CITY » ntiago escaped all three jams without allowing a run.TRAINE

Nicole McFadyen knew she wanted to work outside, far from a desk and the fluorescent lights of an office. So, she studied agriculture at Delaware Technical College and the University of Delaware. I was fascinated by the science of plants and how to care for them, she says. She had no idea it would lead her to a career in baseball.While taking a class in irrigation, she and her classmates visited Camden Yards in Baltimore and spoke with the head groundskeeper. At about the same time, she was working part-time at a golf course, mowing greens, fairways and tee boxes while learning to care for turf. Once she saw a Phillies-Braves game on TV and noticed the grass in Atlanta was cut the same way she was cutting fairways, she dug out the business card the Orioles head groundskeeper had given her, called and asked if he had any internships.He asked me a few questions about where I went to school and whatnot, and then he said, Can you make it here within two weeks? We have a spot actually opening up. That was in 2001. From there she became an assistant groundskeeper for the Orioles. In 2004, she moved to Trenton, New Jersey, to become head groundskeeper of the Trenton Thunder, the New York Yankees Double-A affiliate. In November 2006, the Orioles brought her back as head groundskeeper.Today, McFadyen, 38, a member of the Sports Turf Managers Association, is one of only two women in the majors to be a head groundskeeper. (Heather Nabozny in Detroit is the other.) She and her crew take care of the playing surface at Camden Yards, a year-round job in which the weeks and days can be long during the season. A baseball fan and former softball player, originally from New Castle, Delaware, lives in Eldersburg, Maryland, about 25 miles from work, with her husband and 3-year-old son.A baseball career?I wanted to work in some sort of agricultural field, and I just kind of fell into this. Oh, you can do this and work in baseball? I love baseball, so the two things kind of lined up. But going into school, it was just about agricultural and horticultural studies, things like that.Down to the minorsAfter some time in Baltimore I went to Trenton and people thought I was crazy. Youre already in the major leagues, why would you leave? But it was something I wanted to prove to myself that I could do this kind of job. I wanted to see if I wanted to stay in sports turf or if I wanted to get back into more of the agricultural side of my degree.Taking a chanceI knew that going to work for somebody like the Trenton Thunder, a Yankees affiliate, they would have high standards. ... That was my thought process. Theyre rebuilding their system, they have all these greats on their team, back in 2004, so if anybody needed to rehab, I wanted to make sure our field in Trenton was good enough for those rehabs to come down, like a Derek Jeter, a Mariano Rivera, you name it. Plus the guys that were there when I was there -- Robinson Cano, Philip Hughes -- those guys were their top prospects. I was like, this needs to be maintained like a major league park for them. I didnt go into it with the notion I would ever come back to Camden Yards, though I thought it would be awesome to. I was just thinking if a position opens with the Yankees or Philadelphia or the Orioles, I would have two great ballparks on my resume. I was 23, 24. I was young and taking a chance.High standardsTrenton was a beautiful ballpark, I think a little bit neglected when I arrived. It was a little less attentive to detail than what I came from. At Camden Yards, were hand-picking sunflower seeds or any little itty-bitty trash on the field. So taking that to Trenton was one of the things I had to work on, to change the mindset.Back to BaltimoreI got this call from the Orioles and the assistant that called me said, Weve been following your career and we want you to come back and interview for the head groundskeeper position. Just that alone meant so much to me, just to be considered by this organization. And when I was offered the position I remember driving home from Baltimore and I had to pull over, and I cried. I was excited, ecstatic, never thought it would happen, but you take that little leap of faith and you can get a lot out of following your dreams.Being head groundskeeperThe main job is to provide a safe and playable surface for the athletes. Its very hard to do. You have grass, which takes up 90 percent of the field, and 10 percent of it is dirt and clay. You have to maintain that totally different than the grass. So working on that, plus Mother Nature, can be difficult at times. Were trying to make the field as perfect, as near perfect, as possible. And the aesthetics of everything, making sure our ballpark is represented the way that ownership would want, how it looks on TV, how it looks to fans.The Camden CrewI have two full-time assistants, year-round, and variable employees here from March 1 to Dec. 1 that consists of a crew of five. Then I have a game-day staff, and thats an 18-person tarp crew.Home-field advantageIts a little bit different than what home-field advantage was like in the past, where people would tilt base paths or raise the mound real high or have half the infield cut at a different length than the other half. We cant really do those things anymore, mandated by Major League Baseball as a whole. But as far as playability of the field, if (shortstop) J.J. Hardy likes his position soaked, then were going to soak it for him. If Ubaldo Jimenez likes the mound dry when he pitches, were not going to wet it.At the end of the day, you want to know you provided your team a really special place. ... I mean, the Orioles have one of the best home records in baseball. So yeah, youre not out there turning those double plays and making amazing catches in the outfield, but I know myself and my crew put a lot of hours on that field to be able to make that happen for the team.Pinching herself dailyBefore a game, Im out there, working on the field, and theres like 48,000 empty seats and youre alone on this two-acre turf, and its pretty incredible. Im very fortunate to have this position, no doubt. I dont even know how to put it into words that yeah, I still get that butterflied feeling in my stomach when I walk out there. Its my favorite part of the job, before the game, before the guys come out and take batting practice. Just prepping the field as perfect as you can. Its never perfect, so youre striving every day.Its all about the grassAll the grass here is 100 percent Kentucky bluegrass. Its