Post by FriendsofAN44 on Jun 25, 2006 7:24:11 GMT -5
Olean Times Herald
06/24/2006
ST. BONAVENTURE — McGraw-Jennings Field, home to St. Bonaventure baseball since 1958, is getting a facelift.
Thanks to a $900,000 gift from 1980 alumnus Thomas Marra, the university’s baseball facility is in the midst of undergoing a makeover that will bring new dugouts, fencing, netting and, most of all, a new synthetic surface.
The old natural grass has already been stripped out and the groundwork is being put in place for an artificial surface that will cover the entire field. The only natural dirt areas that will remain will be at home plate and the pitcher’s mound. The warning track will be crushed red stone, while the infield area will be a more natural-looking tan surface.
“This project shows a tremendous commitment to the program,” Bona Associate Athletic Director of Internal Operations Steve Campbell said. “I’d have to say this puts St. Bonaventure baseball, as far a the field is concerned, as one of the better complexes in the Atlantic 10.”
The renovation doesn’t include lighting, bleachers or new press box, but will result in better sight lines with the change to sunken dugouts.
“Seating will remain along the banks,” Campbell said. “As long as you have a captive hillside like we do, with the sunken dugouts there’ll be a big improvement in sight lines.
“As far as the press box goes, we did a upgrade of that just a year ago ... and the lighting is just something that wasn’t going to happen at this time.”
Still, Campbell noted it’s unlikely any of the project would have been done without Marra’s gift.
“Without a significant contribution, I’m certain this would not have been done in the immediate future,” he said.
The target date for completion is Aug. 11 with a dedication on Sept. 9. The ceremonies will include an alumni game between even- and odd-year players and the official naming of the baseball facility to “Fred Handler Park at McGraw-Jennings Field.”
Handler coached the Bonnies for 21 seasons, from 1959-81, and oversaw the program’s elevation from a club sport to varsity status. He’ll be there to throw out the first pitch.
“It’s only fitting that this field be named after Coach Handler,” said Marra, who played under Handler and is a member of the University’s Board of Trustees. “He has been a great friend and mentor to so many of us. Next to (current) coach Larry Sudbrook, he has probably spent more time on this field than anyone.”
While a year ago there weren’t any fields in the Atlantic 10 with an artificial surface, Bona’s will be one of three in the conference next season. LaSalle is also undergoing a similar project this summer, while Fordham put one in this past year.
The Bonnies got to see what it will be like playing on the new rubberized-backing surface when they were at Fordham for the conference tournament.
“The balls play true, you’re not going to see those big hops like you have at the (Minneapolis) Metrodome,” said Sudbrook. “At the tournament it played great ... It’s going to make an average infielder a great infielder.”
Sudbrook said that the surface will actually reduce the ball’s speed.
“It’s not like the old carpets where balls will run and skip,” he explained. “Because of the texture and height, it will slow down balls. That’s one of the reasons it was hard to score runs in the A-10 tournament.
“So, as far as the game goes, it’s going to be better for pitchers and defense.”
The work is being done by Fields Inc., a company out of Georgia that recently completed a practice field for the Green Bay Packers. It was put in contact with Bona through Steve Peeler, a consultant for the job for SBU and the head groundskeeper at PNC Park for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
And the renovation couldn’t have come at a better time.
“This has got to be a tremendous boost for Larry’s recruiting efforts,” Campbell said. “And, he has a large senior class to be — so the timing of this is ideal.”
Sudbrook, who guided the Bonnies to a 28-21 record and the A-10 championship game this past season, agreed.
“We’ve have winning seasons seven of the last eight years, and we’ve been in the tournament four of the last seven.” Sudbrook said. “All that helps, but when you put a 17- to 18-year-old kid out on a field like that, those are the things that sell these young men.
“I’m looking forward to summer recruiting and bringing players in here.”
The benefits for Sudbrook also include the obvious — a near maintenance-free surface that’s going to be playable much more often in the frequently unpredictable Western New York climate.
“If we were playing in June, July and August, I wouldn’t care for it, but playing in March, April and May it’s what we need,” Sudbrook said.
“The drainage is incredible. We’ll be able to get on the field much more often. There were times this January and February it was 45 degrees out and sunny, but there was no way we could even consider getting on the old field. Now, we’ll be able to get out on days like that.”
The project also includes six-foot fencing — an increase of two feet — and extended dugouts, from 30 feet to 50 feet.
“It was awful crowded in those old dugouts,” Sudbrook said. “Fifty feet is a lot longer ... but if you make a mistake, you’re still not going to be able to hide from me.”
