JOSE BAUTISTA'S PLAY ON ASTROTURF RESULTS IN SECOND SILVER SLUGGER AWARD

(TORONTO) - It looks like Jose Bautista has found a home on the AstroTurf in right field for the Toronto Blue Jays. It also looks like he’s found his second consecutive Silver Slugger Award, given to the best offensive player at each position.

Bautista, from the Dominican Republic, has been in the big leagues since 2004, when he was on the rosters of four different teams. Since then, he has played six different positions.

2010 became a true breakout year for Bautista. Playing right field full time, Bautista belted a league-leading 54 home runs, making him the 26th member of the 50 home run club. He was selected to the All Star team and won the Hank Aaron Award and the Silver Slugger Award.

Bautista was just as impressive in 2011. He hit 43 home runs and became the first player since Mark McGwire (1998-99) to lead the lead in home runs over two consecutive years. In July, he set a record for the most All Star votes ever for a single player, with 7,454,753. That surpassed the previous record set in 1994 by Ken Griffey, Jr.

Yesterday, the league announced that Bautista was a recipient of the Silver Slugger Award for the second consecutive year. He also won a second consecutive Hank Aaron Award for his efforts this season.

Bautista’s coming into his own has paid off in handsome dividends for the slugger. The Blue Jays, in order to make sure he is still playing on the AstroTurf in the Rogers Centre, awarded him with a new contract this past February. The deal extended his contract for five seasons and was valued at $64 million.

The Toronto Blue Jays and the Tampa Bay Rays are the two Major League Baseball teams which play on AstroTurf GameDay Grass 3D systems. AstroTurf is The Official Synthetic Turf of Major League Baseball.

AstroTurf is becoming more widely used in baseball due to the realistic, grass-like looks and performance it provides players and teams. Recently, many college programs have added AstroTurf baseball fields, including Kansas, Kansas State, Wichita State, Ohio State, Duke, and Wake Forest. The Virginia Tech Hokies are currently installing a new AstroTurf playing surface.

“Jose Bautista is one of the most exciting players in the game and we’re proud that he plays on a great surface like AstroTurf,” said Bryan Peeples, president of AstroTurf. “We are also proud that so many players who will have an impact in the future are able to play on our fields, as more and more teams make the change.”

About AstroTurf
For many athletes and sport enthusiasts, the AstroTurf brand has redefined the way the game is played. The company offers advanced, state-of-the-art, multi-sport and specialized synthetic turf systems with proprietary engineered technologies, leveraging the industry’s only vertically integrated manufacturing system. A growing number of high schools, colleges, professional sports teams and municipalities continue to select AstroTurf-branded products for their premium quality, technical superiority and safety. Recent innovations from AstroTurf include GameDay Grass 3D with RootZone, a polyethylene/nylon hybrid system which most closely replicates natural grass; a non-chemical antimicrobial shield protecting against MRSA and other infectious bacteria; and AstroFlect Technology which significantly reduces turf surface temperatures. To learn more, visit www.astroturfusa.com.

TAMPA BAY RAYS SELECT ASTROTURF® FOR NEW PLAYING SURFACE AT TROPICANA FIELD

(ST. PETERSBURG, FL) - Attempting to improve on winning two American League East titles in the past three seasons, the Tampa Bay Rays are not only building a championship team, they are building a championship field.

The Rays announced that they have begun installation of a new, American-made, AstroTurf® field at the 1.1 million square foot Tropicana Field.
“The AstroTurf® fiber and in-fill systems contain the very latest technology and will provide our players the best playing surface available,” said Rays President Matt Silverman. “Our players had the opportunity to work out on the new turf, and their opinions contributed to our decision to install AstroTurf®.”
The Rays played on synthetic turf surfaces since their inaugural season in 1998, but the change to AstroTurf® means they will be playing on the most advanced surface in the world today.

The AstroTurf® installation at Tropicana Field has already begun and will be ready for play when the Rays open the season against the Baltimore Orioles on April 1st.

AstroTurf® is the Official Synthetic Turf for Major League Baseball and is also used by the Toronto Blue Jays.

“To receive such a designation comes with requirements,” said Howard Smith, Senior Vice President, Licensing, Major League Baseball. “AstroTurf® produces a very high quality product, and we’re glad to see the Rays get a brand new, top of the line field.”

The field will be AstroTurf® GameDay Grass™ 3D60H. GameDay Grass™, in an independent study at Michigan State University and funded by NFL Charities, was determined to perform more like natural grass than other synthetic surface tested.

