Haymarket Park has won yet another American Association ‘Playing Surface of the Year’ award, the club and league announced on Tuesday. The Saltdogs have now won the award in every year of existence stretching back to 2001, including five times in the Northern League (2001-2005) and now every year since the American Association’s inception in 2006.
The award isn’t possible without the work of Athletic Turf Manager Jeremy Johnson, his assistant Jen Roeber, the grounds crew at Haymarket Park and the turf management interns who work over the summer. Johnson is a graduate of the University of Nebraska, where he earned a degree in Turfgrass Management, and has been working in sports surface management since 2011. He also has past experience in Major League Baseball with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2012. Roeber is in her 19th year on the staff at Haymarket Park – every season the stadium and playing surface have won the award.
Haymarket Park opened in 2001 and serves as the home of both the Lincoln Saltdogs and Nebraska baseball team. The crew works year-round to ensure the field’s playability during the spring, summer and fall.
This honor is the first the ‘Dogs have been awarded as part of the American Association’s 2019 end-of-season awards, which are voted on by league executives, media members and managers.