Inside Fastball took the time to copy some of the questions we had posted on the board and mail them off to Heather. Even though she has a busy schedule, she found the time to answer us...Thank You Heather! At the bottom of the page is a link to send a question to Heather.
Heather Fans: What will your biggest challenges be in keeping the grounds of Tiger Stadium?
Heather:To be honest, I don't really know exactly what the biggest ones will be.
Some of them might be shading of the turf (having areas of grass, like
around home plate, wear out) and drainage from the field because of the
heavy soils. The thing is, you don't know what the problems are really
going to be until they arise.
Heather Fans: Will you groom the field a certain way depending on who is pitching
or depending on the make-up of the Tigers or the opposing team?
Heather:If they ask me to, yes, but otherwise, no.
Heather Fans: What will your challenges be in preparing for the opening of the new
Comercia ball park?
Heather:The biggest challenges are going to be making sure the nutrient levels
in the turf are at adequate levels, making sure the field is
well-watered (it's going to be a sand-based field), and taking care of
the infield skin (the clay that makes up the dirt).
Heather Fans: What maintenance is done to the field while the team is away on a
road trip?
Heather Fans What different types of grass are used for baseball fields in
different climates? What about different kinds of dirt of infields?
Heather:Obviously, here in the North we use cool-season grass -- generally
Kentucky bluegrass -- and some overseed with perennial rye. Further
South, a lot of people use bermuda or zoysia. As far as infields go,
they're usually a mixture of sand, silt and clay, with different
percentages of each on different diamonds. The variance is usually due
to a groundskeeper's preference, materials available, or players'
preference
Heather Fans: What is your biggest challenge in keeping baseball field grass in
top shape? Bugs, disease, overuse, watering?
HeatherThe biggest problem is usually overuse. Disease and insects can be
combatted, but I can't really do anything about overuse -- I don't make
the schedule!
Heather Fans: Is it bad for the grass when it gets painted to enhance its
appearance for TV?
Heather:If it was overused, it could cause some harm, but it's usually not
damaging at all to the grass.
Heather Fans: How do you keep the front of the pitching rubber and backs of the
batter's boxes from developing huge holes as players repeatedly dig in
over the course of the season?
HeatherBy repairing them daily with packing clay, which keeps the dirt from
getting too loose.
Heather Fans: How do you make the chalk lines so straight?
HeatherWith a string that we put along the foul line, and for the batter's box
there's a stencil (or template) that we chalk around.
Heather Fans: Does the umpire ever ask your opinion about calling a rain out?
Heather:They may ask about weather conditions, but the ultimate decision on
whether to play is still theirs.
Heather Fans: How often does the crew need to practice the tarp roll out drill
for speed and safety?
Heather: We usually don't practice it. Most of the people on the crew are
seasoned veterans, and they do it often enough that they don't really
have to practice.
Heather Fans: What weird stuff been thrown on the field during a game?
Heather: Believe it or not, nothing much here in West Michigan, besides paper
airplanes or frisbees or beach balls. Of course, I haven't gotten to
Detroit yet!