It also features the innovative, fully-tested Horseshoe fiber. The Horseshoe shape, an Omega or “C”, with a dual-column design, imparts unrivaled mechanical memory to the fiber. The fiber remains “upright” longer. The Horseshoe fiber continues to spring back to its original configuration, providing players with a grass-like, uniform, predictable playing field.

An upright fiber has the best aesthetics and playability.

-Fibers that tend to lay over, wear out sooner. The Horseshoe is thicker and stronger, not just at the spine. This creates a more durable field.

-The Horseshoe fiber is made with the “XQ” polymer. It is tough, but not on athletes. The XQ polymer has been used successfully for years around the globe, and when in combination with proper field fiber density and infill height, has never failed. The same cannot be said for the many failures associated with non-QX polymer, “spined” field fields, especially in high UV areas.

-Light is properly reflected, resulting in better looking field, both live an on film.

-Ball roll is similar in performance to natural grass.

-Low slide resistance is assured, eliminating rug burns.

-Footing is uniform and predictable.

-Cleats penetrate and “release” properly for good biomechanical function.
In addition to the strength of the fiber, the AstroTurf® 3D60H system features 60 ounces of fiber per square yard, the most of any synthetic surface.

Further enhancing the durability and safety of the field is the proprietary RootZone®, a dense sub-layer of nylon fibers which act as an infill stabilizer system to prevent migration and splash of the rubber granule infill.

Many collegiate and high school teams, as well as municipalities, are making the change to AstroTurf® baseball fields, all of which have the Major League Baseball endorsement. In addition to Toronto, some of those include Wichita State, Duke, Kansas, James Madison University, and Wake Forest.

“We are proud to be working with the Rays organization,” said Bryan Peeples, President of AstroTurf®. “Our hope is that this field will be a source of pride for players and fans and that the team excels at playing on such an incredible field.”

About AstroTurf®
For many athletes and sport enthusiasts, the AstroTurf® brand has redefined the way the game is played. AstroTurf® offers advanced, state-of-the-art, multi-sport, and specialized synthetic turf systems with proprietary engineered technologies, leveraging a vertically integrated manufacturing system. A growing number of high schools, colleges, professional sports teams and municipalities select AstroTurf®-branded products for their premium quality, technical superiority, and safety. To learn more, visit www.astroturfusa.com. You can also check out AstroTurf® on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/AstroTurf/124352067595110.

Eck Stadium begins upgrade for field

By Paul Suellentrop
The Wichita Eagle

Wichita State baseball coach Gene Stephenson has words of comfort for the traditionalists who wants baseball played on grass.

Grass is on its way out at Eck Stadium. Stephenson believes players and fans won't see much of a difference with AstroTurf GameDay Grass.

"You run your hand over this stuff, you will think it's grass," he said. "If you had your eyes closed, you would think 'man, this feels like grass.' "

Eck Stadium's transformation to an all-turf playing surface began Tuesday afternoon.

By Wednesday, crews scraped off half of the outfield grass, dismantled the outfield fence and began tearing up the old infield turf.

By the end of September, the synthetic turf will cover the entire playing surface. The pitcher's mound will be the only dirt on the field.

The sliding pits, batters box and base paths will be dirt-colored turf. The turf in those areas will be shorter than the infield and outfield, in order to simulate the look and play of a dirt and grass infield. The batters box will feature removable pieces, held by Velcro, to keep that area looking fresh. The turf features a component, called AstroFlect, that will keep it cooler than other synthetic turfs, West said.

"This will play a lot more like grass and look like natural grass," said Mark West, AstroTurf director of sales. "We feel it replicates grass as closely as it can be replicated."

Stephenson expects the surface to play faster than turf infields at schools such as Kansas State and Texas. West said WSU is the first stadium to use GameDay Grass.

"It will be faster than other turf that's out there, because of the nature of how it's filled," Stephenson said. "But it will be slower than the turf we currently have."

The new turf replaces the old AstroTurf infield, installed after the 1999 season. West said maintenance is minimal. WSU will need to groom the field every 30 days, depending on the amount of use.

"It's going to be fun to play on," Stephenson said. "I think it will be on the cutting edge of new fields for all of baseball."

A construction cam will be up and running in the next few weeks at www.AstroTurfUSA.com. Follow all the progress as the Shockers new state-of-the-art GameDay Grass field is installed.

