Mitch Hooten, the head groundskeeper of the West Michigan Whitecaps, was recently recognized as one of the Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) and Minor League Baseball Sports Field Managers of the Year. The West Michigan Whitecaps are the Class A Minor League Baseball team, affiliated with the Detroit Tigers in the Midwest League. Hooten manages the grounds of Fifth Third Ballpark,... read more
The Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) and Minor League Baseball (MiLB) recently awarded the Sports Field Managers of the Year awards, which were presented at the Major League Baseball Winter Meetings and are sponsored by STMA and Echo Tools. Vancouver Canadians’ Head Groundskeeper Ross Baron was selected as the winner in the short-season (or rookie) category. Baron and his grounds crew work at Scotiabank Field at Nat... read more
David Mellor, senior director of grounds for the Boston Red Sox, writes about his experience with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in his new memoir “One Base at a Time: How I Survived PTSD and Found My Field of Dreams.” Athletic Turf got a behind-the-scenes tour of Fenway Park but also sat down to speak with Mellor about his experiences in... read more
Part of the baseball world convened in South Williamsport, Pa., for the 73rd annual Little League World Series, held Aug. 15-25. Athletic Turf got an inside look at all that went into getting the fields baseball-ready. The grounds crew is quick at work to get the field back in order following a Little League World Series night game. The grounds crew... read more
Precision Laboratories launched In-Flow, a product designed to help sports turf managers maintain infield skins. In-Flow is a granular soil conditioner and surfactant that helps maintain the moisture levels of infield skins. In-Flow influences water’s ability to flow into and throughout the profile of infield skins to find the desired balance between water retention and movement. “We’re very excited to... read more
