We’re looking forward to seeing you in Salt Lake City for NRPA 2009! Regardless of where you are in the process, Beacon is ready to help with your project. Whether planning an entire facility or just adding to an existing complex, we can guide you at every step along the way. Ultimately, you just need it done right.

Stop in to meet Jim Myrland and learn how our Facility Support Group can help you with your next project. Visit us at Booth 1937! NRPA 2009 Salt Lake City, Oct. 13–16, 2009 Click here to register for the NRPA show and enjoy early bird pricing until Thurs., September 24!

To add a product to your Wish List, just click “Add to Wish List” under the Add to Cart button. If you are not already logged in, you can log in or sign up for an account. This will make the checkout process faster anyway. Products in your Wish List will remain in your Wish List for as long as you like. It doesn’t matter if you log out and come back a month later, those products will still be there until you delete them. When you return, just log into your account and click the Wish List button at the top of the sidebar:

You can even create and manage multiple Wish Lists:

You can view your Wish Lists as a complete list at any time. From here, you can add items into your cart (individually or all at once), print your list, or even email it to yourself or a colleague.

Let us know if you need help with this new feature, or if you have any problems. Have fun planning your new facility! To tell us what you think, just leave a reply for us below.

Target Field will bring outdoor baseball back to the Twin Cities for the first time since the Minnesota Twins played their last game on September 30, 1981, at old Metropolitan Stadium in neighboring Bloomington.

It’s been two years since they broke ground on the project, and only now are they beginning the process of establishing the actual playing surface. We met with Larry DiVito, the Twins new head groundskeeper, and we talked about what it’s like to build an infield from scratch. Larry, a member of the Sport Turf Managers Association, joined the project in February and is anxious to see the infield come to life.

The sand-based infield grass is scheduled for installation in August. The photo at the beginning of the story shows water being applied to the subsurface material to create settling, forming a proper base. In the background of the photo below, you can see five inches of pea gravel that is being groomed to form the base for the outfield turf.

Our own Paul Zwaska talked with Larry and the project managers about their planned installation of their Dura Edge Pro Infield Mix and the Magic Track Warning Track. Weather permitting, they’ll get the infield and outfield surfaces installed by about September 1, and Target Field will begin to truly resemble a baseball field.

Close to 3,500 people will have worked on Target Field by the time the first games are played in April 2010. The $425 million stadium will hold approximately 40,000 with about 18,500 infield seats.

We really enjoyed our tour of the facility on what was a beautiful day in Minneapolis. Beacon Athletics wishes Larry and his field staff good luck as they say goodbye to the old Metrodome and prepare the Twins for their first outdoor home games in almost 30 years.

• 10.5% higher January turf temperature
• 60% better color (4 vs. 2.5)
• 78% higher growth yield (16 gr vs. 9 gr)

They said it can’t be done!

Some shredded bagged mound clays come moist and ready to use right out of the bag while others with less moisture will pour out of the bag, pulverized, dry as can be. The drying and processing doesn’t detract from the effectiveness or quality of the clay. In fact, because the clay is dried before bagging, you actually receive more clay by volume than if you purchased shredded bagged clay that is moist and ready to use. Why? Because you are paying for the weight of the water in the clay. And clay can hold a lot of water!

Adjusting the way you use the clay might prove to be the answer for improved results. The dried clay should be hydrated before it is used to patch a hole. You simply add the clay to a bucket or wheel barrow and mix in water to re-constitute the material. Many find this to be a bothersome chore but it really is quite simple. Back in my Major League Baseball days, we would take a wheel barrow filled with dry clay and spread it out on a concrete or asphalt surface. Using a watering can we would add some water to it, and then turn the pile over with a shovel to spread the moisture and add more water as needed. I tried to moisten it up enough to compact into a ball in my hand but not so wet that it would stick to your tools. It is somewhat of an art but I always had my clay just right for repairs and rarely did I ever have a problem with clay sticking to my tamp because it was too moist. When finished, we would put it back in the wheel barrow and cover it with the empty bags or wet towels to keep it from drying out. Other people like to wet their clay pile and let it sit and slowly moisten up. They would just add moisture to the pile as needed to keep it from drying out. So there are plenty different methods to hydrate and keep your clay stock moist and ready to use.

If you would rather use clay right from the bag make sure you ask about the moisture content when you purchase the material. Even if you buy the high moisture clay it can dry out over time. If it does, simply add moisture ahead of time so you are ready for that installation or repair project.

Beacon has a variety of resources on Soil Amendments in general:

• Soil Amendments in the store
• More information about Soil Amendments in general
• Recommended Topdressing Amounds