Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, September 19, 1995 TAG: 9509200016
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: MIAMI LENGTH: Medium
The teams share Joe Robbie Stadium for two months of the year, taking turns on a natural-grass field that becomes less than ideal for either sport because it must serve two tenants.
Dolphins linebacker Bryan Cox and receiver Gary Clark, a former Pulaski County High School standout, said poor footing on the dirt infield was to blame for minor injuries they suffered this year. The Marlins have it no better, because football games tear up the grass.
``It's a tough situation,'' said Alan Sigwardt, the stadium's head groundskeeper. ``Both sports have to compromise.
``The field is in pristine condition before the Dolphins start. People rave about the field. Once the Dolphins play two or three games on it, they chop it up good. And the Dolphins have to play with the dirt. They're not used to that.''
To compound the problem, September is the second-rainiest month in South Florida, making it difficult to control the moisture level in the infield dirt.
``If you don't water it enough, it makes it worse,'' Clark said, ``because then it's like a skating rink.''
But over-watering the infield turns it into a quagmire.
``It's one of the toughest fields in the country to manage, because of the weather,'' Sigwardt said. ``We have good turf-growing weather, but having to protect and baby that piece of dirt is difficult.''
The Dolphins' game Monday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers was their last this year on the two-sport field. By the time they play their next home game Oct.8 against Indianapolis, the Marlins' season will be over and the infield will be gone.
Sigwardt and his crew will sod the infield with rolls 48 inches wide and at least 20 feet long. The size will keep the sod from sliding around until it takes root.
Only three other NFL teams - the Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers and San Diego Chargers - share natural-grass fields with baseball teams, and rain is not as big a problem at those stadiums as in Miami.
Artificial turf is an unlikely solution for Joe Robbie Stadium because most football players also dislike plastic grass. Rankings of NFL fields compiled last year by the players union had the Steelers' artificial turf at the bottom. The Dolphins' grass ranked third-best, behind only Tampa Bay and Phoenix.
Artificial turf for both football and baseball may be the worst combination. That's what the Steelers face, because they and the Pirates share Three Rivers Stadium.
Keywords:
FOOTBALL
by CNB