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Can you play on an all turf infield??

Hi,

I have a question about playing on astroturf, actually it is an artificial surface used here in Germany for soccerfields. our team is part of a soccerclub, which is getting such a field. No sliding pits, no hitting area, no mound, all artificial grass.

Those are some of the problems facing baseballteams here, apart from the short right field if playing on a soccer field.

Anyway, my opiniun is that grass or dirt would be better, to at least have a game similar to baseball as known in the US. But how can i convince the rest of the team or at least the rest that don´t understand, because they say if you can play soccer on astroturf in shorts, then you can sure play baseball there.

Friendly regards,

Hans

Joe Mock's Response

Hans,

I operate the BASEBALLPARKS.COM website, and also have a book out on ballparks.

If you want to convince people that a perfectly flat artificial-surface field, with no dirt even around the bases or mound, is a bad idea for baseball, get a copy of the Official Major League Baseball Rule Book. The very first chapter is devoted to the field on which the game should be played. It is quite specific in how the pitcher’s mound should be configured (10” above the ground, its slope should rise one inch for each foot of horizontal space, etc.) and where there should be dirt in the infield and around home plate.

I’m not saying you couldn’t *practice* on an Astroturf soccer field, but for real games, you should be following what’s laid out in the rule book.

And, yes, real grass is always preferable to Astroturf!

-- Joe Mock, Webmaster of BASEBALLPARKS.COM and The Grand Slam Mall

Also author of Joe Mock's Ballpark Guide

Visit http://www.baseballparks.com and http://www.grandslammall.com

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