26 SportsTurf | December 2014 www.sportsturfonline.com
Facility & Operations | By Lynn Grooms
M
iller Park, home to MLB's Milwaukee Brewers is
"cooler by the lake" in more ways than one. Less than
5 miles from Lake Michigan's western shore, Miller
Park is generally (and literally) 5-7° F cooler than
Wisconsin's more inland areas. Figuratively speaking, Miller Park also
is "cool" with its stunning convertible roof, impressive architecture and
colossal matrix scoreboard.
Then, there is that expanse of rich green grass. The field looks cool
even when Milwaukee's summer temperatures (and humidity) rise,
thanks to the work of Michael Boettcher, Eddie Warczak and their
grounds crew. In fact, they resurfaced the field in 2013 ahead of the
2014 season.
The almost 100 percent sand field was sodded with a blend of four
premium Kentucky bluegrass varieties. "We select varieties based on
several traits, including shade tolerance, wear tolerance, color, disease
resistance and the ability to withstand lower mowing heights," says
Boettcher, Miller Park's grounds director.
Boettcher also has instituted an aggressive overseeding program.
Areas receiving heavy traffic are overseeded every week during the
playing season. The entire field is overseeded three times each year.
"We receive seed shipments throughout the season and do the blending
ourselves," Boettcher says, adding that sometimes perennial ryegrass is
used in addition to the bluegrass. Rotary spreaders are used to overseed
the field while drop spreaders are used along the edges.
The field's sand base handles just about any rain event, even as
much as 1 inch of rain in a half hour. With its modified rootzone and
sub-drainage system, the field was built to last. Boettcher credits his
predecessor, Gary Vanden Berg, "for doing several things right from the
start." Vanden Berg passed away from cancer in 2011, after managing
Cooler
by the Lake
From left: Joe Ranthum, Steve Ems, University of Wisconsin's Bucky Badger,
Michael Boettcher and Eddie Warczak.
