No baseball this weekend at Dodger Stadium, as the ballpark is being made over to host two professional soccer matches.
Jackhammers were leveling the pitching mound yesterday, and sod was being laid down in the infield and the outfield warning track. From KPCC:
One goal will be near the Dodgers dugout. The other will be in right field. The dirt between and around the bases is mostly all gone. It’s been filled in with sod – but it’s a much lighter shade than the rest of the field.
“It’s going to look different, because it’s straight Bermuda grass that we put in here and the darker green of the existing turf has a lot of rye grass in it, which is a darker green,” explained Hansen.
Doing these events here does seem to be all about the green – the cash that is – providing new exposure and marketing opportunities for all parties.
The games are part of the eight-team International Champions Cup, featuring MLS teams like LA Galaxy and European teams like Chelsea FC and Real Madrid. The tourney is being played in non-MLS venues like Dodger Stadium and University of Phoenix Stadium.
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