Baseball season is about a month and a half away from its opening game on April 2, 2024. Durham Bulls’ fans are eager to hear the first crack of a bat.
Players and fans alike will be greeted by a brand new playing field.
It was 1995 when the park installed the first layers of sod with Bermuda grass. Since then the field has undergone several renovations.
Scott Strickland, assistant property manager for the DBAP said, “A renovation is essential. It just shoots off the top four or five inches of Bermuda grass.”
Strickland says in this climate, the organic layer builds up between the grass and sand, which causes slower drainage and more risk of disease.
That’s why every ten years, they scrape off the old turf and start over.
“This sod that’s behind us, you know, it’s 2 inches thick,” he said.
New sod, grown by “Carolina Green” in Charlotte, is rolled out like a carpet. That sod goes all over the country to NFL stadiums. It’s all laid on top of a layer of plastic.
“And then because of the plastic, the roots can’t grow down. They grow sideways and interlock in one another,” said Strickland.
Special carts gently push the heavy grass layers together with no visible gaps.
Strickland described it this way: “You know this is essentially, this field is a USGA putting green! That’s the science and technology that the whole field is built off of.”
It’s a slow process, however, fans can see it all happen from the comfort of their own home or even on a smart phone.
Leading up to opening day on April 2, the DBAP plans to host a “Fan Fest” event on March 18 – so fans can enjoy a walk on the brand new outfield turf.
Watch the story on WRAL.com:
Thanks to WRAL-TV’s Rick Armstrong for this CapCom story & photos.
