BrightView, No. 1 on the 2024 LM150 list, recently played a critical role by ensuring the field conditions meet current MLB standards for the June 20 game between the San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals at historic Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Ala.
BrightView renovated the entire playing surface at Rickwood Field, the oldest ballpark in the country, which dates back to 1910.
Under the direction of Murray Cook, president of BrightView’s sports turf division, the overhaul of Rickwood’s field included removing the existing field, bringing in all new clay for the infield and warning tracks, replacing the infield and outfield grass with a new Bermudagrass and adding a new padded outfield wall, bullpens, foul poles and netting along the foul lines. New dugouts were also installed and temporary field lighting added.
“In all my years of working these events, I’ve had the privilege of building and reconstructing some unique and amazing ballfields all around the world, but the history surrounding Rickwood Field makes this project extra special,” Cook said.
Special consideration had to be taken to keep Rickwood’s history and legacy intact, including the outfield fence that holds vintage advertising signs and the iconic scoreboard replicating the one from 1948.
“We had to be mindful of the existing, historical features of this field and stadium,” Cook said. “The outfield walls, for example, had to be padded for player protection, but our partners Populous and BaAm Productions were still able to keep the old signs intact through some unique branding methods. We did have to make some adjustments to the positioning of the field, which involved moving home plate back 10 feet and shifting the angle counterclockwise.”
