- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 412,270
- Reaction score
- 43
Texas baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle has an issue with the warning track at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.
Namely, it doesn't provide much of a warning.
Traditional fields have a warning track that alerts outfielders to the proximity of the wall because they can feel the surface underneath their cleats transition from grass to dirt — even with their attention focused on the sky as they track fly balls.
The Longhorns play on a turf surface at home. A stripe of brown turf borders the outfield wall and approximates the aesthetic look of a warning track, but doesn't serve the functional purpose for some Longhorns.
CED'S TAKE: Texas baseball has a potential star closer in 6-6 freshman Dylan Volantis
"The turf is the same on the green stuff and the brown stuff," Schlossnagle said after a game against LSU this weekend. "When we re-do the field, we're going to have a real warning track, at least a different feel to the warning track. ... Even just in practice, I'm really concerned. Their center fielder jumped into the wall, didn't know where he was on the field, and that's because our warning track needs some help."
Sophomore center fielder Will Gasparino has become adept at dealing with the outfield's landscape after starting 58 games last season, Schlossnagle said. Likewise, everyday right fielder Max Belyeu has plenty of experience in the outfield at Disch-Falk. He appeared in 59 contests for the Longhorns last season.
Those who don't share their familiarity can run into trouble.
"It's a lot of practice," Schlossagle said. "It's a lot of communication, if you can hear. It's a skill to know where you are on the field, peripheral vision, use your throwing hand to feel for the fence when you can, and know that when the ball's driven, there's going to be times when you're running into a fence when you catch a ball.
"The worst thing for an outfielder is to not know where he is. Tommy (Farmer) I think had one the other day where he he thought he had a chance to have a play on the ball and he ran full speed into that little wall in left field. That's where you have to use your hand to know where you are on the field."
WILLIAMS: Jonah Williams update: Texas two-sport talent has baseball debut, but what about football?
If Schlossnagle has his way, it won't be a topic of discussion for much longer.
Turf has a life cycle of roughly eight or nine years, Schlossnagle said Thursday, and the patch that currently resides at Disch-Falk Field is approaching the end of that life cycle.
That leaves Schlossnagle and the Texas athletic department with a looming choice: Lay down a new patch of turf, or switch to natural grass.
The first-year Texas coach said he wasn't ready to commit to one path or another. If he does opt for the turf route, the warning track in the outfield will take on a different texture than the rest of the field.
He also hopes to engineer the next patch of turf to play more like a natural surface would. The ball moves more slowly than usual across the infield at Disch-Falk, Schlossnagle said.
"If we keep the turf, what I would like to do is, where the grass is supposed to be, have that play a little slower like grass would, and where the dirt's supposed to be, have that play a little faster, so that when we go to a natural surface field, we're not at a disadvantage, or at least we're at less of a disadvantage," he said.
No matter what the Longhorns choose, Schlossnagle said the next resurfacing job is likely to be a bit more costly. That's because the Longhorns are currently playing on an incline rising up from home plate out toward the infield. If the pitcher's mound were perfectly flat, Schlossnagle said, the pitching rubber would still be seven inches higher than home plate. That's because of a crown placed on the original astroturf laid down at Disch-Falk that allowed it to drain properly.
"We're going to need to take the turf off, level the field, then put (down) new turf or grass," he said.
Reach Texas Insider David Eckert via email at [email protected]. Follow the American-Statesman on Facebook and X for more. Your subscription makes work like this possible. Get access to all of our best content with this tremendous offer.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Why Jim Schlossnagle wants changes made to Texas baseball's ballpark
Continue reading...
Namely, it doesn't provide much of a warning.
Traditional fields have a warning track that alerts outfielders to the proximity of the wall because they can feel the surface underneath their cleats transition from grass to dirt — even with their attention focused on the sky as they track fly balls.
The Longhorns play on a turf surface at home. A stripe of brown turf borders the outfield wall and approximates the aesthetic look of a warning track, but doesn't serve the functional purpose for some Longhorns.
CED'S TAKE: Texas baseball has a potential star closer in 6-6 freshman Dylan Volantis
"The turf is the same on the green stuff and the brown stuff," Schlossnagle said after a game against LSU this weekend. "When we re-do the field, we're going to have a real warning track, at least a different feel to the warning track. ... Even just in practice, I'm really concerned. Their center fielder jumped into the wall, didn't know where he was on the field, and that's because our warning track needs some help."
Sophomore center fielder Will Gasparino has become adept at dealing with the outfield's landscape after starting 58 games last season, Schlossnagle said. Likewise, everyday right fielder Max Belyeu has plenty of experience in the outfield at Disch-Falk. He appeared in 59 contests for the Longhorns last season.
Those who don't share their familiarity can run into trouble.
"It's a lot of practice," Schlossagle said. "It's a lot of communication, if you can hear. It's a skill to know where you are on the field, peripheral vision, use your throwing hand to feel for the fence when you can, and know that when the ball's driven, there's going to be times when you're running into a fence when you catch a ball.
"The worst thing for an outfielder is to not know where he is. Tommy (Farmer) I think had one the other day where he he thought he had a chance to have a play on the ball and he ran full speed into that little wall in left field. That's where you have to use your hand to know where you are on the field."
WILLIAMS: Jonah Williams update: Texas two-sport talent has baseball debut, but what about football?
If Schlossnagle has his way, it won't be a topic of discussion for much longer.
Turf has a life cycle of roughly eight or nine years, Schlossnagle said Thursday, and the patch that currently resides at Disch-Falk Field is approaching the end of that life cycle.
That leaves Schlossnagle and the Texas athletic department with a looming choice: Lay down a new patch of turf, or switch to natural grass.
The first-year Texas coach said he wasn't ready to commit to one path or another. If he does opt for the turf route, the warning track in the outfield will take on a different texture than the rest of the field.
He also hopes to engineer the next patch of turf to play more like a natural surface would. The ball moves more slowly than usual across the infield at Disch-Falk, Schlossnagle said.
"If we keep the turf, what I would like to do is, where the grass is supposed to be, have that play a little slower like grass would, and where the dirt's supposed to be, have that play a little faster, so that when we go to a natural surface field, we're not at a disadvantage, or at least we're at less of a disadvantage," he said.
You must be registered for see images attach
No matter what the Longhorns choose, Schlossnagle said the next resurfacing job is likely to be a bit more costly. That's because the Longhorns are currently playing on an incline rising up from home plate out toward the infield. If the pitcher's mound were perfectly flat, Schlossnagle said, the pitching rubber would still be seven inches higher than home plate. That's because of a crown placed on the original astroturf laid down at Disch-Falk that allowed it to drain properly.
"We're going to need to take the turf off, level the field, then put (down) new turf or grass," he said.
Reach Texas Insider David Eckert via email at [email protected]. Follow the American-Statesman on Facebook and X for more. Your subscription makes work like this possible. Get access to all of our best content with this tremendous offer.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Why Jim Schlossnagle wants changes made to Texas baseball's ballpark
Continue reading...
