FieldTurf

[haysdb]

I do not like the solid green fields. This is the Tokyo Dome.

[1972Shocker]

I do not like the solid green fields. This is the Tokyo Dome.

Agreed.

[haysdb]

???

Haruno Baseball Stadium in Japan

[haysdb]

Cayman Islands Little League Complex!

[haysdb]

The Ripkin Experience - Myrtle Beach.

:shock:

[haysdb]

Oregon State player and coaches talking about changing from grass to FieldTurf:

"I like to get dirty as an infielder," said shortstop Darwin Barney. "I like to slide and feel like I'm doing something. When I leave the game clean with no dirt on me, I don't feel like I did anything."

"I think the turf is going to be to our disadvantage," Barney said. "Our strengths are being fundamentally sound and doing the little things right. On turf, you can't necessarily bring out the weaknesses in other teams in those aspects."

Darwin Barney: "Turf's good," he said, "and it will make the field look better. But I still like the dirt."

Even [head coach Pat] Casey recognizes the advantages, saying, "When you look at the whole picture - rain delays, not being able to practice outside, pulling the tarp and stopping games - this will allow us to guarantee teams we are going to play if they come here. It will make for a smoother transition to the springtime, when we have rain."

The move, however, is not all good. Mike Hebrard of Athletic Field Design makes a living preparing grass and turf fields for athletic events. Hebrard prefers the traditional grass fields to turf and sees negative aspects of making a switch.

"My friend with the Cincinnati Bengals spends the same amount of time grooming and cleaning that field as he did when it was grass," he said. "Schools tend to not maintain and clean the surface, and repairs can be costly."

[KC Shox]

I would love to see WSU get field turf out and infield with real dirt paths.

[haysdb]

I haven't seen a single FieldTurf installation with dirt basepaths, and only a very few with even dirt around the bases.

From a purely practical standpoint, if it rained, how would you keep the basepaths dry?

[ShockBand]

Maybe not in college, but Tropicana has FieldTurf with full dirt basepaths:


I guess outdoors you could tarp the whole infield like we do anyway, being one of the few colleges with a full infield tarp.

I'd be OK with the whole field as FieldTurf, but I would want to see at the very least pitcher's mound, home plate circle, and sliding pits as real dirt. Even better, follow the Tropicana Field model. Looks real, but feels fake. Like so many uh, melons, in Hollywood.

[dregn]

I thought the dirt pits on the field in Yokohama Japan look bad with the "dirt" colored basepaths. I'd prefer the all green field with dirt pits to that look.

[haysdb]

A domed stadium doesn't count. It's hardly "impractical" to have dirt anywhere in a domed stadium.

It's true though, with FieldTurf you can have any configuration you want. All that make any sense, and even a few that challenge my own sensibilities, have been done SOMEWHERE.

For OUR climate, given OUR budget, we won't be seeing dirt basepaths. I don't know all the arguments for and against dirt sliding areas around the bases.

[SubGod22]

I don't like the idea of not having dirt around the bases. That's just wrong.

[rrshock]

But cancelling games because it sprinkled a little too much is wrong too. Upkeep of the field would be much easier with just a dirt mound and home plate area. I really think that they'd be better off with a turf outfield too, but I just don't think it'll happen after reading more in this topic.

[Awesome Sauce Malone]

Husson College - John Wilkin Baseball Complex
Outdoor
Baseball
Bangor, Maine, USA
Installed: 09/01/2002