Sports Turf Managers Association helps Big Leaguers play in Williamsport

Did you catch the Pirates and Cardinals playing a real MLB game at BB&T Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field in Williamsport, on Sunday night?

Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) – the professional organization for 2,600 men and women who manage sports fields worldwide – celebrates its members for their involvement in the renovation and maintenance of BB&T Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field in Williamsport, Pa.

The second oldest and most distinguished Minor League Baseball venue in the country, the revamped facilities welcomed the St. Louis Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Pirates for Major League Baseball’s (MLB) “Little League Classic” which aired live on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball.

BrightView, the nation’s leading landscape services company and Major League Baseball’s sports turf consultant, employs STMA members responsible for the field renovation. Earlier this year, a new field design was created by BrightView’s Design Group before BrightView’s Development and Sports Turf teams began restoration on March 1.

The teams laid 4,500 tons of sand and root-zone material to prepare the natural grass surface; removed 1 1/2 feet of physical mass; constructed the playing surface and set infield and outfield sod the week of May 30. BrightView also oversaw the installation of new foul poles, bullpens, a batter’s eye and backstop net to meet MLB requirements. The new ballfield was inaugurated for the Williamsport Crosscutters’ (Class-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies) home opener June 20.

"We are proud to have our members involved in such a unique project designed to rebuild a historical ballpark and benefit the Williamsport community," says Kim Heck, CAE, CEO of STMA. “This event is a great way to educate the 1.95 million viewers that ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball averages about STMA members and the excellent work they do in the sports industry."

The field looked beautiful.

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