published January-February Issue 2016

“Fuming” about Painting World Tournament Stakes

by Jerry LaBrosse, 4th Vice President and Charter Communications Director

At the World Tournament in Topeka, Kansas, I was informed of concerns about the fumes and smell from the white spray paint used on the stakes. NHPA President Stu Sipma asked me to research this issue and make some recommendations to the board for future World Tournaments.

As we all know, many pitchers are accustomed to painting the stake to create a visual contrast between the stake and the backstop. Asking many pitchers what they think of this practice, the results vary widely. It seems that the higher percentage pitchers are more onboard with this practice than the lower percentage pitchers. This also holds true for other “on court” practices, such as turning the clay between games.

My research on this topic began by identifying all possible ways to create a contrast between stake and backstop. I asked many seasoned players for their opinions, and I also participated in an NHPA Forum string on this topic. Keep in mind my goal was to find the best, most practical, and cost effective way to solve this problem for the World Tournament only. There may be local indoor facilities out there that could use a paintbrush or some other non-aerosol methods to apply paint, but those methods would not be practical for our event.

I tested several different methods of making the stake white. Chalk is messy, doesn’t cover well, and doesn’t last long. Any method of non-aerosol painting, such as a small roller or brush, is just not practical. Shoe polish is also not a practical solution for this purpose.

The forum string talked about making the backstop white and leaving the stakes a dark color. This method is used on the Hall of Fame courts and works fine. If there are permanent backstops, I think it is a good solution. Unfortunately, this idea is not practical for our world tournament courts.

There are reasons that overspray of stake painting is a problem. One reason is the type of paint. Every year we try to run this event as economically as possible. The host is responsible for supplying the paint, and we usually use 200 or more cans during the event. The paint purchased is usually the cheapest white spray paint possible, at about a dollar per can.

Then, it is usually put out on the courts without being shaken. When folks use the paint, it is rarely shaken adequately; so much of what comes out of the can at first is the clear and smelly propellants. Often when the stake is sprayed, the player is spraying it in a scattered manner, which uses far more paint than is needed.

With all this said, here are the recommendations I have for this issue moving into future World Tournaments:

1. Quality paint: there is a huge difference in the type and quality of spray paint available. White primer has more pigment and will cover better. Trying three different brands, all at about $3 per can, they all covered far better than the cheap off-brands. Better coverage equals less paint needed. So my first suggestion is to purchase white primer paint, making sure it is the fast drying variety.

2. Have volunteers shake every can of paint purchased before it goes out onto the floor. Nobody knows how long the paint we purchase has been sitting on the shelf or in storage. This paint is not pre-shaken before you buy it. Shaking the paint can is hugely important.

3. Open a dialog about this topic when we have all the players in the awards room for announcements. Explain that to minimize the overspray, hold the can no more three inches from the stake. Move up and down the stake with a slow steady motion. With a little practice, a person can easily spray a stake with two passes and very little overspray.

Here’s a quick film demonstration on stake painting … just pointing out the basics.