The Blue Jays will be using a new artificial playing surface this year. Toronto has installed AstroTurf to replace the FieldTurf that has been used for the past few seasons. The new surface consists of long, removable strips (an estimated 90 pieces for the baseball field) rather than the square trays of turf (1,400 pieces). It will require less time to move in and out, and having fewer seams will, hopefully, create smoother hops for balls hit on the ground.
— I don't know if this is old news, but in
Jordan Bastian's latest Inbox at MLB.com, he confirms the change in the turf this season at the (Sky)Dome.
Haven't kept up with the latest developments in artificial turf, but I remember what a big deal the Jays made about the switch to FieldTurf a few years ago - how it was long overdue, we were one of the last teams if not the last to still be using the old AstroTurf, this would be some much easier on the players, it would almost be like grass, etc. But now we're going back to AstroTurf? What's changed, has AstroTurf improved its product in the interim?
Going by Jordan's answer, the change is being made because AstroTurf is easier for the stadium operations crew to work with and it creates a more even playing surface. But no mention of its impact on the players' bodies, which was the key selling point when they put in the FieldTurf.
Can anyone shed some light on this?
