Sports Turf Managers of the Year
Alley, who tends to Isotopes Park in Albuquerque, N.M., and Phipps, who oversees the playing surface at Hammons Field in Springfield, Mo., were also their respective league's winner in 2007. Fluor Field at the West End, the home of the Greenville Drive, is where Burgess plies his trade. Hinojosa III made Pioneer Park in Greeneville, Tenn., the best field in the Appalachian League.
The STMA provides educational opportunities and support so that sports turf managers can provide the best sports surfaces for all levels of play. Sports turf managers are experts on the field and partners of the game.
Opie Cheek is the Florida State League winner for the fifth straight year. Jake Tyler took home International League honors for the third consecutive season. Eric Blanton (Eastern League) and Chris Ball (Carolina League) are repeat winners from 2007. The league winners:
League | Winner | Club |
IL | Jake Tyler | Toledo |
PCL | Jarad Alley | Albuquerque |
MEX | Martin Vidal Miranda | Mexico City |
EL | Eric Blanton | New Hampshire |
SOU | Matt Taylor | Mississippi |
TEX | Brock Phipps | Springfield |
CAL | Lance Motch, Jr | San Jose |
CAR | Chris Ball | Myrtle Beach |
FSL | Opie Cheek | Clearwater |
MWL | Eddie Warczak | Wisconsin |
SAL | Greg Burgess | Greenville |
NYPL | Dan Stricko | Mahoning Valley |
NWL | Brennan Prestley | Spokane |
APP | Israel Hinojosa III | Greeneville |
PIO | Nephi Peterson | Orem |
GCL | Chris Connell | GCL Yankees |