Ballpark Groundskeeping

[sflnyc]

It came to me after looking at 100’s of pictures of ballparks and stadiums posted on this site that something has disappeared over the years from all the playing fields. Those are (1) Dirt Coaches Boxes; (2) Dirt on the outfield foul lines, and (3) Dirt paths from Home Plate to the Dugouts. This is very evident in both of my old “home” ballparks, Shea and Yankee Stadiums.

1-IIRC during at least through the 1980’s baseball, on regular grass fields the Coaches Box was an actual dirt cut-out and in the case of Yankee Stadium was painted light blue. I don’t know if that was actual dirt or a concrete pad in the Bronx, but it was painted blue. The only fields with that had the 3 white lines were the Astroturf ones.

Point is nowadays every Coaches Box is nothing but 3 white lines painted on the grass, despite virtually 99% of the playing surfaces being real grass. It should be noted then that the coaches used to actually stand in the box, unlike today when they hardly stand in the designated areas.

2-A lot of the parks used to have the outfield foul lines painted on a narrow strip of dirt all the way to the warning track. Somewhere during time, those disappeared to where it is today with every field having the lines painted on the grass. Note that back in the day, some grass fields had the lines painted on the grass from back then (Wrigley for example).

3-Virtually every (but not all) of the grass field parks had a dirt path from the dugouts to Home Plate. I believe none of those exist anymore.

Anybody know when and why these changes happened? One could say it’s to cut down on maintenance time, but many of the stadiums of the past (cookie-cutter and before) were mostly multi-purpose yet the dirt cut-outs existed along with the outfield foul line dirt. One would think with lack of technology then and football being played on the same field that they would have went with the straight grass. With all the stadiums today being baseball-only and football-only, and with better technology, one would think that the additional dirt would be used.

Everything changes over time, I guess. Used to be that many parks had a dirt path from the mound to home plate and that disappeared for decades until finally being brought back to light with Comerica and Chase Field.

I’ve included a few comparison shots of what the additional dirt fields used to look like (Yankee Stadium on Opening Day 1976 – the boxes weren’t painted blue then; and Dodger Stadium in the 1970’s) and what they look like today. Dodger Stadium photos are from basically the exact same vantage point.

Thoughts?

Photo of 1976 Yankee Stadium from Time Magazine (4.26.76)
Photo of 2007 Yankee Stadium from http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com
Photo of 1970's Dodger Stadium from The Los Angeles Dodgers: An Illustrated History (1982)
Photo of 2007 Dodger Stadium from http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com

[JohnCropp]

Wow. I never noticed that those little paths were gone!

I'd imagine that the simple explanation would be that breathroughs in groundskeeping science has eliminated the need to save the grass in high traffic areas.

[ipitch]

Did you notice that in the old pictures, the coaches are standing IN the coach's box (mostly), and NOT standing in them in the newer pictures? That might be a reason why they are not dirt anymore. Does any coach stand in them now? Most (or all) do not, from what I've seen.

You're just not "cool" if you stand exactly where you're supposed to.

[Seattle1]

Kentucky bluegrass.

[Elvis]

I'm surprised you didn't mention fungo circles. Both Chicago parks and Fenway are the only stadiums that still feature them--they used to be in almost every park.

[PeteU]

I'm surprised you didn't mention fungo circles. Both Chicago parks and Fenway are the only stadiums that still feature them--they used to be in almost every park.

I was about to start a thread re: the disappearance of fungo circles. Are they just not "sightly" enough? Far as I know, outfielders still have fielding practice with the coaches fungoing the balls out to them.

My guess is that the dirt paths, circles and boxes will probably make a comeback down the road. Much like the dirt path from the mound to the plate at Comerica and the BOB.

[Mikie]

There are dirt paths from the mound to the plate in at least two stadiums - Comerica in Detroit and Citi Field (or whatever it's called) in Phoenix. The dirt area around the plate at Comerica is shaped like home plate, which I believe is unique.

[StadiumPage]

I think it has alot to do with the fact that they take better care of the grass now. Those areas (HP to dugout, catcher to pitchers mound, coaches box) would get worn out by batters/managers/catchers etc. To make the field appear more manicured, they simply didn't have grass in those high traffic areas.

Now, through technology or just more money they are able to keep those areas green so they have grass now.

I always remember badly worn out areas where the outfielders stood at Shea ("the Strawberry patch" in RF in the 80's). You simply don't see that anymore.

Shea actually still has the dugout pathways. The only pic on my site that shows fungo circles is from 1985.

[Jim Vaz]

I also have noticed that over the years they have really perfected the art of lawn manicuring and patterns. Up until about the early 90's most major league fields were just one plain green grass without any patterns or logos cut in.

