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Most
of the “skinned” portions of baseball and softball
fields constructed today are comprised of sand, silt and
clay, however, the type of sand and the proportions of each
component are important to ensure a good playing surface.
Typically 60% sand, 15% silt and 25% clay makes a good,
workable skin and is a good place to start but I’ve
seen some variations that work fine also. The minimum depth
of this base should be four inches but six inches will prevent
any chance of scarifying into the subsoil. There are various
sizes of sand gradations and most will work fairly well
but make sure there are not any particle sizes or pebbles
larger than 1/8” and make sure the sand has not been
contaminated with other soil. Another way to make sure you
know what you are getting is to find a soil formulator that
has provided skinned area materials for softball and baseball,
and go look at it both at the mixing site and at one of
their customers’ fields. This may sound like a lot
of work but remember over 90% of the game of softball is
played on the skinned area and you want to make sure it
is right.
Diamond Pro is vitrified clay used as a soil amendment
to skinned areas to help with moisture management and
to provide a more predictable ball bounce. Usually these
products are spread evenly over the skinned area then
tilled into the top two to three inches. The amount to
use depends on the manufacturers’ recommendations
but three tons tilled in should provide a good start.
Then another ton can be “topdressed” over
the surface and lightly scarified in so you end up with
about an 1/8” on the surface.
The procedure or process should be to bring in your four
to six inches of base. Grade it evenly to a good rough
grade (+ or – 1”) then compact lightly and
till in your soil amendment. Laser grade and compact with
a heavy roller to ensure there will be no future settling
and add your topdressing followed by a light dragging
in using a nail drag or spring tine grooming machine.
One thing to remember is that skinned areas will evolve
over time as you add soil amendments and drying agents.
The key is to get to know your skinned area and how to
maintain it under the various weather conditions you will
face.
A good reference for construction and maintenance of
athletic fields is: SPORTS FIELDS – A Manual For
Design, Construction and Maintenance, by Jim Puhalla,
Jeff Krans, and Mike Goatley, Sleeping Bear Press, ISBN
1-57504-070-0.
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Dale
Getz, CSFM, Sports Turf Sales Manager-US, The Toro
Company (dale.getz@toro.com)
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