Wasn't sure where to post this, but since it hit me while watching ULL vs Ole Miss baseball, it goes in College Sports. Ole Miss catcher went after a foul ball and slid to avoid crashing into the brick backstop wall at The Tigue. ESPN announcer mentioned a 'Bama player hurt a knee pretty badly hitting that same wall last year. Then he casually mentioned the artificial turf warning track, and it hit me....the purpose of the warning track is so that a player will know he's approaching the wall while looking up for the ball. The only way this works is if the warning track is made of a different material from the rest of the field; crossing from grass to dirt. An artificial turf warning track on an artificial turf field is 100% useless. How have the marketers of these million dollar artificial turf fields been allowed to put this crap out there? And has no one who buys a turf baseball field thought of this?
I always wondered why there weren't more players injured running into the brick outfield wall at Wrigley Field
True and what about the genius who designed the stadium that the Astros play in? CF has a hill and a freakin flag pole. Never understood that one at all.
These monuments were on the warning track in centerfield at old Yankee Stadium, looked nice, but what a stupid idea. It was so stupid that someone decided to do it again, that hill they built in Houston is horrible, seems like it's sole purpose is to hurt someone. I'm surprised the player's union allows it,.. and don't get me started on maple bats. I'll be glad when Selig's gone.
The warning track at the Tigue is a different color and is firmer so you can definitely tell when you reach it. The bigger issue is having a brick wall around the field. Most of the stadium will be rebuilt soon when construction is finish on Cajun Field... Not sure if it will be changed or not.
The different color is pointless from a safety standpoint; a player crossing onto it is usually looking up for a ball and can't see the color. At least it feels different; but just being firmer, to my point of view, doesn't seem sufficient. For a player concentrating on targeting a fly ball, you need something that is going to be unmistakeable, like crossing from grass to dirt. But, I've never played on it, so what do I know?
