Orioles considered boycotting game due to Rogers Centre turf issues
Before the on field hostilities kicked in between the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays Tuesday night at Rogers Centre, it’s reported the Orioles were already displeased by the ballpark’s new artificial turf, which early in the season has played very soft and thick. That’s led to several unusual hops and baseballs slowing down much quicker than on normal grass or typical turf surface.
In fact, according to Eduardo Encina of the Baltimore Sun, the Orioles may have been one step out the door, at one point even considering boycotting or flat out forfeiting Tuesday’s game after infielder Jimmy Paredes was shaken up after taking a bad hop ground ball to the face.
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Paredes was fine, but there were concerns about another bad hop, or worse yet, the turf potentially giving way leading to a season-changing knee or ankle injury.
Over the offseason, the Blue Jays installed their new AstroTurf 3D Xtreme field, which is supposed to be a placeholder until they’re able to get natural grass. The club is hopeful that will happen by 2018.
In the 26 years since the stadium opened, this is the fifth different playing surface they’ve used. As we noted last week, the new turf had already drawn attention of Major League Baseball. At this point, there’s no indication the Orioles’ concerns have created a sense of urgency for the league, but if there was ever a time to reevaluate the surface, now might be it with the Blue Jays out of town until May 4.
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By the way, had the Orioles gone through with the forfeit, it would have been the first on record since the Dodgers were forced to forfeit a game at Dodger Stadium on Aug. 10, 1995. The ruling came after Dodgers fans continued throwing giveaway baseball on the field after disputing a call.
We’re guessing the Orioles would never truly go through with their forfeit or boycott, but it’s interesting to hear those words thrown around. It will also be interesting to see how other teams feel about the turf, assuming there are no changes forthcoming.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
