PCL1 Reno Aces

Blanton Named Aces Ballpark Head Groundkeeper

Published on February 19, 2009 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Reno Aces News Release


RENO, Nev. - Two-time Eastern League Turf Manager of the Year Eric Blanton has been named head groundskeeper for the Reno Aces, the club announced today.

Blanton, honored by Minor League Baseball in 2007 as the Double-A Turf Manager of the Year, spent the previous four seasons as the head turf manager for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. Under Blanton's supervision, New Hampshire's MerchantsAuto.com Stadium has been recognized as one of the premier playing surfaces in all of Minor League Baseball.

"I'm honored and excited to be a part of the Reno Aces, and I look forward to the opening of the ballpark," Blanton said. "I am looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead and am optimistic about the future of this franchise and what we will bring to the city and the community."

With the Fisher Cats, Blanton was integral in the opening of the Manchester, NH stadium in 2005. He will face a similar task in Reno, as the Aces' $50 million downtown ballpark is set to open this April.

Blanton, who studied turfgrass management at Walla Walla Community College, began his baseball career with the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers of the Pacific Coast League in 2001.

He then joined the grounds crew with the Los Angeles Dodgers, helping prepare famed Dodger Stadium from 2002-2005. He received his first appointment as head groundskeeper in 2005 with the Fisher Cats, and now will lead his first Triple-A crew in 2009.

"The preparation of the playing field is an extremely important facet to any ballpark," said SK Baseball Managing Partner Stuart Katzoff. "We want fans to enjoy the aesthetics of the natural grass, and we likewise want to give the Arizona Diamondbacks a Major League quality surface for their top prospects. Eric was the perfect choice for us, and his accolades speak for themselves."

The Aces Ballpark playing surface will be comprised of a mix of Perennial Ryegrass and Kentucky Bluegrass. The sod is currently being grown in Stockton, Calif., and will be brought to Reno in March.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from February 19, 2009


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