When you go to Anaheim Stadium for...

When you go to Anaheim Stadium for a concert or other non-baseball event during baseball season, what happens to the pitcher’s mound? How is it rebuilt for the next baseball game?

According to Phil Larcus, the stadium’s operations manager, the following system is used.

The mound is built on a circular steel plate, which sits in a circular well.

When the mound is needed, water is pumped into the well and the plate and mound rise with the water. The plate contains indentations that lock into matching spots at the top of the well. When the mound reaches the right height, groundskeepers turn the plate and lock it into place.

When the mound needs to be removed, the water is pumped out and the steel plate and mound lower into the well. The bottom of the well also has a set of indentations that lock the steel plate into place.

The groundskeepers then bring out a “mound cap,” a flat metal disc with a flat plywood top, to cover the exposed opening where the mound used to rest. The plywood is covered with artificial turf to blend in with the surrounding grass.

The process takes about three hours.