Today, I wanna talk about something that’s been bugging me for a while – how to keep a baseball field in good shape. I mean, I’ve been taking care of this field for the local little league for years, and the infield dirt has always been a headache. It gets muddy after it rains, dusty when it’s dry, and it’s just a pain to maintain. I heard about using brick dust and I decided to give it a try.
So, first things first, I started digging around to see what this brick dust stuff was all about. Turns out, it’s not some fancy, high-tech solution. It’s just crushed-up bricks, pretty much like what you’d use to build a wall or something. But apparently, this stuff is great for baseball fields because it soaks up water like a sponge and doesn’t get all slippery and muddy.
Next, I needed to find a place that sold this stuff. I called up a few local suppliers, and most of them looked at me like I had two heads. But finally, I found this one place that knew what I was talking about. They called it “Red Ball Diamond Aggregate” or some fancy stuff, and they mine it somewhere in Minnesota. They explained to me that good infield dirt is usually about 70% sand and 30% clay. But for a pro field, it’s more like 60% sand and 40% clay.
Anyway, I ordered a big batch of this brick dust. And when it arrived, I was actually pretty impressed. It looked like fine, reddish powder, and it felt kind of soft to the touch. I had some of the volunteers, parents from the little league, help me spread it out over the infield. We raked it in real good, mixed it up with the existing dirt, and then watered the whole thing down.
The first real test came a few days later when we had a pretty heavy rainstorm. I went out to the field expecting the usual muddy mess, but I was shocked. The infield was damp, sure, but it wasn’t muddy at all. The brick dust had soaked up all the excess water, and the field was actually playable. That’s a big difference from before when we’d have to cancel games all the time because of rain.
Since then, I’ve been a total convert to this brick dust stuff. It’s made a huge difference in how the field plays and how much work I have to do to maintain it. We haven’t had to deal with any rainouts, and the kids are loving it. Plus, it just looks nicer, that reddish color really makes the field pop. I know some folks have used limestone or shale in the past, but from what I’ve seen, this brick dust is the way to go.
- It soaks up water like crazy.
- It keeps the field from getting muddy.
- It reduces the amount of maintenance I have to do.
- It looks pretty darn good.
So, if you’re struggling with a baseball field that’s always a muddy mess or a dusty nightmare, you might want to look into using brick dust. It’s a simple solution, but it works like a charm. I know some of those big-shot Major League fields use fancy stuff from Pennsylvania, but for us regular folks, this crushed-up brick from Minnesota does the trick just fine.
Alright, I’ve been yapping for long enough. I just wanted to share my experience with this brick dust stuff because it’s been a real game-changer for me. If you’re taking care of a baseball field, give it a try. You won’t regret it! I mean, I never thought crushed-up bricks could make such a difference, but they really do. My field has never been better!
