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 This story is a little dated by now, but there were other things going on at the time.
After having the worst playing field in MLB over the past few seasons, shortly after they were dismissed from the playoffs the Cubs finally decided to do something about it and installed a new playing surface at Wrigley Field. After working their way through some bureaucratic mumbo-jumbo, the Cubs were able to hire the White Sox groundskeeper/guru Roger Bossard to bring the Cubs playing surface into the 21st Century.
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It's kind of hard to pick up while watching television, but as Klompus pointed out on our visit to Wrigley earlier this season.....the field was jacked up. As runners were coming around third base it seemed as if they were going to fall down. Most importantly though, it probably wasn't that safe.
The new drainage system, which cost about $1.5 million to install, is
designed to hold up to 60,000 gallons of water. The system is made up
of more than 1.5 miles of plastic pipes, which are pitched so that
gravity carries the rainwater toward a basin in the right-field corner.
Now, if one inch of rain falls at Wrigley Field, the Cubs will be able
to play 20 minutes later.
 In the old days the idea was to make the field sort of like a 'crown' so that all the water would run off the field to allow them to play quicker. Luckily, with time people came up with a better idea....underground drainage system. Unfortunately, the Cubs had used the 'crown method' for so long that their field was actually...well, I'll let Bossard explain it to you:
Bossard eliminated the "crown," which encompassed the entire infield
and an area extending 40 feet into the outfield. What it meant was not
only a slow drainage system, but it made it tough for anyone in the
dugouts to see beyond the pitcher.
Before, Cubs managers could see whoever was in right field from
the waist up. Now, Lou Piniella will be able to see the right fielder
from the shoes on up from the dugout.
Batters used to have to walk uphill to get to home plate. Not anymore.
"The difference is 14 inches," Bossard said. "When I came out
here first and saw the field, when a runner ran around third base, he
literally was going down a little bit of a hill, and now that area is
completely flat. Taking it down 14 inches -- in my business, 14 inches
is huge. It was a huge crown."
Bossard couldn't predict whether baserunners will be able to round third base a little tighter, but did predict better footing.
Sounds good to me. On top of that, they extended the warning track so that Alfonso Soriano could sleep better at night and so little Sam Fuld might be a little more aware of where that brick wall is...you know, because it doesn't 'give'.
What outfielders may appreciate even more is that the warning track was expanded by three feet so that it's now 20-feet wide.
"That's huge," Bossard said. "They wanted to get back to the way the
game is now. [Outfielders are] going to know now when the wall is
coming, instead of running right into the wall, and I think that's
important, and that's why the Cubs made the change."
So, it looks like the Cubs will go into the 2008 Season with a field that can't be complained about. If the Cubs keep upgrading everything we are going to run out of things to complain about, no? |
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2008 Cubs Preview
I think Eli Marrero can personally attest to how shitty the old drainage system was...
You'll have to remind me of what happened with him? He didn't get his Cancer from it, did he?
When Jack and I saw a game earlier this year at Wrigley I was amazed at how much the field dropped off from the batters box to the backstop wall. It was every bit of 14 inches and was ridiculous!
Marrero fractured his ankle, and tore some ligaments, if I remember, a few years back when he slipped in the outfield, which looked more like a swamp, frankly.
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