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Alden Gonzalez, ESPN Staff WriterOct 21, 2024, 05:47 PM ET
- ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the L.A. Rams for ESPN from 2016 to 2018 and the L.A. Angels for MLB.com from 2012 to 2016.
The Athletics‘ temporary ballpark in Sacramento, California, will include natural grass, not artificial turf, a pivot that should ease concerns about playing on a synthetic surface in a city of extreme heat.
The A’s, who recently concluded their final season in Oakland, will spend at least the next three years sharing Sutter Health Park with the San Francisco Giants‘ Triple-A affiliate, the Sacramento River Cats, before their anticipated move to Las Vegas in 2028.
Major League Baseball initially planned to install synthetic turf at the facility in large part because it would provide a more durable surface for a stadium that would host two teams. But the MLB Players’ Association raised concerns about how that surface would exacerbate the heat during the summer months, even with a hydration component touted by MLB commissioner Rob Manfred in July. Sacramento experienced its hottest 20-day stretch on record earlier this summer, with temperatures averaging 103.8 degrees from June 23 to July 12.
A final assessment from MLB’s field consultant, Murray Cook, stated that natural grass is indeed viable at Sutter Health Park.
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“Since the beginning of this process, we have worked collaboratively with the MLBPA to incorporate feedback from major and minor league players regarding the facilities, amenities, and playing conditions in Sacramento,” a league spokesperson said in a statement. “Based on feedback from players, as well as guidance from MLB’s long-time field expert, MLB, the A’s and Sutter Health Park have decided to maintain a natural grass field.
“Our shared, primary concern is ensuring the best and safest playing surface for the A’s, River Cats and visiting players. In light of the players’ clear preference for natural grass, and after weighing with the MLBPA the potential risks and benefits of maintaining natural grass versus replacing the playing surface with synthetic turf, all the parties are aligned in moving forward with a natural grass field for Opening Day 2025.”
MLB will also renovate Sutter Health Park’s clubhouses, dugouts, bullpens and batter’s eye ahead of the 2025 season. The A’s have the option to remain in Sacramento for an extra season if construction of their fixed-roof ballpark in Las Vegas is delayed.
