Coach Kevin McCaffrey gets some help from his wife to maintain CdM baseball field

Brooke McCaffrey mows the lawn at the CdM baseball field Wednesday. (Photo courtesy CdM baseball, For OC Sports Zone)

Baseball games aren’t being played at Corona del Mar High School these days because of the shutdown of athletics.

But fields still have to be maintained. CdM coach Kevin McCaffrey got some help this week from his wife Brooke.

To see the slide show, please click on the first photo

Kevin McCaffrey got some help on the field this week from his wife Brooke.
Photo courtesy CdM baseball

Kevin McCaffrey talks to his CdM players after a game last season.
File photo Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone

“Our program is responsible for taking care of the field,” McCaffrey said by Email Thursday. “This year we were able to purchase some really nice equipment to help us maintain the field. Our booster club purchased all the equipment needed for the upkeep of our fields.  We were able to purchase a greens mower for our varsity infield, a reel mower for our outfield, and a sand pro to drag our infield.

“The mowing of the grass is a never-ending job. We mow the field at least three times a week. I edge the fields and take care of the outfield grass and get some help from some of our coaches with the infield grass. I have been taking care of the fields since the school shut down due to the coronavirus. We put so much time and resources into the field, I don’t want it to fall apart during the shutdown. 

“We are still holding out hope that our boys will be able to get out on the field sometime this school year and I want to make sure they have a beautiful park to play on when we get back.”

During this time McCaffrey said his wife Brooke, “has been extremely supportive” through it all.

“As coaches, we spend countless hours out on the field,” he said. “We then spend even more time working on the field when the players are gone. I spend a lot of time working on the field on the weekend and Brooke will occasionally show up to the field to surprise me. She will ride her bike over to CDM from our house and offer to help out. She helped to organize the players spirit packs before the season started.

“This was a 3-hour process and would have been double that if she wasn’t around to help. We also play games of catch and her favorite is hitting on the field. Brooke played Division 1 collegiate tennis at Charleston Southern and her competitive juices come out when we are playing on the field.”

On Wednesday, McCaffrey’s wife showed up while he was working on the field.

“She asked what I was going to do,” he said. “I told her I need to mow the infield and outfield. She then asked if she could mow the outfield. I showed her how to do it and she was off. As a coach who takes a lot of pride in the field it was really neat to see. Sitting on the mower can be relaxing as you are able to take your mind off of everything that is going on and relax a little.

“This was apparent as Brooke was singing while mowing. I had to stop and take a few pictures of her in action. We finished the day off by playing a game of catch on the freshly cut outfield grass.”

“I’ve never met a man so passionate about his grass,” Brooke McCaffrey said of her husband’s work on the field. “I was intrigued what could make him want to voluntarily spend hours on an empty baseball field. I quickly realized he is really just out there playing with his big boy toys. I hopped on and decided to show him how it’s done.”

-Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com