SportsTurf provides current, practical and technical content on issues relevant to sports turf managers, including facilities managers. Most readers are athletic field managers from the professional level through parks and recreation, universities.
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/484138
Field Science 36 SportsTurf | April 2015 www.sportsturfonline.com FAciliTY & OPeRATiOnS The Padres' Luke Yoder has made a habit of coming out to the farm for years, only now he brings his two trusty assistants, Tucker and Torrey, who happen to fall into the canine category. "The main reason I go out to the fields is because it makes the dogs happy," Yoder jokes. "They are out at the ballpark with me every day (since PETCO is where the lucky pups go!), and they know what they are looking for, so of course I take them to pick out the sod. "I start out looking for a very mature bermuda. We have an extremely tough transition time, and we need to give our grass a fighting chance. We battle May gray and June gloom, so our bermuda doesn't really start kicking in until July and August. So transition is important," Yoder explains. "I walk the whole field because I need to be sure it is even. If I order ¾-inch cut sod I can't risk it being uneven. I can't flatten it out on the field that fast. I also want just a decent overseed. Nothing heavy." Clay Wood of the Oakland Athletics is also a firm believer in being very hands on. "We re-sod every year because we have Monster Truck and Super Cross, "Wood said. The O.co Coliseum is also the only dual professional baseball and football facility left, which makes his turfgrass situation even more complicated than most. "My timeframe for baseball is really tight. I only have about 3 weeks to get the field ready for Opening Day. My goal when I am out at the farm is finding the most established sod. I need to start my field with a strong stand of mature bermuda with a strong stand of rye. I need the sod to have the stability to stand on its own and sustain itself if need be. With our chances of inclement weather here, I can't take a risk. I like to be able to walk the fields. These days you can get a text photo of the field and it looks great, but I need to get out there and talk to Larry. We'll talk herbicide, and fertilizer, and I'll walk the field looking for any weeds. It's hard to explain. I think it's just a groundskeeper thing," Wood said. "I need to know exactly what to expect when I receive that sod. And let's hope they keep Luke's dogs off my section." So it seems the sod farm managers have the most pressure to perform. Larry Contreras, WCT's Southern California farm manager, has been in the business for almost three decades. "I actually like to have the guys come out and inspect the fields on a regular basis. On their first visit we establish which field they like best. All of the managers are different and have unique needs. Some like a very dense bermuda base and a light overseed. Others only care about a strong base and a great looking grass. One customer wants a dense bermuda, yet a heavy overseed. Once they choose their section I can make the corrections and adjust accordingly to their wants. We have intense customers out here, and then a few more mellow ones. But they all want the identical end result—a strong safe field that looks great at the same time. We do our best to be sure they get that and there are no surprises," Contreras said. As for Luke's dogs? "I just let them go. They are so happy and excited to be out there that I'd never say a word." ■ ST Luke Yoder and his dogs, Tucker and Torrey, are with him at San Diego's PETCO Park every day (since PETCO is where lucky pups go). Installing the sod at Angel Stadium of Anaheim.