Tennessee Smokies Win STMA 'Field of the Year' Award

SEVIERVILLE, TN - The Tennessee Smokies have won the award for Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) 2020 ‘Field of the Year’ for the professional sports category. Eric Taylor, Smokies Head Grounds Keeper, has previously won three straight Tennessee Turfgrass Association Professional Sports ‘Field of the Year’ awards.

“Every year I strive to keep the field in its best condition possible. This year reaching another goal, has been a great feeling. Although no Minor League Baseball was played inside Smokies Stadium in 2020, we still had over 300 events and games taking place on the field,” Taylor stated. Taylor is one (1) of 2,700 members of STMA, a professional association for men and women who manage sports fields worldwide.

A panel of 14 judges independently scored entries based on playability, appearance of surface, effective use of budgets and more. Taylor will be recognized at this year’s virtual STMA annual awards banquet.

ABOUT THE TENNESSEE SMOKIES

The Tennessee Smokies are the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. Members of the ten-team Southern League, Smokies baseball has been entertaining families and fans of America’s national pastime in the East Tennessee region for over 100 years. To learn more about the Tennessee Smokies, visit www.smokiesbaseball.com.