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EXHIBIT A <br />BEST PRACTICES GUIDE <br />Baseball and Softball Field Maintenance <br />A. Determining Field Playability <br />Wet fields are the number one cause of damage to ball fields and the top reason for player injury. And <br />often, techniques used to make a wet field "playable" cause additional damage. Making the tough call <br />to postpone a game due to wet conditions is the best decision for player safety and to preserve season - <br />long playability of the ball fields. Water Removal Techniques for Skinned Infields: The most <br />important mistake to avoid is the removal or movement of infield mix. A level field will drain better <br />and have fewer puddles. Low spots or depressions catch and hold water EVERY TIME! 1. Use the <br />pump to move the water into a bucket. 2. Empty the bucket outside of the playing field into a drain. 3. <br />Replace the field mix into the hole and level with a rake. DO NOT Use These Methods on Wet <br />Fields! e DO NOT use brooms to disperse puddles. * DO NOT sweep a puddle into the grass. 's DO <br />NOT remove muddy infield mix from the field. All of these unfortunate techniques move infield <br />material and leave a depression or low spot that will hold water every time it rains. Empty the bucket <br />of water off the field of play into a drain. After the standing water has been removed, use a rake or <br />nail drag to loosen the infield mix so it will dry more quickly. Allow time to air dry. <br />B . Addition of Field Drying Agents <br />Calcined and vitrified clay marketed under the brand names Turface, Pro's Choice, Diamond Pro, <br />Rapid Dry, and Profile are the most common products used to assist with wet infield conditions. Steps <br />for Applying a Drying Agent 1. First remove as much water as possible using the pump or pillow <br />method. 2. Use a spreader, shovel, or hand to evenly apply a thin layer of the drying agent. 3. The <br />material may be lightly incorporated using a rake or left on top of the infield mix. Never use more <br />than 3 bags of drying agent to make a field playable! <br />D. Infield Grooming Techniques <br />1. Remove the bases and plug the base anchor sleeve before beginning any operations. 2. Vary the <br />dragging pattern every time the field is groomed. 3. Scarify the field with a nail drag or needle tines. <br />4. Finish groom the field with a drag mat or broom. Go slowly! 5. When finished dragging, stop 5 to <br />6 feet before the edge of the skin and lift the drag. Shake any excess field mix off before exiting the <br />field. 6. Exit the field in a different location each time to prevent build-up of infield mix in one <br />location. 7. Hand rake out the pile left from the field drag. 8. Hand rake: base paths end -to -end, home <br />plate, and the back radius of the infield. • DO NOT pull the nail drag or mat into the grass for any <br />reason. • DO NOT take a nail drag or mat within 24" of the grass edge. Only hand rake edges to <br />prevent lips from forming. <br />E. Skinned Infield Leveling <br />Baseball and Softball fields are designed with a specific slope to drain water from their surface. <br />Keeping the infield slope correct will prevent puddling and therefore field closures. Players sliding, <br />mechanical field groomers, and other factors contribute to un-level skinned infields. A diligent <br />approach to correcting high or low spots is the most important task of a field manager. For small <br />areas, use a leveling rake. 1. Pull the material from a high spot and deposit it in a low area. 2. If the <br />