For a 'World Series'

for a 'World Series' Pennsylvania sports turf managers volunteer expertise and perspiration to make Little League field a show- case for August's International World Series. By RON HALL / Managing Editor L to R.: Paddy Drimmie, Kirk Felix, Joe Lutz, Mark Carbaugh, or a few days each global. Teams from about 90 knowledge that turf managers Jim Rooker (ABC commentator), summer baseball's nations compete for the right bring to the America's growing Jimmy Scott (coordinator for attention turns to to play here each August. love of sport. Little League fields), Don Williamsport in the Members of the Keystone "Little League wanted these Fowler, David Fowler. wooded mountains Athletic Field Managers Orga- young baseball players, coming Fof north central Pennsylvania. nization (KAFMO) help make from around the world, to play Williamsport is international the Little League World Series on the best Little League field headquarters of Little League special. Members donate hard- in the world," says Don Fowler, Below, KAFMO volunteer Tim Baseball. Each August, the Lit- earned expertise and hundreds one of the KAFMO volunteers. Foreman helped build the pitch- tle League World Series is of man hours to help improve Companies quick to help ers mound. Right, bottom, played near here. That's when the playing field at Little On September 21, 1995, Alpine Services graded the field. Little League, after 12 games in League's Lamade Stadium. Little League officials and Tom seven days, crowns a new What KAFMO is accom- Murphy firom the Lycoming world champion. plishing at Lamade Stadium— County Extension Office met and how they're doing it— with KAFMO members to dis- highlights the specialized cuss renovating the stadium playing field. Little League had i Unlike Major League already stripped the field and it Baseball, this event truly is asked for help. KAFMO volunteers agreed to help, and imme- diately went to work. In fact, as they drove from Williamsport that very day, Kurt Nilsson, with Blue Mount Quarry (a regional supplier of diamond mix, mound clay and infield conditioner) enlisted, via earphone, preliminary agree- ments with sod supplier Hum- mer Sports Turf, and with Alpine Services, a company spe- Grove Teates of Alpine Services used a laser to make sure Little League's World Series field drained to the warning track, foul lines. cializing in grading and field ren- so that excess rains drained to ovations. Four days later both the foul lines and to the outfield companies signed contracts with warning track. Lycoming County (PA) Extension Agent Tom Murphy, standing, with Little League Baseball, Inc. The skin infield required an volunteer Kevin Yeiser, center, and KAFMO President Dan Douglas. "Other than Beaver Sta- equally fine touch. Alpine dium at Penn State, this Little graded to a depth of four inches the infield with 0.75 inch of crew throughout the Series, League field is probably the allowing KAFMO volunteers to Home Run ball diamond mix, until the final pitch was most high profile field in all of put in the infield mix, and to and finished the mound and thrown. It was hectic, says the state," says Dan Douglas, build the pitchers mound and home plate circle. While vol- KAFMO's Don Fowler. KAFMO president and sta- the batters box. unteers visited the field several "Sometimes we had 20 min- dium grounds superintendent By Oct. 25, Alpine had re- times during that summer, it utes between games to prepare of the Reading Phillies. "The constructed the field, but cold wasn't until August 7 that the the field for the next game but whole world's attention is on rains stopped work. It wasn't finishing touches to the field for it turned out pretty good. Williamsport, so we commit- until November 8 that Hummer the 50th anniversary of the Lit- There weren't any extra-inning ted ourselves to helping it to Turf could cut and deliver about tle League World Series began games because then they might become the best Little League 32,500 square feet of Kentucky taking shape. have had as little as seven min- field in the world." bluegrass sod. Five KAFMO members utes to prepare for the next Time was short. KAFMO On November 9, at 7 a.m., helped remove the top half game," he adds. and the two contractors had employees of Little League, inch of the infield due to gravel "The games are televised committed themselves to reno- KAFMO volunteers, and em- contamination. Five tons of Di- and the cameras are going to be vating the field yet that fall. ployees from Hummer began amond Pro went down. On running , and there's a lot to Precise installation laying sod. It snowed lightly. August 18, the day before the do, including preparing the On October 9 Alpine Ser- Work continued through lunch first four World Series games, mound and putting down the vices began preliminary grading. and the group finished in one the Little League grounds crew lines for the next game." The field, built on heavy clay, day instead of two it had origi- of Jimmy Scott, Joe Lutz and Although KAFMO volun- required three inches of good, nally planned. On November Kirk Felix, which had worked teers contributed 792 man dry compost, rototilled to a 11 four inches of snow fell on hand in hand with KAFMO hours to making the Lamade depth of five inches. Alpine pre- Williamsport. volunteers, put the final Stadium field the "best Little cision-graded the field again, It wasn't until May 7 of touches on the field, including League field in the world," using a laser, and sculpted the 1996 that work resumed on painting logos. KAFMO volunteers continue to outfield with a 12-inch crown the field. Twenty KAFMO vol- Four KAFMO volunteers work to make it even better. • from second base to centerfield, unteers edged the field, topped worked with the LL grounds .

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