Fifth Third Field getting a makeover

Replacement of original playing surface begins.

High school sports results for May 26
5/26/12
Reds' six-game winning streak broken
5/26/12
Annual Warrior Soccer Classic kicks off today
5/26/12
Dragons' rally falls short against Lansing
5/26/12
WSU baseball ousted from tournament
5/26/12
> More sports headlines

By Sean McClelland, Staff Writer Updated 12:08 PM Wednesday, October 12, 2011

As the Dayton Dragons excelled in the Midwest League this season and broke records at the box office, their home field fought a losing battle with light green patches that made it look sickly.

That’s partly why bulldozers have taken up residence at Fifth Third Field and why approximately 100,000 square feet of Kentucky Bluegrass is on its way from Tuckahoe Turf Farms in New Jersey, along with 3,500 tons of sand, plus six tons of clay-based material to rebuild the pitcher’s mound.

After 12 seasons, the Dragons figure they are overdue for a new playing surface.

“When you look at pro sports fields, the general realm is they have an 8-to-10-year life span at most,” Dragons General Manager Gary Mayse said. “I think this was a project we knew would be in our future.”

This “major undertaking,” as Mayse called it, is expected to take about six weeks, with sod installation beginning in early November. The work is being done by Nolan Thomas & Company of Stovall, N.C.

“The playing conditions will improve, and the field will also have improved drainage capacity,” Mayse said. “We’re basically gutting the field to its sub base.”

Fifth Third Field head groundskeeper Dan Jennings blamed this season’s lighter patches on creeping poa annua, which he described as “a type of annual bluegrass with shallow roots that grows very vigorously.”

Said Mayse, “We had signs of it growing for the last several years,” adding that the field’s sand base also has eroded, leading to a decline in drainage capacity.

As a result of construction delays, the original field wasn’t rolled out until March 2000 and not finished until early April, just before the team’s home debut. The Dragons have time on their side this time.

“In the spring, you’re putting yourself up against the wall,” Mayse said. “We need to get the job done now.”

Share this article