Sorry to rant so much and embarrass you, my passion is showing again. An Engineer ask me to comment on the Owners request to remove the warning track in the outfield of a High School baseball field: The owners clearly do not understand the game of baseball and are asking for legal liabilities in removing any “Warning Track” (it is named that for a reason). Also in baseball it should go all the way around the field a suggested minimum is 10 feet in all locations. The warning track also allows for the field access without damage to the turf when fertilizing, mowing, top dressing, aerification or any other cultural practices not to mention a great place for service vehicles to be able to get to the light towers and fencing repairs or service. If there is a wall behind the home plate it is very dangerous to NOT have a warning track there. Really the Owner has every right to change the system as they are the owners. However it is my responsibility to you the Engineer and me the Expert in athletic field construction to point out the obvious without a sugar coating so you may be able to filter it to be more palatable to the owner. They are about to make a grand mistake when during a game on this field without a warning track, a child get his arm broke or a severe neck/back/body injury that may end his potential professional career due to trying to catch a fly ball on a dead run crashing the fence/wall without a warning track present. If that child has an attorney, well..... they could build Turner field for the amount of that settlement when it is “recommended” by many of the Official Organizations the monitor and regulate this game and is installed on many of baseball fields in the country in HS sports. The warning track is a WARNING to the player that he/she is near the limits of the field when they are looking skyward to field a batted ball. They can eliminate it but they may want to at least consider the padding of all the fences and walls to at least show some concern for the safety of the players and that would most likely cost 6-8 times the cost of the track.
Posted on: Thu, 19 Jun 2014 13:02:14 +0000
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