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A well groomed field should not be taken for granted. Hours of work goes into keeping playing fields looking their best. Whether you're playing on turf or the real thing you should take advantage of the protection field covers can offer. Since most people don't have experience purchasing field covers I decided to write this article to get you started.
First and foremost you're going to need to find covers to fit the field. In this article we're talking about baseball field covers as they are a bit more specialized. That being said you can find covers for all fields, sidelines only and even covers designed to cross over tracks to protect their surfaces from pedestrians during other events.
Baseball field covers come in all sorts of types and sizes. You can buy an individual cover for the pitching mound or just a set of 3 small covers for the bases. These are very common as they will protect them from rain which can quickly wash away all the hard work put into their grooming. You can also play it really safe with a full infield cover.
Most likely for budget purposes most people buy base covers sets and mound covers. This not only saves a ton of bread but also a ton of weight. Full size infield covers while only made of material as thick as your standard tarp are very heavy when rolled up. In addition when purchasing a full field cover you will also need to purchase rolling/storage tubes. These rigid tubes give you something to roll the covers up on but represent an additional cost that can get into the thousands of dollars.
Base covers are much more manageable while still protecting the field. Home plate covers are square and usually cover a 26 foot square area, the pitching mound cover is a 20 foot circle shape and the individual base covers are 10 feet square. No roller is really needed just a partner to help you fold them up like tarps.
Depending on weather conditions in your area you're also going to need to either weigh down or stake in the covers to keep the wind from blowing them away. That being said I should let you know that you can purchase field covers with weighs sewn into the edge hems. These weights keep the covers in place as well as making them easier for 1 person to deploy as they stay in place while you straighten them out over the area being covered.
Well the benefits of field covers are many. Whether protecting from cold rainy weather or the scorching rays of the sun perhaps a field cover is just what you need to keep your fields looking their best. You will find a complete selection of field covers and accessories at www.morleyathletic.com .
