MANAGERS/COACHES/PARENTS: The following field maintenance instructions will be followed at Avoca Dupont Little League Field before every game. Field maintenance and upkeep includes dugouts. Each team is responsible for the cleanup of their dugouts after each game.
As a reminder, the HOME team is responsible for prepping the field for the games.
Please show respect for each other by doing your fair share and to show appreciation for all of the time and hard work that has been put into our fields for our kids.
FIELD PREP:
• If there are any puddles or standing water on any of the dirt surfaces of the field, please use the Quick Dry mix (located in the green shed ). Pour the Quick Dry onto the puddle – do not pour the whole bag, a little goes a long way. Allow 5 or so minutes for it to absorb the water and then use a rake to blend it in with the dirt.
• If you are the first game of the day, lightly dampen the infield skin, base paths and home plate area with water. The hose cart is located in the green shed. This will help keep dust down and will also help the chalk for the lines & box to adhere to the dirt.
• Take the batter’s box template and mark the box for the game. Then, take the chalk located in the shed and mark the lines for the box.
• Next, take the base line string; attach the end of it to the apex (aka back point) of home plate. Roll the string down the base path from home plate to each edge where the skinned infield meets the outfield grass. To be sure you have a straight line, you may
want to briefly put 1st and 3rd bases in to make sure that the line goes directly under the outside edge of the base. Once the string is rolled out, take the chalker and slowly mark INSIDE the baseline string.
• Once the lines are chalked, remove the base plugs and insert the bases. Bases should be level with the ground. If not, use the dig-out tool to pull dirt from the base hole. Base plugs are to be stored in the shed during games and nowhere else.
• Play ball!
PREPPING IN BETWEEN MULTIPLE GAMES:
• ALWAYS remove bases and insert base plugs BEFORE dragging/raking field.
• Lightly, but completely, water the infield skin, base paths and home plate area BEFORE dragging/raking the field. This helps the dirt to retain moisture and cuts down on the amount of dirt and dust that flies off onto the grass.
• After watering, properly drag the field as described below; ONLY re-chalk the base lines and batter’s box if necessary to prevent waste of supplies.
• Remove the base plugs; re-insert the bases and store the base plugs in the shed. • Play ball!
FIELD STRIKING (END OF DAY FIELD CLOSING WHEN POSIBLE):
The number one goal of ours in properly striking or “taking down” the field after games is to prevent “lips” from building up on the grass edges of the infield and to try to keep the infield skin as level as possible. To that end, please adhere to the follow instructions in this order:
• ALWAYS remove bases and insert the base plugs BEFORE dragging the field.
• With a push broom, please push any infield mix you see on the edges of the infield grass back onto the infield skin/base paths.
• With a grass rake, please rake up and down (not side to side, otherwise you create a ditch) the base paths taking care not to get the dirt onto the grass. Please do not use the field drag on the base paths.
• With a field or grass rake, please groom the pitching mound and home plate area. Always rake back toward the center areas, filling in the low spots where a pitcher, catcher or umpire may have worn the dirt down during the game(s). If necessary please use the heavy tamp (located in shed) to tamp down the looser dirt in the low areas.
• With the large field rake, please rake the base areas. Base running and sliding cause high and low areas. Level the base areas by raking the dirt from the high areas back to the low areas.
• Drag infield skin. Please keep the drag at least 6-8 inches away from the infield & outfield grass. Please try to drag in an overlapping circular fashion, beginning at either first or third base and moving toward second base.
• When finished dragging, please do not pull the drag all the way up to or on to the grass. Stop short of the grass, pick up the drag, shake any dirt off it back onto the skin and then put away. WATER THE INFIELD SKIN – please make sure to water the infield skin thoroughly at the end of the day. Watering helps the infield mix bind together, which in turn helps maintain a level playing surface.
• Lightly water the mound and home plate area.
• Please water any brown spots on the grass in and around the infield.