What is this garbage on the baseball field?

[Drugdog]

I bet JSU will love it.

[Bo Darville]

There is more to this story than what you are seeing, so don't jump to erroneous conclusions. Like screaming to play Trey Porter when he was having eyesight issues. Of course message boards are all about jumping to erroneous conclusions.

[FISHDAWG]

agreed ... would it give us a better home field advantage since we would be used to it ?

[smootness]

There is more to this story than what you are seeing, so don't jump to erroneous conclusions.

There are no erroneous conclusions here. The field looks like crap, that is a fact.

I understand why Cohen wants turf in the basepaths, but it doesn't change the fact that it looks crappy and makes us look cheap.

[Bo Darville]

There are no erroneous conclusions here. The field looks like crap, that is a fact.

I understand why Cohen wants turf in the basepaths, but it doesn't change the fact that it looks crappy and makes us look cheap.

Fair enough and I don't necessarily disagree. I'm just saying that there are reasons for doing things that not everyone on here is privy to.

[maroonmania]

There are no erroneous conclusions here. The field looks like crap, that is a fact.

I understand why Cohen wants turf in the basepaths, but it doesn't change the fact that it looks crappy and makes us look cheap.

Well heck, if we are really going to do this (and granted having part of the basepaths dirt and part artificial seems ridiculous) can we at least get the coloring on the artificial stuff to match the color of the dirt? Is that too much to ask? Hopefully they just haven't gotten to that yet.

[dickiedawg]

Well heck, if we are really going to do this (and granted having part of the basepaths dirt and part artificial seems ridiculous) can we at least get the coloring on the artificial stuff to match the color of the dirt? Is that too much to ask? Hopefully they just haven't gotten to that yet.

The basepaths look like they'll match when the dirt is wet and the color is a lot darker. Everyone is all up in arms about this, and it just does not seem like a legitimate gripe to me.

ETA: Then again, what do I know? I actually enjoyed my hot dog at DWS last week.

[maroonmania]

The basepaths look like they'll match when the dirt is wet and the color is a lot darker. Everyone is all up in arms about this, and it just does not seem like a legitimate gripe to me.

ETA: Then again, what do I know? I actually enjoyed my hot dog at DWS last week.

Should match when the dirt is DRY which is what it would be 90% of the time during a game. Point is though the basepaths should be made of the same stuff from home all the way back to home. Either leave them dirt or put the artificial crap all the way around like Vandy did.

[engie]

What I don't understand is -- if you are bound and determined to have 100% of foul territory to be field turf, for whatever reason, why not just make it all grass down the first/3rd baselines? That's common on baseball fields anyway.

I got clarification this morning from someone close to the program. Cohen thinks this gives us a speed/small ball advantage that can be exploited down the lines. He was convinced this needed to happen after our trip to Vanderbilt. Not saying I agree(I don't) -- but that's his thinking.

[maroonmania]

Then why not put it in around the entire basepath area rather than just up the lines?

[engie]

Then why not put it in around the entire basepath area rather than just up the lines?

It's a basic rule of baseball to "always" run outside the baseline...

the transition at the foul line could easily keep well-placed bunts fair that would have rolled foul before...

[Will James]

Cohen thinks this gives us a speed/small ball advantage.

Oh shit......

[messageboardsuperhero]

What I don't understand is -- if you are bound and determined to have 100% of foul territory to be field turf, for whatever reason, why not just make it all grass down the first/3rd baselines? That's common on baseball fields anyway.

I agree with you if this is what you mean by all grass down the lines in foul territory: http://www.rockvalleycollege.edu/Ath...m-Pressbox.JPG

I could live with something like this if Cohen wants to put the artificial turf down in foul territory. That way, we get our advantage of running on the artificial turf in foul ground to first base, but there is no fake dirt. That's the main problem for me. The fake neon red dirt sitting next to the real dirt looks absolutely awful. If the turf was just the same color of the grass, it wouldn't be so bad.

[CadaverDawg]

Oh shit......

Haha

[engie]

I agree with you if this is what you mean by all grass down the lines in foul territory: http://www.rockvalleycollege.edu/Ath...m-Pressbox.JPG

I could live with something like this if Cohen wants to put the artificial turf down in foul territory. That way, we get our advantage of running on the artificial turf in foul ground to first base, but there is no fake dirt. That's the main problem for me. The fake neon red dirt sitting next to the real dirt looks absolutely awful. If the turf was just the same color of the grass, it wouldn't be so bad.

Yes -- that's exactly what I mean... Just do away with the dirt baselines altogether.

[ckDOG]

Certainly there's a darker shade of dirt (when dry) option to get it to match nicely, right?

Are there many places that have such a quick transition from dirt to artificial turf? My biggest worry would be knee injuries from an awkward transition at 3rd from the dirt to the turf.

[engie]

Certainly there's a darker shade of dirt (when dry) option to get it to match nicely, right?

Are there many places that have such a quick transition from dirt to artificial turf? My biggest worry would be knee injuries from an awkward transition at 3rd from the dirt to the turf.

Will do alot more preventing than causing IMO...

The slickness around 3rd -- especially with a late stop sign, etc -- has hurt a bunch of legs in it's day. This should generally give us much better traction over there...

[maroonmania]

Certainly there's a darker shade of dirt (when dry) option to get it to match nicely, right?

Are there many places that have such a quick transition from dirt to artificial turf? My biggest worry would be knee injuries from an awkward transition at 3rd from the dirt to the turf.

I would assume you could tint or spray paint the artificial surface to match whatever you need. We definitely need to get something that much more closely matches the dirt that is already on the infield. Hopefully its just not something they've gotten around to yet. Can't believe we would throw something out on our field that sticks out like a sore thumb and from what we've seen the 1st and 3rd baselines currently do that.