Sliding Pit

[Edgy MD]

The Blue Jays have announced the intention to install an all-dirt infield at the Steve J. Rogers Center before the start of next season, bringing an end to the last stadium in the big leagues with a an artificial turf infield outlined by white paint marking where the dirt arc would have been with sliding pits around each base.

Fare thee well, sliding pits!

[Benjamin Grimm]

I never understood why that was the norm. Even as far back as the early 70's, why didn't Veterans Stadium, Riverfront, Three Rivers, etc. have all-dirt infields? Did the teams actually want to encourage those zingy artificial turf base hits?

[Guest d'Kong76]

I don't think I was ever aware that they were called sliding pits.

[Zvon]

They must have felt the less seams the better off they were. Bad bounce ground balls off the seams were an issue IIRC. They still were but the sliding pit style limited the amount of them.

[Zvon]

d'Kong76 wrote: I don't think I was ever aware that they were called sliding pits.

I think he made it up. When I hear sliding pits I think:

[fimg=400]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-kUrmFVlp3IQ/UsiGkQrhd-I/AAAAAAAALBM/_y2oPVMRM88/s640-Ic42/EDS1346786325ESQMAD.jpg[/fimg][fimg=400]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fCR00cLMCC4/UsiGkADeg1I/AAAAAAAALBQ/s4V_ApKtgx4/s640-Ic42/EDS1346786322LWGMPE.jpg[/fimg]

[Frayed Knot]

I think the simple reasoning behind them was less dirt to maintain.

btw, whoever that runner on 1st is, I think he's about to get picked off.

[Frayed Knot]

Sliding pits? That one on the right looks like a quick-sand pit.

[ashie62]

I have a sliding pit for ya.

[Guest cooby classic]

Frayed Knot wrote: I think the simple reasoning behind them was less dirt to maintain. btw, whoever that runner on 1st is, I think he's about to get picked off.

I think he's going to induce a three base error and score.