Field Preparation

Wilson Field Setup & Prep Overview

It will take about 30-35 minutes for the field to be ready with 2-3 parents.

First: Field setup involves dragging/raking the field, watering, and painting, along with installing the bases (30 mins)

Second: Scoreboard setup requires the scoreboard machine, a table, and a chair. Ask your manager for the key to the umpire room if you do not have access (5 mins)

Equipment you need from the shed

  • 1 hose
  • 2 field drags (rectangular chain grid with a rope)
  • batters box template
  • 1 or 2 cans of paint (make sure the white plastic nozzle top is there)
  • lining machine (4 wheeled device used to paint)
  • Orange plastic spool with string, hammer and spike
  • 3 bases with pegs

Before painting, the field needs to be

  1. Dragged (to even the field and loosen up the dirt)
  2. Dampened (the dirt needs to be dampened with water but not soaked, avoid puddles)
  3. Painted (onto dampened dirt)

Instructions

Goal 0: Remove the tarps and nets

Relocate the pitching L-screens or any other protective nets to left field behind the bullpen.  These screens should never be in or near the infield foul territory.

Remove the tarps and weights and remove them from the field

Goal 1: Get 1st base foul line and batters box ready

DRAGGING/RAKING THE FIELD

Two people should start dragging the entire field with one person raking the pitching mound and home plate area.

  • Person A starts with the area around home and 1st base line
  • Person B starts with the rest of the infield and 3rd base line
  • Person C can rake the pitching mound and home plate area

WATERING

After dragging/raking the field, the dirt needs to be dampened but not soaked.  Any areas that appear to be soaked will need to be dried before play starts.  Bases should be dry as they are slippery when wet.

Areas that need to be watered include:

  1.  Home plate area including areas where umpire and catcher will stand
  2.  First base line
  3.  Second base line
  4.  Third base line
  5.  Infield dirt

PAINTING

If the dirt is not damp, the paint will not stick to the dirt. Make sure you water the field.

Painting Batters Box

Example video

  1. Place the batter’s box frame template down by the plate. The handle of the frame runs parallel to the side of the home plate as seen below.  This gap represents 6 inches from home plate to the batter’s box line.
  1. If the dirt is moist enough, you can press down on the frame and make an indentation. Paint the indentation.  Alternatively, use the spike to trace on the inside edge of the batter’s box template.  When applying the white paint, the paint should be centered over the trace marked in the soil to correctly position the batter’s box.
  1. Repeat on the other side of the plate

Painting Foul Line

Example video

  1. Place the spike at the bottom tip of the home plate. You will loop the string with the carabiner end over it eventually.
  1. Take the orange spool of string and connect one end to the spike and walk and unwind it until you reach the outfield foul line 
  2. Install the base. You will need to tighten the string to line up on the inside edge. Highly recommend having a partner to hold the string tight.
  1. You are ready to paint. Some tips when you paint
    1. SHAKE the paint can well before starting. 1 full can should be enough for both 1st and 3rd base foul lines.
    2. Ensure the tip of the spread can is set to paint a wide line.
    3. Consistent slow speed. Try not to stop until finished.
    4. Focus on a spot on the lining machine and just stay steady
    5. IF YOU MESS UP, just rub the painted dirt with your shoe and start over
    6. Make sure you connect the foul line to the batter’s box you just painted
    7. Make sure to paint on the fair side of the baseline.  The line should cross over the outer edge of 1st base and 3rd base.

Goal 2: Paint the other foul line

If the watering is done on the other base line, repeat the same work. Continue watering the rest of the infield.

Goal 3: Install the bases

Goal 4: Scoreboard setup

If the paint and the bases are finished, you are done with the field. Remove all the equipment from the field.

The scoreboard set up requires:

  • scoreboard machine
  • table
  • chair

The scoreboard machine is inside the umpire room. Your manager has access to the lockbox where we keep the umpire room key.

  • The scoreboard machines on a shelf on the right side
  • Majors: the scoreboard machine on the right
  • Minors: the scoreboard machine on the left
  1. Set up the table and chair
  2. Place the scoreboard machine onto the table you’ve set up
  3. Connect the power and connect the coaxial cable to the field
  4. As it powers up and beeps, start it up by pressing one of the right most buttons where it has an arrow pointing to it saying “Start” 

Example Videos

These videos were made by other leagues, but a lot of same equipment and methodology is used by CLL

  • Raking the batter’s box
  • Painting the batter’s box
  • Watering the batter’s box and base lines
  • Setting the line for painting foul lines (we hammer a spike at the base of home plate, we don’t have a hook on the fence)
  • Painting the foul lines