PNC Park to get new sod earlier

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The Pittsburgh Pirates are getting a new sod carpet for their field of dreams.
Team officials said there was no problem with the old grass, which had been in the park since it opened in 2001, but decided to put in new sod earlier than planned so the field will be in pristine shape for the 2006 All-Star Game, which the city will host.
"It's a regular project that you do every so often," said Patty Paytas, vice president of communications. "According to the experts, (replacing the grass now) gives the turf a full year to take hold so then, by 2006, it's in prime condition."
The Pirates are getting the new grass from the same Michigan turf farm that supplied the field's original grass, but the new bluegrass mix is supposed to grow faster and recover from wear more quickly, said Steve Peeler, the team's manager of field maintenance.
Peeler said ballpark grass should be replaced at least every five years because wear and tear and thatch build-up will diminish the field's appearance and affect the speed and path of baseballs. He'd prefer to put in new grass every year, which the St. Louis Cardinals do at Busch Stadium.
PNC Park has drawn rave reviews since it opened. "I like to call it a face lift," Peeler said. "We're just making something that was pretty prettier."
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