TOLEDO, Ohio — Major League Baseball is in the middle of a strike, with Opening Day being pushed back at least a month. Meanwhile, the minor leagues are still set to begin in April.
Toledo Mud Hens head turf manager Kyle Leppelmeier is hard at work getting the field ready for April 5. Leppelmeier's crew has the added wrinkle of having to get the field ready after having an ice rink in the infield due to Winterfest.
"It makes it a little bit of a challenge this time of year, trying to put grass down in northwest Ohio in late February, early March. We couldn't do it before WinterFest, so here we are hoping mother nature treats us well," Leppelmeier said.
While Major League Baseball is in the middle of contract negotiations, Opening Day for the majors may be delayed by a month or more. But the minor leagues are moving forward without any chance of a delay, meaning Lepelmeier and his crew don't have any time to slow down.
"It doesn't affect us, we're going ahead business as usual. Our Opening Day will remain on time, April 5. We hope to pack the stands and have a good time," the head turf manager said.
Meanwhile over at the Blarney Irish Pub, owner Ed Beczynsky is looking forward to a busy month.
"We're excited. Things are getting back to what it used to be. Can't tell you how happy we all are right now," Beczynsky said.
March is one of the best times for business in the calendar year, and Minor League Baseball going on as scheduled definitely helps the Toledo restaurant scene that's been hurt by COVID-19.
"That's a big part of our business: Opening Day, St. Patrick's Day. All the stuff that was canceled for almost two years now. We're really excited," Beczynsky said.
Leppelmeier says the sod comes next week, and folks can expect to see green grass start to pop up, making it look like a proper baseball field.