As a Mets fan I must say the constant change and odd grass patterns is annoying. But then again what else would you expect from the Mets, who also seem to have 82 different types of uniforms.

[sflnyc]

I think it has alot to do with the fact that they take better care of the grass now. Those areas (HP to dugout, catcher to pitchers mound, coaches box) would get worn out by batters/managers/catchers etc. To make the field appear more manicured, they simply didn't have grass in those high traffic areas.

Now, through technology or just more money they are able to keep those areas green so they have grass now.

True, but maybe its just me. I prefered the green/brown mixture layout that made the fields look "just right" in my opinion. Today, you have a lot of lonely "disconnected" diamonds in the grass.

Some parks (I think the old Anaheim Stadium -I'll have to look it up) used to have and additional walkways from the 1B and 3B areas to the dugouts.

[Elvis]

The dirt area around the plate at Comerica is shaped like home plate, which I believe is unique.

They copied that from the Padres.

http://www.tow.com/photogallery/2002/20020821_padres/images/fullsize/2002-08-21_20-37-28.jpg

[Elvis]

http://www.frontrowking.com/images/Minute_Maid_Park.jpg

http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/HIGH/game724k~Milwaukee-Brewers-Miller-Park-Posters.jpg

http://anycase.files.wordpress.com/2006/09/shea-stadium.jpg

[Elvis]

http://www.ballparktour.com/arlinga3.jpg


http://www.ballparktour.com/bob4a.jpg

[Elvis]

I noticed something else: No longer do the foul lines, between the infield and outfield warning track, have little dirt paths.

[sflnyc]

I noticed something else: No longer do the foul lines, between the infield and outfield warning track, have little dirt paths.

Yup, I had mentioned that also. In fact, I noticed that first at most stadiums before I noticed the coaches boxes or the homeplate-dugout walkways. It looks like Minute Maid Park still has them (based on the picture you posted).

I came across a picture of Anaheim Stadium from the 1980's that had the extra set of walkways from behind the 1B and 3B areas to the dugout.

Photo from Take Me Out To The Ballpark by The Sporting News (1983).

[Elvis]

http://www.lowellspinners.com/images2/Fenway2.jpg

I like how Fenway rounds-off their infield dirt cutoff along the lines.

[Lafferty Daniel]

Remeber when Dodger Stadium didn't have dirt for the warning track? What exactly was the old surface? Clay?

With dirt
http://insidethedodgers.mlblogs.com/photos/uncategorized/stadium_restoration.JPG

Without dirt

http://www.dodgers-fans.com/images/dodger_stadium.jpg

http://www.bullpensportscards.com/images/about24.jpg

http://www.clayvision.com/dvision/baseball/dodgerstadium450.jpg

[Elvis]

Believe it or not, it was synthetic rubber. It was basically a quarter mile long pencil eraser.

[Smirkman]

Believe it or not, it was synthetic rubber. It was basically a quarter mile long pencil eraser.

We can thank Camden Yards for that. I believe they were the first to do that thus reducing maintenence esp. during rain. I can't stand it as I don't like any synthetic surface to be on the field of play (except the obvious - bases, HP, pitchers rubber, barry bonds, etc.).

[PeteU]

They copied that from the Padres.

http://www.tow.com/photogallery/2002/20020821_padres/images/fullsize/2002-08-21_20-37-28.jpg

It's the minor leagues, but the Baseball Grounds in Jacksonville also has the home plate shaped area:

http://www.digitalballparks.com/Southern/Baseball_Grounds_-_From_Behind_the_NetV2T.jpg
(Courtesy of digitalballparks.com)

Mikie is correct to the extent that Comerica is the only major league park to currently feature that type of shaping. I sort of like it--it's unique, at least.

[sflnyc]

We can thank Camden Yards for that. I believe they were the first to do that thus reducing maintenence esp. during rain. I can't stand it as I don't like any synthetic surface to be on the field of play (except the obvious - bases, HP, pitchers rubber, barry bonds, etc.).

I can't stand that rubberized track look either at it just looks fake. The Marlins have used that at Dolphin Stadium since Day 1.

Also, Atlanta Fulton County Stadium (AFCS) during the 1990's used to have some sort of white or gray surface on the warning tracks. I have no idea what it was, just that it was white as shown below:

http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/past/atlfult765.jpg
Photo from http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com


During the 1980's, though AFCS had dirt as seen in this Mets-Braves game from May 26, 1982 from roughly the same vantage point.

Photo from Take Me Out To The Ballpark by The Sporting News (1983).

[StadiumPage]

As of 2000, (the last time I was there...) the Braves actually had that same Grey/White warning track in Turner Field as well. As far as I know, its simply a different color of dirt, not a synthetic track.

