Yesterday I had the chance to visit some of the greenest grass in Minnesota. Not just any grass either. This little patch of green oasis will soon become a favorite of the Twins baseball organization and Twins fans.
I had the privilege to be one of the first media reporters allowed down onto the turf at the brand spanking new Target Field. It took weeks of planning, back and forth phone calls to Twins public relations people to be granted access onto the new field and turf. To say the Twins organization is sensitive to letting people onto their turf is an understatement. The folks at Target Field are ultra sensitive!

I was told well ahead of time no walking on the grass. I was some what perplexed, the sod has been laid and settled for a Month now. The fresh sod arriving from Colorado and installed in less than 24hours has been mowed and trimmed several times over the last month. Are you sure I can't walk on it or touch it! Pretty Please.......
Not until I had the chance to chat with Head grounds keeper Larry Di Vito did I realize the awesome responsibility this single man has to ensure the turf is ready for play April 12th 2010. As any homeowner with their own patch of grass will testify, Minnesota can sometimes be a challenge to growing a lush green lawn. An even bigger challenge for Larry who has to have his grass at Target field out of dormancy, fertilized, lush green and ready to play on when your home lawn will still be brownish next spring ! The turf is now heavily guarded and rightly so.

How will he do it? A lot of help from technology from the sub terrain structure below (the field is heated), complex zoning for irrigation & drainage, winter covering and Larry's tender loving care. Larry Di Vito is no new comer to stadium turf management; he brings 15 years of raw experience and talent to Minnesota baseball. His manner is calm and comforting his knowledge of turf..... amazing! Larry's biggest concerns are not how green the grass is, he worries more what the players think, is it too firm or soft?Can they run without sinking? Players and shade is what concerns Larry most.

As for me, there I am. Thursday morning with a 'live' television crew from the local Fox affiliate interviewing Larry. As the interview was coming to end I reached down plucked a few blades of Larry's beloved 'No Mow' Kentucky blue grass field. I bring the blades to my nose, like sniffing a fine wine before tasting and then tasting the blades themselves. Like the smell of fresh mowed grass on a summers day, these blades tasted oh so sweet.( yes I ate the grass) This my friends...... not only tastes like grass, it also tastes like a home run for Minnesota baseball. Go Twins! Go Larry!