod cutter and set it as shallow as it goes - something like half an inch. This works on both young scattered weeds as well as thick grass. Either roll up the weed sod after using the sod cutter or use a bow rake or three prong rake to break up the dirt and grass. Then use a field rake to drag out the grass from the dirt. The sod cutter is a good option because you can also use it to edge your grass at the same time you get rid of the weeds or grass in the dirt path. 3. Use a spike drag or a nail drag over and over on the path until the grass is tore up and dragged to smithereens. Or until you can rake it up. But you may need to put heavy weight on the drag for this to really work and you need a tractor to pull it around. This option works best if the grass in the path is spotty and not thick like a lawn and the ground is not muddy. It can be fairly most, just not muddy. By the way... watch this video and see how you can prevent lip build up on your baseball field. Not only do you want to remove the weeds in the dirt, but you also need to keep the grass edges flat with the ground. |
Mar 2, 2010, Article archive - a treasure of baseball field articles
Visit the article archive for a treasure of field care tips and hints
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Feb 27, 2010, Turface Rebate Offer!
Many of you use Turface on your fields. Great stuff. I recommend it. Turface has a special spring offer for you as a subscriber to my newsletter and quick tips. Head on over to my website to check out the rebate form. You might also enjoy the Turface educational resources at turface.com Click here for the Turface Rebate Form |  |
Feb 27, 2010, Getting more done in less time
Fellow Baseball Insiders, March is almost here ... and the players and coaches are anxious to hit the fields. YIKES! If you’re like me, there are some major baseball and softball field projects you'd like to finish before the season starts ... ... time to get busy. We need to plan our projects, budgets, and schedules. There are some things I have personally found work best for me to get myself in “the productive zone” ... including cutting my field maintenance efforts in half and getting my supplies at steep discounts. Click here to keep reading …and discover how you can turn even a mediocre sports field into a championship field and enjoy a better baseball experience... in just a few weeks -- and at virtually no extra cost. Wishing You Every Success, |
Feb 25, 2010, How to roll baseball field turf so it is level
How to roll baseball field turf to make it level and get rid of the lumps and bumps
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Feb 24, 2010, Learn from baseball field projects and case studies
Need baseball field projects to learn from? Here's a visual guide of many different projects.
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Feb 21, 2010, Baseball field maintenance newsletter tips and hints
Baseball field maintenance newsletter - tips and hints for dirt and turf renovation
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Feb 19, 2010, Conversation with Baseball's Turf Manager of the Year
Want to improve your baseball field? Check out this conversation with the turf manager of the year
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Feb 18, 2010, Your Baseball Mound - best way to tamp and maintain
Tips and hints to tamp your field's baseball mound
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Feb 17, 2010, Are you making these sod installation mistakes?
| This year I've seen several sod installations go bad. There are several reasons for this.
But I've also
seen two installations that went very well and were ready for
competitive play within three weeks. |
Feb 16, 2010, Baseball websites with good info for your baseball field needs and interests
Interested in more good baseball websites for more field maintenance info? Check these out.