[PeteU]

For some reason, I remember the warning track at Memorial Stadium being neither dirt or synthetic, but rather what looked to be asphalt. It's been a while though, so I can't say for sure.

[sflnyc]

Here is a Wrigley Field Now and Then comparison. First shot is a current day photo.

Photo from http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com
http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/nl/wrig904.JPG


Second shot is from a Braves-Cubs game on July 16, 1982 from the same vantage point (Cubs dugout was at 3B side back then too, BTW from another thread)

You can see the grass being worn out in the area between home plate and the dugouts and the foul line paint directly on the grass. Once again, notice the coaches actually standing in the coaches boxes. I understand the maintenance technology issue today not needing dirt on high traffic areas in most parks, but how does that explain the disappearance of dirt from the foul lines? By the way, there were only 15,624 in attendance at this game. Lot of people get fooled looking at the 3-4,000 seat Wrigley Bleachers and always think the stadium was packed. Nope, upper deck was probably empty, but that's a discussion for another thread)

Photo from Take Me Out To The Ballpark by The Sporting News (1982)

[bigworm_122]

i remember reading somewhere that miller park has so much dirt around the plate because they were having trouble with the natural grass & the dome, that they had to take it out in that area.

[Smirkman]

I seam to recall the Memorial Stadium warning track was crushed ash, whatever that is.

I did some ballpark maintenance in college and at some time teams stopped putting lime/ chalk down the lines and instead buried 4x4s painted white therefore eliminating the buildup of chalk that may have killed the grass. I am not a big fan of the buried wood, as I have sometimes seen balls shoot one way or another, but it does look better IMO.

[Bazookadale]

We can thank Camden Yards for that. I believe they were the first to do that thus reducing maintenence esp. during rain. I can't stand it as I don't like any synthetic surface to be on the field of play (except the obvious - bases, HP, pitchers rubber, barry bonds, etc.).

As I recall when Royals Stadium Opened in 1973 the "warning track" was just a diferent color of astroturf, which didn't help the players at all. There were so many complaints that by the all star game they had replaced it with the rubbery track which the fielders could feel underfoot

[bigworm_122]

the renderings for nationals park shows the dirt leading fron the dugout to home plate, but they installed the turf yesterday, and not dirt path.

[Old School Bronx]

I seam to recall the Memorial Stadium warning track was crushed ash, whatever that is.

I did some ballpark maintenance in college and at some time teams stopped putting lime/ chalk down the lines and instead buried 4x4s painted white therefore eliminating the buildup of chalk that may have killed the grass. I am not a big fan of the buried wood, as I have sometimes seen balls shoot one way or another, but it does look better IMO.

Wow, those must have been some odd-angled, and lively hops off of a painted wood foul line!
I also read that old Comiskey Park, with their ever-creative groundscrew, used to use old water hoses as foul lines. They'd flatten them and paint them white. Although, this was probably a cunning, cost-cutting move more than anything else!

[Astros]

Minute Maid Park has a dirt path down the entire base line. The white line is not painted in the outfied areas. They stripe it with chalk every game. I believe this is probably the only ballpark, at least in the NL, that has a full chalk line and dirt path like this- currently.

[cgcoyne2]

We can thank Camden Yards for that. I believe they were the first to do that thus reducing maintenence esp. during rain. I can't stand it as I don't like any synthetic surface to be on the field of play (except the obvious - bases, HP, pitchers rubber, barry bonds, etc.).

Dude, that is too funny!!!!!

[Greg B.]

Minute Maid Park has a dirt path down the entire base line. The white line is not painted in the outfied areas. They stripe it with chalk every game. I believe this is probably the only ballpark, at least in the NL, that has a full chalk line and dirt path like this- currently.

I think the idea of chalking the outfield foul lines makes a lot of sense. On a close call the ball can kick up a puff of chalk to make the call easier for the umpire.

Generally speaking, I like the concept of more areas of dirt rather than less, especially in foul territory. I can see the path from the plate to the mound maybe causing a bad hop or whatever but other than that the contrast adds visual interest.

Some general thoughts:

- Wasn't there a ballpark that installed a synthetic warning track that had to replace it because balls hitting it would take huge bounces over the wall?

- I recall listening to an Expos broadcast in the early '70s where it was stated that Expos manager Gene Mauch really liked the red crushed-brick infield used in Dodger Stadium at the time and directed the grounds crew in Montreal to use the same material. Whatever got used though, was disliked by the infielders as they claimed it had larger bits in it that caused bad hops.

- One of the most distinctive such features I recall in any ballpark and one I really liked was the cutout and paths the Twins used in old Met Stadium that had "TWINS" spelled out behind the plate and arrowheads pointing from either dugout. I'm attaching a pic from the Met Stadium thread that shows this well:

[Bobby_Ayala]

College education should be a requirement for groundskeepers.