It's funny how when you love something, no amount of work seems too much.
So it is with baseball and the caretakers of its fields.
From the movie "Field of Dreams" to the writings of Roger Angell, the baseball diamond has been mythologized and mystified, turned into cathedral and shrine. The current wave of retro ballparks, from Camden Yards in Baltimore to Safeco Field in Seattle, reveals the devotion fans and players hold for the field of play.
A very good friend of mine from college who grew up in Massachusetts fervently follows the Red Sox. When he was a kid in Little League, his dad built a field for him on family land. He describes with awe the first time his dad took him to Fenway Park -- the breathtaking moment the green field and clean white lines came into view as he ascended the steps.
I always tell him, "Man, you've got to see Hermon Brothers Field." Especially now.
Pete Christopher, the new general manager of the Mat-Su Miners, has put in untold hours renovating what already was the prettiest ballpark in the state. Now, to go along with the mountainous view, the field is spectacular as well.
Since taking over as GM last fall, Christopher has rebuilt the aging clubhouse, built a new dugout along the first-base line, built a new ticket booth, painted the outfield fence and convinced a man who works on major-league fields to help rebuild the entire infield. And there's more: new fencing, landscaping, more bleachers. Eventually, Christopher hopes to plant a giant "M" of yellow marigolds just inside the park entrance.
"I can't start to explain it. This is a labor of love," Christopher said while taking a break last week to watch a high school game. "I love baseball. My dad used to tell people if they cracked my head open, they'd find a baseball inside."
Still, Christopher said the 12 hours a day he spends at the park is not without its costs.
"I'm missing my kids' Little League games," he said. "They say, 'Dad, don't worry about it, we understand.' Every day I say I'm gonna quit three times. My wife says I'm crazy, that I'm meant to do this."
Christopher would not have been able to do it without volunteer labor, donated materials and "brother-in-law" discounts.
When dirt needed to be moved, a nearby commercial driving school used Hermon Brothers as a place to teach its students how to operate heavy equipment. When the high winds of last month blew over the scoreboard and snapped the metal support poles, someone stepped forward to deliver two drill casings from the North Slope to serve as poles. When eight tons of new infield material needed to be moved and spread, the Colony and Palmer high school baseball teams spent hours slugging the heavy sacks over their shoulders, then helped rebuild the infield.
One day, 60 members of the Airmen Leadership School from Elmendorf Air Force Base volunteered their time to slap paint, spread dirt, hang sponsor signs and pull weeds.
"The field is too important to the Valley to neglect it," said Master Sgt. Tim Boring, who is in charge of the school and who organized the effort. Boring's and Christopher's sons play baseball together.
"It's a big thing in the Valley to go out to the ball game," he said.
Boring is but one of many people Christopher has tapped for muscle, manpower and passion. Charlie Vestal of Blacksburg, Va., works for Profile Products, a maker of infield material and a consulting firm to Major League Baseball groundskeepers. Christopher convinced Vestal to visit Alaska after meeting him at a baseball convention in San Diego last June.
Vestal worked with the Palmer and Colony players to rebuild the pitcher's mound, batter's box and base paths with a porous ceramic material commonly used in major-league parks.
Vestal said Hermon Brothers needed a makeover.
"It was a field that hadn't had a lot of maintenance, a lot of attention to detail of maintenance," said Vestal, who said he's worked with groundskeepers at Wrigley Field, Fenway Park and Jacobs Field to name a few. "What I saw was something that had huge potential and could generate a lot of community excitement."
Other improvements were the removal of an eight-inch lip of grass where the infield and outfield met. Colony coach Jamie Mayo said the lip caused grounders to bounce 10 to 15 feet in the air.
"Right now, this is the best field in the state," said Mayo, who worked alongside Christopher and Vestal to rebuild the infield. "I'll argue with anybody."
There are no arguments to be heard, even from the umpires. Longtime umpire Dave Stull said standing for hours on the hard surface of most infields aggravates an old knee injury. The new infield is slightly cushioned, like cork, Vestal said.
"I actually got a decent night's sleep last night," Stull said as he looked out on the field before a game. "This is the best I've seen it in 12 years."
That's just what Christopher and Vestal want to hear. During the game between Colony and Kodiak, Christopher yelled triumphantly as grounders rolled straight and hoppers hopped true.
"No groundskeeper is going to get rich," Vestal said. "Not in our industry. Everyone does it because it's a passion in their heart. Every groundskeeper has a passion for perfection."
It shows at Hermon Brothers.
This column is the opinion of Daily News Reporter Ron Wilmot. He can be reached at rwilmot@adn.com.
