Let’s Look Back at How Yanmar Compact Tractors Helped the Atlanta Braves this Past Season
Georgia-headquartered Yanmar America Corp. recently announced a sponsorship with the Atlanta Braves. As the Braves wrapped up their 2022 campaign and look towards 2023, let’s look at some of the equipment that supported the team throughout the year keeping the Braves’ Truist Park home ground in peak condition.
At the start of the 2022 season, Yanmar delivered four units of the company’s powerful and versatile SA223 tractor to the Braves, for grounds management. The top-selling SA223 features a powerful and efficient Yanmar 3-cylinder diesel engine and comes standard with Yanmar’s Dual Range HST Transmission. Two of the SA223s delivered feature a specially fabricated rear hitch. This hitch is longer than standard and is bolted to the frame. The hitches are used to haul wagons for batting practice items, field supplies, and more. At least one of these tractors is always on the field until just before game time. The specially fabricated hitch and the tight turning circle of the SA223 allows the tractor to do a turn on the warning track without having the wagon veer onto the grass of the playing field.
Two of the SA223s have fabricated push-blocks mounted on the front, and 12’ straps attached to the rear. These are designed specifically to roll out the protective tarp that protects the infield when not in use or during rain delays. The straps are used to roll out the tarp, while the push blocks are used when the protective tarp is being rolled back up.
On June 17, Yanmar delivered a YT347 loader tractor with turf tires. The YT3 series is a powerful and versatile compact tractor that comes with Yanmar’s integrated hydraulic mechanical transmission (i-HMT) technology for efficient work and flexible operation. The YT347 loader tractor loads “top-dressers” with clay. Prior to games, the Yanmar SA223 tractors haul the top-dressers out to treat and repair the infield clay surfaces and to help in drying the clay if needed. These pre-game operations are essential to ensuring the uniformity of all clay surfaces.
The second YT347 delivered was nicknamed “The Beast”. It’s easy to see why from the picture below! It has ultra-wide turf tires, custom made wheels which lower the unit, and suitcase weights up front. This YT347 runs the aerator, an implement which removes plugs of turf and soil from the field to allow fertilizer to be added. The holes also allow more air and fertilizer to get into the soil, raising the quality of the turf.
Yanmar provides its SA series and YT3 series multi-purpose compact tractors for ground management at Truist Park with the compact and versatile equipment supporting the Braves’ award-winning grounds management team as they maintain the grounds to keep them in pristine condition for the players, hometown fans and visitors. Yanmar looks forward to working closely with the Braves as they look towards a great 2023 season.
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