http://www.sportsturfonline.com Hoover Metropolitan Stadium: Home of the Birmingham Ba 5 Beam Clay awards a history maker by Bob Tracinski

he ' the first of its 12 Southern League titles petitions, and church festivals. The Hoover Metropolitan in 1906. Southeastern Conference T Stadium made awards Birmingham millionaire industrialist Tournament came to the Met in 1990 history when it was named the STMA / A. H. (Rick) Woodward bought the team and 1996, and will return for a four- sportsTURF / Beam Clay 1997 in 1910. He moved it to the first concrete year stint in 1998. Professional Baseball Diamond "of the and steel ballpark in the minor leagues: "Millions viewed the Met on TV Year. For the first time, the same head the 12.7-acre Rickwood Field. It served when basketball's Michael Jordan groundskeeper has been honored twice as the Barons' home field until 1987. joined the Barons for the 1994 season," for his work at two different facilities The City of Hoover built Hoover says Horne. "Home field attendance and at two different levels of baseball. Metropolitan Stadium in 1987. ballooned to 467,867, and Dave Steve Horne, the Elmore's Elmore Sports Barons' director of field Group bought the Barons operations during the the following year. In 1996 award-winning 1997 sea- the team started its sec- son, was head ond decade of affiliation groundskeeper/stadium with the Chicago White -manager at the University Sox." of Mississippi when These events led to a Swayze Field was selected major field renovation in College Baseball Diamond 1996. Management chose of the Year in 1992. Horne Southern Turf Nurseries had already accepted his to be the prime contractor. current position as director They stripped the sod, of field operations for the completely removed the AAA Memphis Redbirds infield and foul territory when he submitted the materials, and re-graded entry for Hoover Stadium the subsurface. "on behalf of the Barons The Champion Sub Ball Club and the wonder- Surface system designed ful people of Birmingham." by Southern Turf Mike Zullo, Horne's assis- Nurseries includes an tant in 1997, has since underground network of been named the new head The Birmingham Barons make good use of their award winning perforated piping covered groundskeeper for the field at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium. Courtesy:Steve Horne by geotextile fabric. They Barons. covered a 12-inch layer of That's not all. At the sand with a light layer of end of the 1997 season, Horne and Gresham, Smith and Partners of peat, and tilled to create a profile that Zullo were recognized by the Southern Birmingham developed the design in delivers maximum percolation rates. League, and the conjunction with HOK of Kansas City. The new Rain Bird underground irri- National Association of Professional According to Horne, "The Barons gation system can be programmed Baseball Leagues with the serve as the Met's facility managers manually or with an automatic timer. Groundskeeper of the Year Award. and primary tenants. The Met also Horne joined the Barons right after These are the newest honors for a hosts Hoover High School football and the old grass had been removed. He long-standing team. The Barons' tradi- youth baseball games, auto and boat says. "We replaced the entire infield tion dates back to 1885. The team won . shows, concerts, high school band com- skinned surface with a mixture of clay

8 sports TURF• http://www.sportsturfonline.com soil, white sand and Pro's Choice Soilmaster to provide the right combi- nation of drainage and texture. "We also completely reworked and rebuilt all of the pitcher's mounds. They are maintained with a combina- tion of Beam Clay Mound Mix, Pro's Choice Pro Mound, and a top layer of Soilmaster. "We replaced the original white slag rock in the warning track that circles the field with a material from Crimson Stone. The new sod was Tifway bermudagrass overseeded with the Medalist Gold blend of perennial rye- grass cultivars at a rate of 10 lbs. per 1000 sq.ft." An already-narrow window of opportunity set aside to accommodate these renovations was shortened by an early winter. Also, the high school foot- ball team's playoff games extended its season and took more time away from the proj ect. Despite these limitations all went well, and the field was in great shape when the work was completed. Unfortunately, the winter of 1996 was Pictured from left to right: Barons President & GMBill Hardekopf, Head a real killer. It wiped out bermuda- Groundskeeper Steve Horne, Asst. Groundskeeper Mike Zullo, and Vice grass in much of the South, including President Tony Ensor. Courtesy: Hoover Metropolitan Stadium the new sod that had been installed at the Met. With the baseball season underway 1997 was an easier year. With a married. Fortunately, his wife Iris is and the perennial ryegrass phasing "normal" winter and no major field both supportive and understanding. out, quick replacement with a thick- renovations on the schedule, Horne Juggling multiple priorities is part cut, sand-based sod offered the only aimed for an award-winning field. He of sports turf management; keeping logical solution. Horne says, "With the says, "All the basics were now in place, the focus is essential. Horne says, help of the dedicated efforts of my so we concentrated on fine-tuning the "Player safety has always been my top assistant at that time, Pat White, and overall program and polishing the priority for the field. Players under- of the crews of the City of Hoover and details. It's a big goal for a two-person stand and appreciate things the fans Southern Turf Nurseries, and with crew, and we couldn't have accom- never see - like turf that allows the more than a few prayers, we replaced plished it without the equipment pro- ball to make a clean roll to the glove, or over 45,000 square feet of sod during vided the Barons by Tieco Equipment a skinned surface with a soft top layer the team's eight-day road trip. When of Birmingham. Ransomes and Tieco so they can layout for a base and a they returned, the field was again in deserve a huge thanks for all their firm under layer so they can run flat great shape." help." out. Mike Zullo came on board in the With the multiple uses of the Met's "You can't be set in your ways in early part of 1997. Before joining the field, there's always the conversion fac- this type of work. I'm always open to Barons, Zullo had gained football field tor. The mound is torn down, and all learning better ways to do things. But experience at Ole Miss. He had also skinned areas are covered with sod to my philosophy is simple: I give 100 spent a year handling multiple fields prepare for football in the fall. Then percent every day and expect my crew of every type as athletic fields supervi- it's back to baseball before winter to do the same." sor at Itawamba Community College. closes. Awards, like ball games, are won by He had worked with Horne when they But Horne relishes a challenge - his consistent performance. Zullo says, were student managers at Ole Miss, eventful 1996 proves that. During that "Aiming for the Beam Clay Award and then again as full-time employees one year period, he made the move to helps motivate you to dig a little deep- there. They shared the same drive for Birmingham, tackled the field renova- er, to do that little bit extra for both perfection. tion and sod replacement - and got safety and aesthetics that puts your