Midsummer Classic

Sunday marked the final day of the first half to the 2009 MLB regular season. As the stars arrive in St. Louis for tonight’s Home Run Derby and tomorrows All-Star game, we look back at an interesting first half and look forward to the second half. As for a prediction, I believe this is the year the National League gets its revenge and earns its 1st All-Star Game victory since 1996.

National League 6, American League 4

Midseason Awards

NL Team – San Francisco Giants (49-39, 7 GB NL West, NL Wild Card Leader)

Bruce Bochy’s third season in San Francisco is off to a memorable start. Capped on Friday night with Jonathan Sanchez throwing the first no-hitter of the 2009 season, the Giants find themselves two games up on the Rockies in the NL Wild Card standings.

Coming off a forgettable 72-90 campaign in 2008, the Giants are well positioned to make a run at their first trip to the playoffs since 2003.

The Giants are led by one of the best young pitching staffs in baseball, with All-Stars Tim Lincecum (10-2, 2.33 ERA) and Mat Cain (10-2, 2.42 ERA) heading the group. Barry Zito and Randy Johnson have provided solid veteran leadership and solidified the #3 and #4 positions in the rotation with Jonathan Sanchez now guaranteed the final rotation stop.

The offense has been paced by All-Star snub Pablo Sandoval. The 22 year old 3B is batting a team-high .331 with 14 HR and 53 RBI in 80 games. Veteran C Bengie Molina has provided some needed pop behind the plate, with 11 HR and 50 RBI in 78 games.

Ultimately, the Giants will only go as far as their young starting pitchers will carry them. With Lincecum and Cain on top of the rotation, they are set for a run in the 2nd half.

AL Team - Detroit Tigers (48-39, 1st place in Central)

Another team off to a tremendous start after a tumultuous 2008, the Tigers find themselves with a 3.5 game lead in the Central at the break. After a last place finish in 2008, Jim Leyland’s youngsters have the largest lead of any team in the AL at the half way point.

The offense has been lead by 1st time All-Star 3B Brandon Inge (.264, 19 HR, 54 RBI) and All-Star OF Curtis Granderson (.254, 18 HR, 43 RBI, 15 SB). All-Star snub Miguel Cabrera (.322, 17 HR, 48 RBI) continues to put up solid numbers at first base.

The rotation has been a pleasant surprise for Jim Leyland’s squad. All-Star Justin Verlander has led the rotation (9-4, 3.59 ERA) of youngsters and cast-offs through the first half.

The biggest surprise however has been 1st time All-Star Edwin Jackson (7-4, 2.52 ERA). A promising prospect in the Dodgers farm system, Jackson made his MLB debut at the ripe age of 19 in 2003. After making just 14 starts in 3 seasons in LA, the Dodgers shipped Jackson to Tampa Bay, where he spent two full seasons in the rotation, amassing a 19-26 record in 63 starts with a stint in the bullpen during the 2008 playoffs. Jackson was again traded this off-season to Detroit in exchange for Matt Joyce where he has not disappointed.

At the break, Jackson leads the AL in WHIP (1.060), Hits per 9 IP (6.953), and is 2nd in the AL in ERA (2.515).

The Tigers will be in a three team race down the stretch with the White Sox and Twins for the Central division crown. But expect Jim Leyland to pull out all the stops to keep his young team on top of AL Central.

MVP – Albert Pujols 1B, St. Louis Cardinals

At 29, “The Machine” shows no signs of breaking down. After taking home the 2008 NL MVP, Pujols is the leader in the clubhouse for the 2009 crown. When the second half begins, Pujols will begin his attempt to complete the first Triple Crown in MLB since 1967.

Pujols leads the NL in Home Runs (32), RBIs (87) and is 4th in Batting Average (.332), trailing the leader Hanley Ramirez (.349). MLB’s leading vote getter for the All-Star, Pujols will make his 8th appearance in the midsummer classic, starting at 1B in his home ballpark, Busch Stadium.

Second Half Fearless Predictions

Here is how we see the final stretch of the season shaping up:

National League
East – Philadelphia Phillies
Central – Milwaukee Brewers
West – Los Angeles Dodgers
Wild Card – St. Louis Cardinals

American League
East – Boston Red Sox
Central – Minnesota Twins
West – Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Wild Card – New York Yankees

World Series – Los Angeles Dodgers over the Boston Red Sox

Enjoy the Home Run Derby tonight and All-Star Game tomorrow, and then buckle your seat belt for an exciting second half.