the newly rebuilt Bethlehem Town Park Field # 5 "Mickey Mantle Field" is set to open this week on Tuesday. There has been a great deal of hard work, money for materials and resources put into doing this complete job in just a few short weeks. The Town Parks & Rec. Dept has done a fantastic job and the field looks terrific! Please THANK the Town Parks & Rec. Dept. when you see them.
NOW - all of the users of this new field have to demonstrate some care and respect for the continued high quality of our new Home Field.
"Be a Sport, Don't Dig In!"
The Pitchers Mound and both Batters Boxes have been rebuilt to major league standards. There are rows of "clay bricks" installed just below the dirt at each location. These bricks are designed to keep these high-use areas FIRM and LEVEL for the high-use that is expected on this field. Please Do Not DIG IN with your cleats while pitching on the mound or batting on either side of the plate. These holes cause water to collect and are difficult to repair. The same goes for our new infield material around teh base paths and new grass sod infield. There is no reason or advantage to being "over zealous" and digging a deep hole to gain better footing or whatever this bad habit is about. PLEASE... "Be a Sport, Don't Dig In"
The time & money to repair the Damage that would be caused by just one person is not money well spent. Plus, we don't have the time nor the money to spend in the first place.
The infield material will continue to set-up even better as rain, water, and Sun continues to bake us a final product. The infield grass is new sod. You MUST take extra care to Not catch a cleat on the edges and cause a tear in the turf. Just like the golf course, damages must be identified and repairs must happen ASAP.
I know that we are all mature adults. I know that we don't need this type of reminder. I am 48 years old. I would be playing in your league if I wasn't giving all of my time back to the Bethlehem Mickey Mantle baseball league. I am asking for your cooperation in helping us keep our new baseball field in top condition. A little effort and care extended by all of us will help us achieve the goal of having Field # 5 become one of the best ballfields in the area. We are well on our way!
Thank you very much for your understanding. Have a great season. Steve Peterson, President Bethlehem Mickey Mantle, Inc. - Bethlehem Braves www.bethlehembraves.com
Steve, thanx again for your dedication and effort to create a Class 1 field. And everyone who helped both physically and financially are to be commended for their dediction to our youth and baseball.
And to echo you remarks, Steve, I could never understand the desire or need to "dig in.'' I pitch, and always finding myself filling in the hole by the pitcher's plate every inning. If guys really look at a Major League game, those pitchers don't dig a hole. There's no advantage to being lower on the hill.
Same goes for the batters' boxes. Guys, please heed steve's advice and don't dig in.
And, Steve, since you are old enough to play in the 46 division, you have a spot on my roster if you want it.
Thanx again to Steve and the Town of Bethlehem. Jim Konstantakis CDMSBL Giants/Hornets CDMSBL board member
Couple of suggestions for this quality field. A routine of box and mound maintenance after each game. and covering those 2 areas between games. even with not digging in at the plate, pivoting cleats and spikes do their own thing during play. getting toe hold in front of the rubber and digging in at the plate compound a managable problem into one that can get out of hand fast with alot of play. Also use of "speedy dry " products on these areas is ill-advised as it compromises the hardening quality of the clay there. keeping a cover on these areas eliminates the need to use these product. Our players may note the quality of the mound and plate at New Scotland where daily maintenance keeps it in top shape and its covered after each game. Covering by the way not only prevents puddling and mud, but keeps clay areas moist and workable. At some fields we are used to varying aspects of maintenance, and in the past 30 years at Bethlehem the Town has done all the maintenance, including the mound and plate . I am assuming that the Town will continue this but I am also suggesting that we be part of the routine and do as we do at New Scotland and UA and at least cover these areas daily. And yes much thanks to Steve for guiding the town nad running the project to make this field nice. Its good to see youth baseball programs making a comeback , especailly the Mantle program started by our own Jesse Braverman. I got back into baseball years ago because Jesse was holding informal Town summer baseball camps so kids could just come out and play. My son was one of those kids....and Jesse also managed at the adult town league team which I then joined back in the 80's. Those games were held for years at these very fields from I think the 60's. these fields have seen some ball !, and its great they have been significanly upgraded. respect the game, repsect the fields.
As manager of the 37 Pirates, I agree with all the comments made about the new field. We appreciate the hard work performed both physically by everyone, and especially on a negotiation level by Steve Peterson, with the Town of Bethlehem. I believe John Reel's statements about covering the field after each game, is essential if covers and weights are in fact available. In addition, the Pirates and our opponents should rake all the 4 bases and pitcher's mound lightly to return it to it's pregame state, in order to keep it level. This takes very little time to accomplish if each team has at least one or more rakes with them. Thanks again to everyone, as it proves mutual cooperation can develop a great field that can be enjoyed and maintained for both kids and adults in the Town of Bethlehem.
Having pitched too many years to admit on all conditions of mounds, I can tell you that a pitcher does not dig in on the mound other than get a toe hold on the rubber itself in order to push off. Holes at the landing foot area usually occur because the dirt is not firm enough and if it isn''t watered every day in the heat, it turns into dust. The constant cleat movement with every pitch on loose dirt is the culprit. One of the first times I played in a Florida stadium I had a long conversation with one of the groundskeepers. He explained to me that the field is watered everyday - weather it's being used or not. The kiss of death to any field with the proper dirt mix is to have it dry out. I can attest to this since I was the groundskeeper of the Latham Babe Ruth field for three years. There is nothing wrong with using soil conditioners in and of itself except that when left to bake in the sun, it turns into concrete - and therein lies the reason it shouldn't be used.
As far as digging in at home plate - I agree - I could never understand why batters have to dig a hole.
The rememdy to replacing the clay mixture is to rake the loose clay back into the top layer, tamp it and sprinkle some water on it. It only takes couple of nights of not doing this that starts the hole...
Finally, thanks to Bethlehem for putting the field into great shape and especially for letting us use it. Let's make sure we take good care of the field...
