Field Maintenance Procedures:

Download to your phone and share with a friend: Claremont Little League Field Maintenance Guide (updated 4/12/19)

Practice

Field maintenance is required after every practice. Leave the field how you would like to receive it. Please make sure to use the hitting mats.  Last practice of the day, lightly wet the clay boxes and clay mounds and cover with the tarps.

Games

Home Teams are responsible for maintenance. The exiting Home Team is responsible for clay mound and clay box repair, brooming, dragging and raking. The entering Home team is responsible for painting the lines and is encouraged to help with any of the exiting Home Team duties. The Visiting Team may always help. More hands gets the job done faster.

Soggy field practice, rule of thumb

If the infield dirt or clay sticks to the bottom of the cleats, do not practice in the infield or use the batters boxes.  Please modify your practice and use the outfield and cages.  This will eliminate damage to the infield and prevent transporting mud, dirt and clay to the turf areas.  The clay batters boxes and mounds should not be used if they are too wet.  Please make sure to use the hitting mats.

If you see standing water in the outfield, don't practice in the outfield either.  Batting cages should be okay as long as it's not actively raining.

If you see lightning or hear thunder, you must stop all outdoor activities until you haven’t heard thunder or seen lightning for 30 minutes.  Note that there is no structure at College or Griffith Parks that will provide safe shelter from lightning.  See Appendix A (Lightning Safety Guidelines) in the Little League Baseball rule book for more information.

Soggy Field Prep

If games are not canceled after a rainstorm, representatives from the first teams to use the field (home and visitor) should show up at least an hour and a half before their game.  For best results rake, sunshine and time.  If it’s not to muddy, you can drag.  Import dry dirt if necessary or minimal Quickdry to the heavily soaked areas and rake.  Field 1 dugouts will have to be pumped or scooped with the pans or buckets. Put the water back on the grass, not on the infield.  The large plastic tarps should only be used to keep rain off the field the day before play.  Do not leave them on the grass after it rains.  The sun and plastic will kill the grass.

Who locks up?

The home team of the last game of the day.  Field boxes, gates, bullpens, lights, porta potty's or anything else.  If you're not sure if you're the last game, go ahead and lock up.