UpDate - Vol. 12, No. 29, Page 8
April 29, 1993
Maintaining a field of dreams

     The Blue Hen baseball team is well into its season, but before the
players began shagging fly-balls, another University team was out working
on the field.
     Backing up the baseball team is the crew responsible for the Delaware
Diamond: service specialist Joe Napolski, his assistant Brian Taylor, and
groundsmen David Holmes and Jere Wyres. This team worked hard to get the
field playable for the spring season, even logging a few 50-hour work
weeks. And, they are confident that there are more long days and nights
down the baseline.
     Napolski supervises his team's work, which involves edging base lines,
locating underground base posts, aerating the grass with special equipment,
breaking up the dirt and smoothing out rough spots of the "skin," which is
the dirt playing surface of the infield. Water was also hooked up to the
automatic underground sprinkler system used to keep the grass from burning
during hot summer months.
     Caring for a baseball field means keeping the area safe for the
players and attractive for the spectators. The grounds team also must make
sure the field remains healthy. The crew mows, fertilizes and waters the
field regularly. However, watering the turf lately has not been necessary,
Napolski said, since Delaware has experienced abnormal and excessive rain
ever since the March snow storm. Installation of a new electronic baseball
scoreboard was delayed due to the mud. But the wait was well worth it.
During its premiere use April 20 in a game against Delaware State College,
the Hens scored in every inning of their 26-7 win.
     Occasionally, Napolski and his crew must work at night. If the team
has an early game, the men will smooth the skin and apply "field white,"
the marking substance used to make baselines, the night before. However,
the crew will still return before the game the following morning to make
last-minute preparations. The lines are normally re-painted before every
game to ensure accurate calls on foul balls.
     Napolski has worked as a service specialist for the University for 10
years. In addition to supervising the maintenance of the baseball field, he
and his crew are responsible for the Delaware Field House, the lacrosse
fields, tennis courts, softball fields and the practice and main football
fields. "My job is diversified. You're doing something different all the
time," he said.
                                        -Michael Garrett

Editor's note: The Blue Hens will host the University of Maryland, Eastern
Shore, at 3 p.m., today, on Delaware Diamond. At 7 p.m, the Hens will
travel to Wilmington to play Wilmington College in the new Blue Rocks
stadium.