CLEVELAND — One important yet often forgotten part of baseball is the preparation it takes to make the field playable. There are nine people responsible for preseason preps being done at Progressive Field.
The grounds crew has to do tasks such as watering, fertilizing, mowing, and even painting.
The grass is watered daily. Along with the water comes an average of one pound of fertilizer per square foot each month. This varies depending on the amount of nitrogen in the ground.
Also, the infield and other dirt areas are dragged and watered daily to keep it smooth. Players don’t want the ball to react in an awkward fashion because the grounds crew hasn’t prepped the field properly.
The same is expected of the outfield. A specialized mowing pattern is used to make sure the ball rolls in straight lines. That same mowing pattern also produces the stripes in the outfield that often make us wonder, “how did they do that?”
Good weather has allowed the crew to start working on the field much earlier than years past. This year’s record warmth in March allowed the crew to start watering much earlier. They also added an extra month of fertilization.