Paul Beeston wonders about grass at Skydome and making it a "baseball-only" facility

[shayman]

http://www.citytv.com/toronto/cityne...-rogers-centre

Paul Beeston is wondering out loud about installing grass at Skydome, which would only work if it was made a baseball-only facility.
I hope this was just idle speculation in response to a question, but if not ...Hooo boy, here we go.

[bluto]

a none-too-subtle shot across the good ship Argo's bow, no?

and some people still don't believe that Rogers has an official policy of disrupting the Argo's business and their fan's gameday experience...

[T-Bone]

There would be a lot of things to consider. The roof would have to be open a certain amount of time every day to get proper sun light which means a proper drainage system would have to be installed under the turf. That would also lead to weather proofing some stuff in the stadium, I'm sure. Plus how viable does the building become for concerts etc? Is that revenue that comes in during the Jays off season worth losing? There are a lot of questions and I don't see it happening anytime soon.

[ArgoRavi]

If people like Paul Beeston and Keith Pelley are supposed to be friends to the Argos, who needs enemies?

[1argoholic]

Beeson is a tool. As an educated landscape professional I can tell you that fertilizer alone does not keep grass healthy. If they want to add thousands upon thousands to the yearly budget they can install sod. What about water, proper drainage and the most important light? Are they going to install grow lamps? Then a whole new educated grounds crew. This building wasn't built in a way to have a grass field. Does Beeston think this is the same as laying sod in his yard? What lies under the turf now?
I'm very sure the stadiums drainage system is nowhere where it would need to be to take the watering needed for healthy grass. The very hot summer months would just cook the grass in that dome. But knowing Rogers they'd be stupid enough to waste all of this money to try.

[zontar]

Right, Beeston, you need a new house so you put in a new rug ? And you're supposed to be the guru ?

If I were a Jays fan I'd resent being treated like a monkey being tossed peanuts like this in the hopes to keep me quiet.

[argotom]

I still can't believe as evil as Rogers is that this could happen by them shutting out the Argos in the crap dome.
Can stupidity comes ahead of profit?
I guess we will have to wait and find out.

[Midnight Blue]

I know nothing about the intricacies of managing grass fields (except for what I've read above), and I know that Rogers would love nothing better than for the Argos to disappear, but could a grass field work for both baseball and Football, if the Skydome roof was closed during rain when the Argos played (which it is), so they didn't tear up the field and turn it into a mud-fest (fun as that would be - the way Football should be played)? I remember seeing on TV games in the past, where Football was played on grass and dirt (the dirt being the pitching mound and bases area), not that long ago, and perhaps it still happens in some stadiums. How do/did they do it? I do remember that it was common knowledge that Football players sustained less injuries on grass fields (as well as other sports), and even though there are now (and have been for a while) "softer" versions of Astroturf, grass is still the most forgiving, when it comes to injuries. Also, playing on grass is the Football History, and Tradition. Is there a way it could work?

I mean, if we could put a man on the moon...?

[DanTheFan]

Beeston has more to worry about than the grass. He said the Jays will be in the playoffs at least twice in the next 5 years. In that regard, I hope he's right.

[1argoholic]

There are plenty of wonderful new varieties of grass seed that have been developed to withstand less light, water etc..etc but this is a bonehead idea that would raise maintenance cost to the extreme not to mention the cost to install. This isn't just about ripping up the fake stuff and tossing down sod. Does this facility have proper drainage as it was built to shut rain out?

seems to me Beeston was just trying to say what he could to get more asses in the seats. They won't be in the playoffs anytime soon.

[Will]

If people like Paul Beeston and Keith Pelley are supposed to be friends to the Argos, who needs enemies?

Say what you will about Paul Beeston, I'm not ready to throw Keith Pelley under the rug. At least not yet. We as Argo fans owe a great deal to him.

[argolio]

I mean, if we could put a man on the moon...?

Did we REALLY put a man on the moon?

Isn't Paul Beeston the guy who signed Roger Clemens in 1996 and also paid for Roger's "support staff" (a.k.a. drug dealers)?

[Mulder]

Well I've heard rumours as to a stadium reno at the Rogers Centre. So it may be possible to do it then.

[Will]

Did we REALLY put a man on the moon?

Isn't Paul Beeston the guy who signed Roger Clemens in 1996 and also paid for Roger's "support staff" (a.k.a. drug dealers)?

Nope it was all a conspiracy.

[matthew]

Paul Beeston and the Argos sharing happier times together at 4:14
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zR1wBCj2pMo

[Mulder]

Toronto Star Article

http://www.thestar.com/article/11282...-rogers-centre

[Argonauter]

That would cost alot of money and be hard to do. If they do it I wonder where the Argos would have to end up playing.

[T-Bone]

That would cost alot of money and be hard to do. If they do it I wonder where the Argos would have to end up playing.

If it is possible to do, Rogers has the money to do it. The Arogs ownership seriously needs to look in to getting in with one of the Pan Am facilities ASAP.

[Skinny G]

I was recently driving along King St. West... and drove by Lamport. It's a 23-24000 seat stadium, sitting in the middle of one of the most up and coming neighbourhoods in Toronto. There is actually a couple parking lots in the area. Couple issues are driving in that area would be pretty bad, and I think the only transit that passes there is the King St. streetcar.... but this could be a consideration, if renovations to this aren't too expensive.

I think somehow getting in on the York site (via Pan Am Games), is the best bet. Ample parking (allowing for tail gating), Go Bus/TTC/York Region Transit all go to York, plus the fact that the subway is being built to York. Plus, the possibilty of having their training facility there (or even close by at Downsview where they are building the MLS training centre) might be decent.

[argonaut11xx]

GRASS in the dome...a GREAT idea....why?

well the Toronto Soccer Club likes playing on grass...so they can move into the Skydome, and the Argo's can have BMO...makes perfect sence...