The Story of Flex-A-Clay—“No-Stick Dirt”
The increased use of the mounds at all levels brought about another significant event in the development of True Pitch. When baseball pitchers started using metal spikes on his mounds, John Goeders, who patented True Pitch Regulation Game Mounds in 1966, cut holes in the mounds, and filled them with dirt so the cleats would hold and offer a more authentic surface. The dirt was gummy and would stick to the steal cleats, so Goeders began daydreaming of a “no-stick” dirt.
He called Boris Kviesitis, an old chemist buddy, and the two of them spent most of 1989 brewing up the original batch of what has come to be known as Flex-A-Clay®. As it turns out, Flex-A-Clay® had greater applications on actual baseball and softball fields than it did for the mounds. Flex-A-Clay® is a patented, specially formulated, processed, dry soil composition which is mainly made up of a particle of sand, double-coated with layers of polyvinyl, alcohol and clay.
Duane Banks, long-time baseball coach at the University of Iowa and Mike Andreson, former head groundskeeper for the Iowa Cubs (Triple AAA Baseball) were two of the first to apply Flex-A-Clay® to their fields and their endorsements have led to Flex-A-Clay® sales worldwide. The first patent on Flex-A-Clay® was issued in 1992.
Benefits of FLEX-A-CLAY
- Reduced maintenance
- Reduced labor cost
- Excellent on heavy wear areas
- Faster drying
- Color selection available
- Aesthetically attractive