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/56877
F.O.Y. Field of the Year Level of Submission: Schools/Parks Category of Submission: Baseball Head Sports Turf Manager: Michael Brouillard Title: Grounds Manager Education: Masters Degree Field of Study: Horticulture Sci- ence/Business Full Time Staff: Jorge Morales/Crew Leader, George Baumgardt/Leisure Services Supervisor Students/Interns, Part-Time and Sea- sonal Staff: Salvador Gutierrez, Jose Torres, Isidro Gonzalez and Rigoberto Mendez Village Green Park, Northbrook, IL Park District SIMMONS FIELD Original construction date: 1949 Size: 58,935 sq. ft. Other uses:Winter Carnival, traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall, 2010 staff softball game, July 4th Police vs. Fire Dept. softball game and fall soccer Variety(s) of turfgrass(es): Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass Overseed: Overseed infield and outfield in the late summer to early fall (August 15) at a rate of 2-3 lbs./1,000 sq. ft. of Athletic seed mix 60/40. 20% Rugby II Kentucky Blue- grass(KBG), 20% Geronimo KBG, 20% Ap- palachian KBG, 20% Patriot 4 Perennial Ryegrass and 20% Keystone 2 Perennial Rye- grass. Application method for the infields in- cludes core aerating followed by broadcasting seed with a rotary EarthWay spreader, setting #14. The outfield is aerated and seeded with 153 lbs. of grass seed mix. Mix composition: 37% Sand 63% other Other mix: 32% Silt, 31% Clay Drainage: No system 38 SportsTurf | March 2012 Recent renovations: Renovated in past 2 years. Inspected and replaced base pegs, pitch- ing rubber, home plate, pitching mound re- pair, added clay/soil conditioner, added crushed limestone screenings to coaches boxes, players benches and bleachers, aerated, overseeded, sodded worn areas, fertilized, rolled up foul ball nets, removed bad soil, filled tire ruts, replaced batting circles, re- paired fences, and edged the clay infield, coaches boxes and warning track. Why was the field renovated? The field is renovated each fall after ath- letic activities but needed costly repairs in 2010 after two diesel spills from trucks bring- ing heavy rides onto the field for Northbrook Days, an annual 5-day community festival. In 2011, heavy rains and flooding occurred at the end of the festival, and tow trucks and an end loader were needed to remove the rides that were stuck on the field. The signature field is out of commission until the grass is es- tablished, next spring. Challenges: A tremendous amount of work is needed to maintain the Village Green ball field, the home of Northbrook Baseball (Little League) since the 1950s. The season never really ends for the crew, who monitor the field monthly, maintaining and replacing equipment as needed. Plans are set and train- ing occurs, preparing for another year of base- ball, softball and special events. The challenges of getting the field ready are compounded by its other uses, including Northbrook Days. The Northbrook Civic Foundation holds that fundraising event in the park every summer, with carnival rides on the ball field. The 87th annual event attracted about 55-thousand people, and heavy rains soaked the field in 2011. The combination of foot traffic, weight of the rides and saturated soil caused major damage to the field. Tow trucks and a tractor had to drag the rides from the field, leaving tire ruts and mud everywhere and little turfgrass remaining. The challenge to the crew was to continue its regular schedule, adding the required field restoration. The crew had to sod 47% of the www.sportsturfonline.com