Baseball outfield...?

Question

Why do they mow the grass the way they do?

Answer 1

Groundskeepers are artists and the baseball field is their canvas. Baseball rules and regulations allow the groundskeepers to tailor their home field just about any way the home team desires, thus creating the term home field advantage. For years, the groundskeepers have been doing little things here and there to benefit the home team. Some of the techniques provide actual benefit to the home team and some of the techniques provide a perceived benefit. As far as the outfield grass is concerned, it is true that some teams mow the grass in a distinct pattern to affect the spin and travel of a baseball, sometimes to slow it down and sometimes to speed the ball up, depending on the teams strengths and weaknesses. Sometimes the grass is even cut at different lengths in different spots of the field. Other techniques used by groundskeepers you can look for at the ballpark are things like the amount of water used on the infield (used to slow down fast teams), the amount of chalk and clay put down on the baselines (used to keep bunted balls in fair territory), the length of the infield grass (cut higher to keep ground balls in the infield for easy outs or shorter to shoot ground balls through the infield holes for base hits). There are way too many tricks to cover in this one answer! Look for more tricks when you watch a game; they are easy to find by examing the strengths and weaknesses of the teams playing. Have fun!

Answer 2

They not only mow it so that when you're at the game you can see, lets say the Red Sox symbol, but to give a litteral home field advantage the the home team. For example. If a team has a good bunter on the team the grass will be longer so that the ball won't roll fast and stop quickly and give the runner a chance to reach 1st.

Answer 3

To show spirit. Most fields are mowed in different patterns. They are showing their individuality. I am a huge Astros fan, but the Red Sox had an outstanding mowing job when they were in the 2004 World Series. There was an image of 'two red socks' on the field. You ain't doin' that with a regular lawn mower.

Answer 4

Sometimes the groundskeepers do it just to make it look neat, but a lot of times they mow it in such a way that will slow down the bounce of the ball or speed it up.

Answer 5

It makes it look nice and also gives the outfielders some perspective when judging the ball on the ground

Answer 6

Groundskeepers take pride in the Job that they do so they showcase the fields they work on by doing the reverse cuts that you see.

Answer 7

its all in the cut. i toured yankee stadium a couple of years ago and the tour guide told us the grounds crew make the criss cross the way that they do because its like an artform. it looks great.

Answer 8

it makes tracks where the ball can come faster or slower depending on the cut and it looks good

Answer 9

so outfield players have something else to look at

Answer 10

For TV