Davenport’s Modern Woodmen Park isn’t the only ballpark to be impacted by Mississippi River flooding: Clemens Field, home of the Hannibal Cavemen (summer collegiate; Prospect League), is currently underwater.
Downtown Hannibal has been protected by levees, but the protection doesn’t extend to the historic WPA ballpark. Still, despite the ballpark being underwater now, Cavemen Director of Baseball Operations Jay Hemond says things will be fine for the beginning of the Prospect League season in late May:
Hemond said Clemens Field features a sand-based diamond that was installed in 2008 after some consultation with Chicago White Sox head groundskeeper Roger Bossard, who has a lot of experience with sand-based fields.
“There are pipes underneath to drain water out, but the grass actually sits on a layer of sand, so instead of going down and being stuck in soil or clay, the water continues through the sand into the drainage pipes and flows out behind the first-base concourse,” Hemond said.
The sand-based design and underground drainage pipes allow the field to dry quickly even after being heavily saturated.
Image by Phil Thomas via flickr.com.
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