Feb 14, 2010, Products that help your team play better
Feb 13, 2010, Contact me with comments or questions
leave comment s or questions
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Feb 13, 2010, Find your baseball field diagram, measurement, and specification here
Find Your Official Baseball Field Diagram, Measurement, and Dimension Here
Feb 10, 2010, Complete Turf Maintenance for Spring Ball
Dear Baseball Insiders, This process is ideally done 3 to 4 weeks before your spring season starts. So, here’s what you do: Once your field is dry enough, start your baseball turf maintenance by mowing your turf. In the early spring and fall, cut it a bit shorter than you normally do. That allows for 3-4 weeks of growth. Next, mark your sprinklers so you don’t hit them when you aerate and edge your turf. This is followed by adding topdressing if possible. Usually a dirt mixture that includes sand is best. Then over seed the turf. Now the magic steps. Drag the turf to blend the seed and dirt, to smooth the surface, and to force materials into the aerification holes. After the above process has been completed, fertilize the turf and start watering. After about 2 weeks spot seed any areas where there is thin growth. Once the turf has grown to 2 to 3 inches, it is time to start regular mowing. Each step is described here including bonus tips & hints as well as common mistakes to avoid:
How to fix a dead spot in the grass
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Feb 8, 2010, All about nail drag and bolt drag for a baseball field
How the nail drag and bolt drag fit into your arsenal of baseball field maintenance tools
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Feb 5, 2010, Special Report - Seven Field Maintenance Secrets
FREE Special Report - Seven Field Maintenace Secrets to turn your baseball or softball field into a winning field
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Feb 4, 2010, Announcing: Baseball Field Maintenance Handbook now available
| If you hate the bad hops on your field - can’t stand the poor footing - and are just plain embarrassed when others see your playing fields - - now you can have better play more often using the same field maintenance tips and techniques the pros use. Now is
the time to start getting ready for the spring season! Check it out. Decide if this handbook is for you and your players. You could be making improvements right now! Jim Reiner Have
a better baseball experience. |
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Feb 1, 2010, Announcing: New Section for Specific Answers to Baseball Field Questions
We're starting a new section on the site. We'll be adding hundreds more pages in the next month. In this section you get specific advice from me and my hand picked team of field experts. Baseball field questions and specific answers
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Jan 31, 2010, Easy way to remove lip build up when rolling your baseball field
If you are rolling
your baseball field this spring, then take advantage of the opportunity
to remove lip build up at the same time. Your
ball field may benefit from using a heavy roller such as a 1 ton steam
roller. A roller this size is great for flattening and leveling
the infield dirt and the baseball turf.
You haven't seen flat until you have done this. We now have a new webpage with a nice set of photos to show you how to do this. So, here you go: |
Jan 30, 2010, Project for Little League basball field turf and lip removal
Need to fix lip build up on your little league field? Find out how we did it with our project
Jan 28, 2010, Where to measure the bases
Joe asks: When measuring home
to 1st base, do I measure from the apex to front of 1st base? Hi Joe, When measuring home to 1B or 3B, you measure from the back point of home plate to the back of the base. The measurement for home to 2B goes from the back point of home plate to the center of 2B. Right where the peg goes. Have a great spring season!
Here's a diagram showing you where to measure the bases:
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Jan 24, 2010, 3 Ways to Mark Cutouts and Edge Your Ballfield
"Wow!
What a great looking field! That's
what I want you to hear. And then take pride in knowing how to do
it.
This is one of my favorite tips. You can upgrade your field quickly and be a real hero to everyone who sees and uses your field. I'll show you how to do this job, describe mistakes to avoid, and give you some tips and hints for a professional looking job. So, here you go: 3 Ways to Mark Cutouts and Edge Your Ballfield best regards, Jim Do your coaching efforts
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Jan 23, 2010, Baseball Dirt: How to add and level it
Step by step guide to successfully add and level baseball dirt to your infield
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Jan 20, 2010, Quick fix to baseball field maintenance problems
Field maintenance: the quick fix or short cuts to consider
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Jan 17, 2010, Look at last year's best -- and plan ahead for 2010
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Jan 16, 2010, Baseball field checklist for field maintenance and pre-season audit
If you're looking for baseball field checklist and audit ideas, here are the best ones to develop a proper maintenance routine for your baseball field
Jan 16, 2010, Fixing common problems with mound clay
Mike in San Diego writes:
Hi, Great site.
I am installing an indoor mound and we want to use clay. We started with about
6 inches of good infield dirt packed it down good and then added another 6 inches
or so of clay.
When we rake the new clay it gets very clumpy.
Why is that happening? How can we keep the clay from clumping?
Thanks
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Hi Mike,
Regarding the clay getting lumpy:
a couple thoughts on this.
This can happen if the clay was very dry and powdery when you added it.
If so, keep working with it and over time it will settle down and be nice to
groom and pack. It could take 5 or 6 groomings for it to become right. I had
this happen with a little league mound last year.
And if it started out as solid clay chunks or blocks, you might consider adding
just a bit of soil conditioner such as Turface in either the MVP size or the
quikdry form. These will help condition the clay so it grooms better.
I had this happen with a high school and a college field a couple yers ago.
Adding the soil conditioner instantly fixed it.
Here is some info on calcined clay soil conditioners like Turface.
http://tinyurl.com/ych3ppp
Glad to hear this site is helpful for you.
And here's photo story about adding clay bricks to a mound: