Back to the (Plastic) Future

The Arizona Diamondbacks announced they’re going to install an artificial surface at Chase Field in time for next year.  If you can believe what you read, it won’t be anything like AstroTurf, no, sir.  This surface will play like natural turf, look like natural turf and respect players’ legs like natural turf.  And I am the Easter Bunny.

The Diamonbacks are touting the switch as being good for the environment.  Chase Field has a retractable dome, which is often kept open during the day so the grass can get sufficient sunlight.  Only an open roof lets in the Arizona heat, which requires the air conditioning to work that much harder to cool down the stadium.  And no grass means no water wasted on nonessential sprinkling.  Wow, the Diamondbacks should get an award for being so (artificially) green.

Many if not most of the hot-weather teams suffer attendance problems.  Tampa, Miami, Texas and Arizona are all franchises with pretty shallow roots; until recently, you could say the same about the Astros.  The grass may be trying to tell MLB something:  Don’t locate where Kentucky bluegrass doesn’t want to grow.