The latest from the Indianapolis Indians: giving fans the choice about what pattern is mown into the outfield turf at Victory Field on Opening Day.
The Indianapolis Indians (Class AAA; International League) have unveiled new fan poll, giving them a say on what mowing pattern will appear on the Victory Field playing surface for the Tribe’s Thursday April 9 season opener.
Fans can vote on one of four different patterns. The patterns include the Diamond Cut, Angels Cut, Big Little Cut and the Checkered Board Cut.
The "Diamond Cut" create a series of side-by-side diamonds. This was the pattern used in last year’s Major League postseason by the World Series Champion Philadelphia Phillies.
The "Angels Cut" includes a design that has each outfielder standing in a striped pattern pointed towards home plate, while the infield contains a popular variation of checkerboard and diamond cuts. This design was made famous at Angel Stadium in Anaheim.
The "Big Little Cut" is the simplest and cleanest of all the designs mowed with parallel straight lines that branch from dirt edge to dirt edge. In this design all areas of grass in play maintain a consistent pattern but the outfield does contain thicker lines than the infield. This style is commonly seen on fields throughout all levels of baseball.
The "Checkered Board Cut" design appears just as it sounds. Both the outfield and infield are cut at a crossing pattern turning the field into one giant checkerboard.
Fans can find the poll online now at the Indianapolis Indians homepage, located on the right hand margin.
Voting for the "Opening Night Mowing Pattern" poll will end Friday April 3.
Subscribers to the weekly Ballpark Digest newsletter see articles before they’re posted to the site. You can sign up for a free subscription at the Newsletter Signup Page.
Join Ballpark Digest on Facebook and on Twitter!