(Tom Roof is a sports writer for The Times Herald.)
06/24/2006
ST. BONAVENTURE — McGraw-Jennings Field, home to St. Bonaventure baseball since 1958, is getting a facelift.
Thanks to a $900,000 gift from 1980 alumnus Thomas Marra, the university’s baseball facility is in the midst of undergoing a makeover that will bring new dugouts, fencing, netting and, most of all, a new synthetic surface.
The old natural grass has already been stripped out and the groundwork is being put in place for an artificial surface that will cover the entire field. The only natural dirt areas that will remain will be at home plate and the pitcher’s mound. The warning track will be crushed red stone, while the infield area will be a more natural-looking tan surface.
“This project shows a tremendous commitment to the program,” Bona Associate Athletic Director of Internal Operations Steve Campbell said. “I’d have to say this puts St. Bonaventure baseball, as far a the field is concerned, as one of the better complexes in the Atlantic 10.”
The renovation doesn’t include lighting, bleachers or new press box, but will result in better sight lines with the change to sunken dugouts.
“Seating will remain along the banks,” Campbell said. “As long as you have a captive hillside like we do, with the sunken dugouts there’ll be a big improvement in sight lines.
“As far as the press box goes, we did a upgrade of that just a year ago ... and the lighting is just something that wasn’t going to happen at this time.”
Still, Campbell noted it’s unlikely any of the project would have been done without Marra’s gift.
“Without a significant contribution, I’m certain this would not have been done in the immediate future,” he said.
The target date for completion is Aug. 11 with a dedication on Sept. 9. The ceremonies will include an alumni game between even- and odd-year players and the official naming of the baseball facility to “Fred Handler Park at McGraw-Jennings Field.”
Handler coached the Bonnies for 21 seasons, from 1959-81, and oversaw the program’s elevation from a club sport to varsity status. He’ll be there to throw out the first pitch.
“It’s only fitting that this field be named after Coach Handler,” said Marra, who played under Handler and is a member of the University’s Board of Trustees. “He has been a great friend and mentor to so many of us. Next to (current) coach Larry Sudbrook, he has probably spent more time on this field than anyone.”
While a year ago there weren’t any fields in the Atlantic 10 with an artificial surface, Bona’s will be one of three in the conference next season. LaSalle is also undergoing a similar project this summer, while Fordham put one in this past year.
The Bonnies got to see what it will be like playing on the new rubberized-backing surface when they were at Fordham for the conference tournament.
“The balls play true, you’re not going to see those big hops like you have at the (Minneapolis) Metrodome,” said Sudbrook. “At the tournament it played great ... It’s going to make an average infielder a great infielder.”
Sudbrook said that the surface will actually reduce the ball’s speed.
“It’s not like the old carpets where balls will run and skip,” he explained. “Because of the texture and height, it will slow down balls. That’s one of the reasons it was hard to score runs in the A-10 tournament.
“So, as far as the game goes, it’s going to be better for pitchers and defense.”
The work is being done by Fields Inc., a company out of Georgia that recently completed a practice field for the Green Bay Packers. It was put in contact with Bona through Steve Peeler, a consultant for the job for SBU and the head groundskeeper at PNC Park for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
And the renovation couldn’t have come at a better time.
“This has got to be a tremendous boost for Larry’s recruiting efforts,” Campbell said. “And, he has a large senior class to be — so the timing of this is ideal.”
Sudbrook, who guided the Bonnies to a 28-21 record and the A-10 championship game this past season, agreed.
“We’ve have winning seasons seven of the last eight years, and we’ve been in the tournament four of the last seven.” Sudbrook said. “All that helps, but when you put a 17- to 18-year-old kid out on a field like that, those are the things that sell these young men.
“I’m looking forward to summer recruiting and bringing players in here.”
The benefits for Sudbrook also include the obvious — a near maintenance-free surface that’s going to be playable much more often in the frequently unpredictable Western New York climate.
“If we were playing in June, July and August, I wouldn’t care for it, but playing in March, April and May it’s what we need,” Sudbrook said.
“The drainage is incredible. We’ll be able to get on the field much more often. There were times this January and February it was 45 degrees out and sunny, but there was no way we could even consider getting on the old field. Now, we’ll be able to get out on days like that.”
The project also includes six-foot fencing — an increase of two feet — and extended dugouts, from 30 feet to 50 feet.
“It was awful crowded in those old dugouts,” Sudbrook said. “Fifty feet is a lot longer ... but if you make a mistake, you’re still not going to be able to hide from me.”
(Tom Roof is a sports writer for The Times Herald.)
