Volunteers Renovate Baseball Field at California High School

What do you get when you bring together 40 groundskeepers representing 23 Major League Baseball (MLB) teams? A beautifully renovated ball field!

Each year, the MLB groundskeepers convene in January to discuss industry issues and best practices. The conference, sponsored by The Toro Co., Covermaster and Turface Athletics, concludes with a field day to renovate a youth field in the surrounding community. Sequoia High School in Redwood City, Calif., was selected as the site for the renovation on Jan. 19.

Groundskeepers from the U.S. and Canada rebuilt the pitcher’s mound, bullpen and batter’s box; mowed and edged the turf; dragged the infield; and incorporated field conditioner into the playing surfaces.

“It was great to see all the MLB groundskeepers work together to provide the community and Sequoia High School with a first-class field,” said Boyd Montgomery, CSFM, CSE, and commercial district sales manager for The Toro Company. “It was especially nice to see one of MLB’s own groundskeepers giving back to his old community. Larry DiVito, head groundskeeper for the Washington Nationals, grew up in the area, attended Sequoia and played baseball on this very same field.”

Renovation was funded by a $40,000 grant from the Baseball Tomorrow Fund and through equipment, material and labor donations from the MLB groundskeepers, The Toro Company, Turface Athletics, Covermaster, Inc, Colony Landscaping, Barkshire Laser Leveling and West Coast Turf.

“Baseball Tomorrow Fund and its executive director, Cathy Bradley, should be commended for stepping up and supporting this event,” added Montgomery. “And thanks to Luke Yoder, the San Diego Padres' head groundskeeper, who did an outstanding job coordinating.” 

Toro provided use of a Toro Greensmaster 1600, Toro Workman utility vehicle, Toro Line Painter, and a Toro Infield Pro with attachments for skinned surface maintenance. Turface Athletics provided Turface soil conditioner and mound clays, and Covermaster donated sports surface covers.