The Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) – the professional organization for 2,600 men and women who manage sports fields worldwide who are critical to the safety of athletes and coaches – and Minor League Baseball (MiLB) announced the 2016 “Sports Turf Manager of the Year Awards” sponsored by STMA and John Deere.
Since 2000, STMA and MiLB have honored members who manage fields in Triple-A, Double-A, Single-A and Short Season or Rookie divisions. This year, one of the four honorees is a multi-year winner, exemplifying a commitment to excellence and an unwavering dedication to maintaining world-class professional baseball playing surfaces.
Award winners include:
- Triple-A – Casey Griffin, Albuquerque Isotopes (Albuquerque, N.M.)
- Double-A – Brock Phipps, Springfield Cardinals (Springfield, Mo.)
- Single-A – Greg Burgess, Greenville Drive (Greenville, S.C.)
- Short Season or Rookie – Matt Neri, State College Spikes (State College, Pa.)
Phipps is being honored for the fifth time in his career and fourth consecutively (2008, 2013, 2014, 2015). Burgess is a second-time winner (2008), while Griffin and Neri are first-time winners, joining an elite class of sports turf managers. Additionally, Griffin was the inaugural winner of STMA’s “Stars and Stripes” contest in July.