ridiculously difficult, with the weather scenarios were faced with on a daily basis. ... We were just off a stint where for a whole month it was upper 90s and bluegrass likes 85 degrees or under. So the field stresses. Youre doing everything you can to cool that plant off by watering or getting some air circulation (with big fans).But you have baseball for eight months, so in March sometimes its a high of 55. So youre going to get different patterns of weather. If youre going to use a Bermuda or warm-season turf, youre really only getting the benefit of that turf from June through August. It would be dormant, or brown, in cool weather. ... It just benefits to manage the bluegrass for three months of heat.During the gameIm very fortunate to have an office that has a view of the field. Im in right field, right next to our giant roll-up door that goes into our shop. Theres a little window so I can watch the game. It was built that way so the groundskeeper could have a good sight on the infield and how thats playing as well as the rain situation. My main job is to watch the game and the playability of the game, but also to watch the radar for weather.Here comes my sonOn days I can bring him to the ballpark, I take advantage of that, because with my hours ... Ive cut back and done more delegating, but Im always here. On my days off, I really take time off and trust that my crew can handle anything. But yeah, when he can come to the ballpark, its a blast. He loves sliding on the warning track and he gets his little bat out with the balls and he runs around and likes to throw and catch. I take him for tractor rides and he likes sitting on the equipment. I cant wait until hes a little bit older.PrivilegedI remember when my dad first took me to the Vet (Philadelphias Veterans Stadium) and I walked through (the tunnel) and I was like, Wow, this is so awesome. The greatest athletes play here. I still feel like that to this day, when I look around as Im cutting the grass or working on the infield clay. Only now its at this beautiful ballpark, Oriole Park at Camden Yards. I am so privileged. Wholesale Puma Australia Free Shipping . The team said Saturday that Lopez was hurt during its 121-120 overtime loss at Philadelphia on Friday. The Nets said they would issue another update next week after consultation with their doctors. Sale Puma Shoes Australia . - Levi Browns tenure at left tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers is over before it even began. http://www.discountpumaaustralia.com/ . -- The Missouri Tigers might not have a roster full of superstars. Puma Shoes Australia Outlet . -- Derrick Rose shook off poor shooting early to hit clutch shots late and Carlos Boozer had 20 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 104-95 preseason victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night. Discount Puma Shoes Australia . -- Most satisfying to Russ Smith about No. DETROIT -- The Minnesota Twins are finally seeing the Hector Santiago they expected when they acquired him from the Los Angeles Angels at the trade deadline.Santiago held the Detroit Tigers to one run in 5 2/3 innings on Thursday as the Twins earned a split of the four-game series with a 5-1 win.Hector had to dance out of trouble a few times, but he did a nice job, Twins manager Paul Molitor said. If he pitches like this, his spot with us next year will take care of itself.Santiago lost his first four starts with the Twins, posting a 10.89 ERA, but hes 2-0 in the last four with a 1.82 ERA.I made some adjustments when I got here, but I ended up leaving a bunch of pitches over the plate, he said. Now Im back to trying to throw good pitches, not just getting strike one.Santiago only got one groundball out and three strikeouts.I had really good command of the fastball, so I was able to keep jamming guys up and in, he said. They kept popping it up, so I kept throwing it.The Tigers can little afford losses in the crowded AL wild-card race. Detroit came into the series with a 10-2 record against Minnesota.This is obviously not what we wanted, Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. Any time you lose four out of seven, it isnt a good homestand.Mike Pelfrey (4-10) lost in his first major-league appearance since July 31. He started the game with a 60-pitch limit, but only lasted 36, giving up four runs on five hits in 1 2/3 innings.The Twins took the lead in the second on Max Keplers RBI single, and he moved to third when Miguel Cabrera missed a pick-off attempt. Eduardo Escobar singled to make it 2-0, and Eddie Rosario beat out a bunt single.Juan Centeno bunted the runners over, and Pelfrey retired Byron Buxton. That brought up Brian Dozier with two on, two out and first base open. Despite his torrid numbers in the second half, Ausmus decided to pitch to him.With the bases loadedd, you dont have any room to maneuver, he said.dddddddddddd If he grounds out to third, no one is asking me about it.Instead, Dozier lined a soft single to left to give the Twins a 4-0 lead and bring Blaine Hardy out of the bullpen.Our guys were going to attack Mikes fastball, Molitor said of Pelfrey, who spent the last three seasons with the Twins. That helped us get those two early runs, and then Dozier came up with that huge hit to get the lead from two to four.The Tigers had two runners on in the third, fourth and fifth innings, but Santiago escaped all three jams without allowing a run.TRAINERS ROOMTwins: 3B Miguel Sano flew back to Minnesota to have more tests run on his sore back. Sano left Mondays game, and said that the problem hasnt improved. He will miss the weekend series against the Mets, but could return next week when the Twins return home.OLYMPIC WEEK CONCLUDESFor the fourth day in a row, the Tigers had a Rio Olympic medalist throw out the ceremonial first pitch. On Thursday, it was swimmer Connor Jaeger, who won silver in the 1,500-meter freestyle. Jaeger swam for Michigan.PITCHING WOESWith the Tigers fighting for a playoff spot, they have been badly let down by their starting pitching. In the last three games of the Twins series, Pelfrey, Anibal Sanchez and Matt Boyd combined to allow 17 runs in 9 1/3 innings.UP NEXTTwins: Travel to New York for a three-game weekend series against the Mets. Friday night, Minnesotas Jose Berrios (2-6. 9.27) faces New Yorks Bartolo Colon (13-7, 3.27).Tigers: Head to Cleveland for a three-game series and their last chance to get back into the AL Central race. Rookie of the Year favorite Michael Fulmer (10-6, 2.76) goes up against Cy Young candidate Corey Kluber (16-9, 3.05) in the opener. ' ' '