How to Rake a Baseball Field

Getting a baseball field ready for play should be done prior to games at any level and probably before most practices. This is particularly true for infields where proper raking eliminates the "bad hops" that create errors and cheap hits.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Infield rake
• Infield drag
• Small tractor

1. Buy an infield drag, a piece of equipment that looks like a heavy chain link fence. It has a piece of wood or steel at one end, and a rope or chain that you attach to a tractor.

2. Use the infield drag to smooth the infield. The drag breaks up any large clumps of dirt or clay. Drag at a slow speed. Vary your pattern each time you go over the infield so that you do not create a fixed pattern.

3. Obtain ground rakes that are heavy enough to break up clumps but not so heavy that they cannot be easily manipulated. Rake out any infield areas that are still uneven. Use the back of the rake to pound and break up and large clumps and clods.

4. Closely rake the areas around the bases and remove by hand any rocks that may have broken through the infield.

5. Hand rake base paths if you have a regulation infield with cut outs of grass. Hand rake the area around home plate and the pitcher's mound. Replace any areas that have been worn down with top soil or sand.

6. Lightly hand sprinkle the ground with water to hold down dust.

Resources

• Field maintenance descriptions
• Examples of infield drags
• Examples of infield rakes