Apri/1998 9 tle better than when you walked on it that morning." 0

Bob Tracinski is manager of public relations for the John Deere Company in Raleigh, N.C., and public relations co-chair for the national STMA. The Beam Clay Baseball Diamond of the lear Awards are sponsored by the Sports Turf Managers Association, sports TURF Magazine, and Beam Clay. They recognize excellence in Horne maintains his award winning maintaining safe and professional field, even with its seasonal conver- quality diamonds. Winning baseball Horne submitted Hoover Stadium for sions. Each year, the mound is torn diamonds are selected in three cate- consideration of the Beam Clay down, and all skinned areas are cov- gories: professional, college, and Award "on behalf of the Barons Ball ered with sod to prepare for football schools / municipalities /parks. Club and the wonderful people of in the fall. Courtesy: Hoover Metropolitan This is the 12th year the Beam Clay Birmingham." Courtesy: Steve Horne Stadium Baseball Diamond of the Year Awards have been presented. Each year, four field over the top. Once you see your major league grounds keepers serve as field at that level, that becomes the judges. This year's judges were: Tom the Phillies (NL-East), motivation to keep it there." Farrell of the Toronto Blue Jays (AL- and Eric Hansen of the Horne adds, "It all comes down to East), Barney Lopas of the Anaheim Dodgers (NL- West). the basics. Always leave the field a lit- Angels (AL- West), Ralph Frangipani of continued on pg. 13

Beacon is the choice of groundskeepers every- where. Our catalog con- tains everything for main- taining and equipping baseball, softball, soccer, and football fields. • grooming equipment • windscreens, netting, & padding • bases & plates • field marking & layout tools • drags & harrows • soil additives • water removal equipment Visit our web site: www.ballfields.com

Circle 104 on Postage Free Card Circle 105 on Postage Free Card

10 sporfsTURF· http://www.sportsturfonline.com Field Focus continued from pg. 10

water again at noon and 3 p.m.; apply inches bordering the grass line, and less water each time; paint foul lines the rest of the area only as needed; and bases. After pre-game workouts: water lightly; line the baselines and Hoover's touch up the mound and home plate batters box with chalk liner and with a hand rake; if you mat drag the string; make a final pass to sweet- Basic skinned area, hand rake the first 36 tracked material from the turf. Maintenance Plan flltflJJl ~f~rtJ//tI~ fllllltJ//JlttJJ

Standard turf maintenance IRe'1997-1998 !t'INllfJ;tpfIRtJ Fertilization: The plan is based on four to five soil tests per year; light granular applications at two- to three- BEAM CLAY®BASEBALL DIAMOND week intervals between February and of the YEAR AWARDS September; and a base nitrogen rate of 3/4 lb. per 1000 sq.ft. The nutrient -.."..------+---.."..--- mix is adjusted according to soil test results, turf performance and weather PROFESSIONAL conditions. Winter fertilization is HOOVER METROPOLITAN STADIUM based on field needs and weather con- Bjrm ingham Barons ditions. Liquid iron is applied month- ly during active turf growth. Annual lime applications are based on test COLLEGE results. AL WORTHINGTON BASEBALL STADIUM Aeration: Core aeration is per- Liberty University formed four to five times each year. Cores are collected, and topdressing SCHOOL, ·MUNICIPAL, OR PARK follows twice a year. Pesticides: Minimal insect control LA JUNTA POTTER PARKFIEL[) is needed, and a preventative fungi- l.alunta, Colorado cide application program is in place. Mowing: The field is mowed daily during baseball season: the outfield The BEAM CLAY®Baseball Diamond of the Year Awardsare sponsored by with a ride-on reel greens mower, and BEAM CLAY~ the Sports Turf Manager's Association, and sportsTurf Magazine the infield with a walk-behind reel to honor excellence and professionalism i~ maintaining o~tstanding, greens mower. Outfield turf is main- safe, professional CJuality baseball diarponds. Winners are tained at a one-inch height, and this selected by a special awards committee of major league bead groundskeepers. is changed to a 1-1/4-inch height in the fall. Infield turf is kept at a 3/4- This year's judges were (AL-EAST) Tom Farrell, Toronto Blue Jays; (AL;WEST) Barney Lopas, Anal)eim Angels; (NL-EAST) Ralph Frangipani, ; inch height, and is moved to a fall (NLrWEST) Eric Hansen, . height of one-inch. For more information, call: Mound and skinned area maintenance

Standard Program: Repairs to the pitcher's mound and bullpen mounds follow each game. Mounds ~Um THE PROFESSIONAL'S CHOICE are watered lightly and tarped. The Manager's Association .. SINCE 1922 nail drag is used on skinned areas at 712/366-2669 800/247-BEAM least once a week. 908/637·4191 For a 7 p.m. game: Groom the infield with a field rake at 9 a.m.; sat- urate skinned areas after grooming;

Apri/1998 13