New Grass at Miller Park - can UWM finally play on it?

[Patrick425]

They use to give season ticket holders a chance to play catch on the field (Maybe they still do for full season ticket holder - but they don't anymore for 20 game packs like they use to). I think you could choose 1 day from 3 or 4 possible dates. I assumed they stopped doing this because of wear and tear. When they did allow it, one person had to basically stand on the warning track with the other person on the outfield grass. I think the whole wear and tear fear is silly. The Brewers play 81 home games. Your going to tell me that another 3 or 4 days to allow season ticket holders to play catch will cause that much damage to the field?

 

I play golf courses that get a steady stream of golfers walking up and down the fairways all day. The courses are kept in great shape and there is a ton more of land to take care of than what you have on a baseball field. I can't believe it would cost that much money to add a little extra care to the field after some college games and/or season ticket "play catch" promotions.

[Samurai Bucky]

If UWM can use it, then I think I should be able to get 20 of my buddies together for a pickup game...http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/eyes.gif

[DougJones43]

In regards to wear and tear - there is virtually none with decent grass. The infield is hardly stepped on and the outfield is a non-issue.

I'm not sure where you are getting this from, but it is not accurate at all. The infield gets stepped on a lot. Especially the real problem areas, like between the mound and the plate will get walked on after every single pitch as the pitcher goes to receive the throw from the catcher. That area needs to be re-sodded several times per season as is, and adding UWM games would make it even worse. Every time a ground ball is hit, it skids along the infield grass. And the outfield is hardly a "non-issue." Have you seen how bad it looks sometimes mid-season where the fielders stand?

 

Even if this new grass is better than the old stuff, the problem still remains that it won't be getting a lot of sunlight. This means that the roots never grow very deep. 20 extra games a year would definitely affect the playing surface, even if you say it won't (with no real reasoning or evidence to back up your claim).

[mkesportscom]

I'd also like to sign up for Miller Park use. As a tax payer, where do I get guaranteed field time?

[knowitall]

I'm not sure where you are getting this from, but it is not accurate at all. The infield gets stepped on a lot. Especially the real problem areas, like between the mound and the plate will get walked on after every single pitch as the pitcher goes to receive the throw from the catcher.

You have a right to your opinion, but if you think that 15-20 games is going to hurt the infield, I just wonder why the infield always looks so good when MLB clubs abuse it in BP way more than a couple of college teams would. I think you're wrong about that every single pitch stepping on the grass as well. That just doesn't happen. If that happened, the infield would look terrible, and it doesn't. Also, if the walkway from the mound to home is such a big issue with teams now, why aren't they making it a dirt strip like some ballparks do?

 

It seems to me that people would just as soon keep UW-M off the field moreso because they don't think that program is worthy of mighty Miller Park rather than trying to promote D1 baseball in this state. These are the same excuses that the Brewers use, and they just don't stand to reason. But they certainly don't mind charging two high school teams $16,000 to play a game, then all of a sudden wear and tear is no longer an issue - hmmm. . . You could have a diamond in the rough develop with that program if it could get Miller Park as its home field and get pretty decent entertainment for a reasonable price as well in a good environment. Its not like its some rinky dink DIII team in the NAC, this is actually D1 baseball, and the Brewers have drafted some of their kids in the past. I think it would be pretty cool to finally get a legitimate power conference D1 program thats not too far away come to Milwaukee and play a game during the midweek for a change - maybe like Missouri, Creighton, Louisville, Kentucky, Tennessee, Michigan - because those kinds of teams have never played here before.

I play golf courses that get a steady stream of golfers walking up and down the fairways all day. The courses are kept in great shape and there is a ton more of land to take care of than what you have on a baseball field. I can't believe it would cost that much money to add a little extra care to the field after some college games and/or season ticket "play catch" promotions.

 

Oh yes - tons of money, about 10k per game for all of that extra infield raking, grass mowing, and batters box liminghttp://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/eyes.gif.