Scott Strickland (Triple-A), Shaun Meredith (Double-A), Chris Ball (Class A) and Tommy Tamaska (Short-Season/Rookie) are this year’s classification winners in the annual Sports Turf Manager of the Year Awards, sponsored by the Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA). Ball was also the Class A winner in 2007. He has won or shared the title of best sports turf manager in the Carolina League for the past four years for his work at the home of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, BB&T Coastal Field.
Strickland has been in charge of Durham Bulls Athletic Park for the last six seasons. He has been with the Triple-A club since 2004.
Meredith displayed his talents at Merchantsauto.com Stadium, home of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, to win the Double-A honor. He joined the Fisher Cats for last year, after working for State College in the New York-Penn League from 2006-08.
Tamaska works at the Carpenter Complex in Clearwater, Fla., home of the Gulf Coast League Phillies and where Philadelphia’s spring training operations are based.
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.
The four classification winners, who were selected from among 16 league winners, will receive their award at the Baseball Winter Meetings™ Awards Luncheon at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort near Orlando on December 6.
The league winners:
LEAGUE WINNER CLUB
International League Scott Strickland Durham Bulls
Pacific Coast League Chris Schlosser Iowa Cubs
Mexican League Ismael Cristobal Hernández Sultanes de Monterrey
Eastern League Shaun Meredith New Hampshire Fisher Cats
Southern League Ed Attalla Jacksonville Suns
Texas League David Bicknell Frisco RoughRiders
California League Justin Clarke Stockton Ports
Carolina League Chris Ball Myrtle Beach Pelicans
Florida State League Opie Cheek Clearwater Threshers
Midwest League Mitch McClary Fort Wayne TinCaps
South Atlantic League Greg Burgess Greenville Drive
New York-Penn League Matt Neri State College Spikes
Northwest League Adam Farrell Spokane Indians
Appalachian League Blake Anderson Greeneville Astros
Pioneer League John Barta Billings Mustangs
Gulf Coast League Tommy Tamaska Phillies