The Nitty Gritty Dirt Man [George Toma]

1991 Man of the Year: The Nitty Gritty Dirt Man By Holly Gibson t was a dark and stormy night that For the last 25 years, Toma has been For nearly a month, Toma moved to sent most of Kansas City's masses the turf man to call when you've run out San Francisco to work with Barney Iindoors for cover. At Royals Stadium, of options. Whether he gets it from his Barron, then director of parks and recre- business continued as usual. The bright head, his heart or his back pocket, Toma ation, to revitalize the field. In addi- stadium lights illuminated the inces- manages to perform miracles. For Toma, tion to reviving the playing surface, he sant rain that was beginning to fall in it's all about sticking up for your fellow tried to lift the grounds crew's flagging sheets. groundskeepers and helping them out of spirits. The bad publicity concerning The pitcher twisted in strange con- jams. Toma accepted the 1992 Golf & the stadium had left them demoralized. tortions as he sought a dry spot on his SportsTURF Man of the Year Award Toma discovered the field's problem jersey. The umpire finally gave in, sig- not just for himself, but for all the was a poor interface between the turf and naling the start of a rain delay. groundskeepers caring for everything from sand base. He ripped up the turf and Even faster than the players scam- elementary ball diamonds to profes- applied a layer of Enkamat, a water-per- pered off the field, the Royals grounds sional stadiums. He said he owes a debt meable layer of geomatrix. The Enkamat crew sprinted into action. The sound of gratitude to the late Harry Gill, who helped stabilize the turf on the sand system blared Bruce Springsteen's "Cover founded the Sports Turf Managers base. Association so groundskeepers could Me" as the crew rolled out the tarp. He used about 1,000 square yards share ideas. George Toma, head groundskeeper, of Hawaiian kikuyugrass sod cut 2-inch- One of Toma's greatest achievements worked alongside his crew, barked orders es thick in 18-inch-by-36-inch rectangles. was transforming Candlestick Park in like a field commander. Toma wasn't After sodding, he used a solid-tine aer- San Francisco from an unplayable bog about to let his carefully groomed infield ator to punch the turf. Then, he top- into a first-class field. Perched on the edge be ruined by a mere rainstorm. dressed with Turface. of San Francisco Bay, Candlestick Park Less than 60 seconds later, the tarp is one of the toughest parks to try to grow As the turf began to come around, so covered the infield. The crowd clustered grass. The icy wind, regular fog and did the grounds crew. There was perk in under the stadium overhangs cheered the salty spray exacerbate any groundskeep- their step. When the grounds' crew crew's efforts. Toma didn't take time to ing mistake. removed the tarp before the first play- bask in the glory of the moment. Instead, In 1981, record rainfall and poor off game, the crowd cheered the immac- he marched the tarp, supervising the drainage left the 4gers facing a home play- ulate field, Toma recalled. That further placement of the sandbags that hold it off game on a questionable surface. bolstered the crew. down. A John Deere AMT slowly circled Toma was the NFL's consultant for After two playoff games without a as crew members tossed out sandbags at playing fields, so he was called in to hitch, people began calling Toma the even intervals. The operation ran like a help. Sod God. Then San Francisco Mayor Desert Storm maneuver. Every step was efficiently executed. Once everything was secured, the crew ran for shelter in the dugout. Toma was alone on the tarp with his hands on his hips. Ignoring the pelting rain that pasted down his salt-and-pepper hair, he walked the perimeter. With the detail of a drill sergeant, he inspected every inch. Occasionally, he summoned his assistant, Trevor Vance, to make adjustments. Only when he was satisfied with the tarp did he go into the dugout. Saving the Day Coming to the rescue has become routine work for George Toma during the course of his 45-year career. While oth- ers fret over the unpredictability of sports turf maintenance, Toma thrives on it. The larger the problem, the more Toma's eyes twinkle. Tell him the situ- ation is hopeless, and he'll be on the next plane to tackle the problem. Toma and crew wetting infield during game preparation. 