Hot weather is affecting Valley athletes

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The hot weather is affecting athletes. The Fresno Grizzlies staff pushed batting practice back an hour on Wednesday in order to let their players rest because of the recent travel and the heat.

As the temperatures heat up in Fresno and at Chukchansi Park, the high temps can be a concern for players and staff as they get ready for game time.

"Their bodies are no different than a machine. It needs the proper fuel to work, so we try to do a good job of educating them on what it is they should eat and they should drink to not get sick here in this heat," said Eric Ortega, Fresno Grizzlies athletic trainer.

Ortega says athletes need to hydrate as often as possible during a heat wave. Otherwise, it can be a long nine innings for ball players.

"They tend to think about everything else they have going on and forget to re hydrate by the end of the day, they are crashing and crashing hard," Ortega said.

During the game, staff tries to keep them cool with water on hand and misters in the dugout.

Grizzly staff members also try to pay close attention to their field, which take a beating from the sun.

"They have aerated the fields. They've put fertilizer down anything to make it green," there," Chris Kutz, Grizzlies Media Relations Coordinator.

And it's not just the players staff members are trying to keep cool.

"Fresno is always known for being hot so whenever the heat comes through we just try to make the adjustments with turning the misters on in the concourse and in the dugout," Kutz said.

Either way you put it, beating the heat is something many of us have learned over the years and sometimes that can be a home field advantage.

"There is bit an advantage. No matter how much you prepare for it, the heat's going to affect you and I think the guys almost welcome it more than a 40 degree day," Kutz said.

Grizzlies spokesman Chris Kurtz says the have not had to push back any of the games this season due to heat. He says they don't have a temperature threshold that they will push the games back.

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