The Cut | |
| Full name | Salters Field |
|---|---|
| Location | John's Island, South Carolina |
| Capacity | 250 |
| Field size | Left Field - 55 feet (17 m) Left-Center - 0 feet (0 m) Center Field - 89 feet (27 m) Right-Center - 0 feet (0 m) Right Field - 67 feet (20 m) |
| Surface | Bermuda Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | March 5, 2012 |
| Tenants | |
| Waterboys (2012–present) | |
Salters Field is an open-air ballpark located on John's Island, South Carolina. The facility is home to the. It was named in honor of Johnny Salters.
Design and Development
editSalters Field is not just any other park in the two-decade construction boom of retro ballparks. Designers sought to break the mold of the retro ballparks, much like the "cookie-cutter" stadium, built in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Salters Field does not merely reject the nostalgia that is treasured by purist of the game, but rather incorporates some of the games most beloved parks culminated into a modern design. Salters Field tips its cap at the past, yet seeks to inspire a game that will look forward, while honoring the achievements of the past.
Location
editBuilt in the Orange Hill Plantation community of John's Island and the facility lies adjacent to the picturesque Indigo Ravine. Green tree-lined views surround the complex as the grounds are bisected by natural waterways.
Problems with Grass
edit
Since the inception of the project there have been several issues with the fields playing surface. The surface began as a Bermuda/St. Augustine blend that was infested with weeds. Groundskeepers began an extensive weed removal process, but the chemicals provided by a maintenance employee, who has since be banned from all field operations, turned out to not only kill the weeds, but also all the grass. This proved to be a monumental set back in the projects infancy and become know as "The Great Murder". The groundskeepers diligently repaired all the affected areas by reseeding with Bermuda grass.
After a through analysis of the field's playing surface the Director of Field Operations developed a plan to allow the Bermuda to overrun the St. Augustine grass with the objective to have an all Bermuda hybrid playing surface.
Playing Surface
editThe playing surface is a Bermuda grass. The field features a modified "sliding-pit" configuration with dirt cut outs only around first and third base areas along with the home plate area. The second base area will see the baserunners sliding on grass. This design is primarily utilized to keep the dust down from the breezy conditions.
Baseball Features
editFire Station in Left
editThe most unique features of Salters Field is the St. John's Fire District Station 5. Station 5 is a fully operational fire station that has been in service since 1991. Similar to the Western Metal Supply Co. Building located at Petco Park. Salters Field incorporated the building into the design of the park. The southeast corner of the building serves as the left field foul pole. Additionally, the station composes the left field wall. The twenty foot metal wall stands 55 feet (17 m) from home plate; this short distance often benefits right-handed hitters, yet at the same time promotes a challenge due to its height. The wall is named in honor of Robert Williams.
The Bermuda Triangle
edit"The Bermuda Triangle" is a region of center field where the walls form a triangle whose far corner is 0 feet (0 m) from home plate. That deep right-center point is conventionally given as the center field distance. The true center is unmarked, 390 feet (120 m) from home plate, to the left of "The Bermuda Triangle" when viewed from home plate.
The Scoreboard
editThe field features a manual scoreboard located in right field. It forms a portion of the right field fence and is updated by hand from behind the wall throughout the game. The scoreboard has a nostalgic feel and was designed to be reminiscent of ballparks of eras past and to allow for the incorporation of asymmetrical dimensions.
The field is a notoriously hitter-friendly park, due to the high temperatures, relatively short fences, and the design of the field which has allowed the area's winds to swirl and lift balls that wouldn't normally make it out. In truth, the park would give up even more home runs if not for the twenty foot tall fence that spans left field.