18 Golf & sporfsTURF his wing. He showed Toma the right way to drag the infield. In exchange for a free ticket to the game, Toma pre- pared the infield for play. To~a didn't give much thought to the future. He was in sports heaven. Not only did he get into games for free, but he also got to be out working on the field. Destiny struck in the form of the late Bill Veeck. When Veeck bought the Cleveland Indians in 1946, he came to Pennsylvania to reorganize the Barons. He saw something in 17-year-old Toma and named him head groundskeeper. Scheckler became the team trainer and bus driver. Toma threw himself into his new job. Ifhe needed equipment, he found some- place to borrow it. His mother and uncle encouraged him to do his best. His mom Toma with relief pitchers Steve Crawford, Mike Magnante, and Jeff Montgomery (L to R). even brought his lunch to the stadium. The young groundskeeper learned Dianne Feinstein tried to woo him to the Nitty Gritty Dirt Man From through trial and error. ''I didn't know how city by the bay. Pennsylvania far this thing (groundskeeping) would go," Toma said. Toma was content to return to his No matter how long the list ofToma's home base in America's heartland. From accomplishments grows, he still likes to Cleveland's highly respected there, he is free to take off anywhere and tell people he is the nitty gritty dirt groundskeeper Emil Bossard became solve sports turf problems. man. He takes pride in how far he has Toma's mentor. In 1948, he took Toma "I think he is a magician when it come from humble beginnings. with him to build two baseball fields for minor league teams in Driver, Va. A comes to emergency repairs on football Sports were born in Toma's blood. fields," said Jim Watson, an agronomist year later, they constructed two fields in As a poor youngster growing up in the Marianna, Fla. In 1950, they put in five and vice president of The Toro Company. shadow of Pennsylvania's coal mines, he "He has total confidence in his ability to fields in Daytona Beach, Fla. Three win- was a small, scrappy athlete. Although ters of installing baseball fields followed make repairs and affect a change. He has he never grew more than 5-5, he made courage to go ahead and do it. by summers of jield maintenance were the most of the talent he had. He played a crash course in sports field management. "He's sometimes controversial but football all winter and baseball all sum- "It's an experience that everyone you have to look at the bottom line. The mer. When there wasn't money for prop- should have. Anyone who has a major man has enhanced the image of the er equipment, Toma improvised. He league job should know what it's like to groundskeeper. You can't argue with even made his own baseball gloves. be in a minor league job," Toma said. success." Toma never learned the word im possi- Groundskeeping had to take a back ble. Toma and Watson worked together in seat when Toma was drafted into the one of the hottest spotlights a When the neighborhood kids didn't Army in 1950 during the Korean War. His groundskeeper can be placed under. It have a proper baseball diamond, he leadership skills gained him the rank of was 1984 just before the Olympic Games built his own field of dreams on a spare sergeant first class. were to be played in Los Angeles. The patch of dirt in the backyard. "As a kid, Upon returning to civilian life, Toma's Rose Bowl in Pasadena was the sched- . I used to build pitching mounds in the career resembled that of a minor league uled site for Olympic soccer tourna- backyard. I would take an old bedspring ballplayer. He drifted from team to team ment, but it was deemed unplayable by and pull it around to level off the infield. on the east coast, proving his skills on a members of the Olympic Organizing I took some hayseed from the barn to seed series of fields and hoping for a chance Committee. They called Toma. By work- the outfield. The lines were white ash left with a major league team. In 1957, his ing day and night with pregerminated over from the black coal burning," Toma call came. Both the New York Yankees seed and extra fertilizer, Toma was able recalled with a chuckle. and the Kansas City Athletics wanted to present the Olympic Committee with Money came hard in Toma's family, him. The Yankees planned for him to start a first-class field. When the world so there weren't many chances for a on their minor league team in Denver watched the Olympic soccer games, the young boy to see the local minor league before coming to the house that Ruth built.

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