© The Baseball Bloggess
In response to The Daily Post’s weekly photo challenge: “Vivid.”
The very first time I went to a baseball game — a real game, with a real diamond and a manicured field — the grass made me blink.
I don’t think I’d ever seen grass so green, so bright, so lush, so … vivid … as the outfield grass around a baseball diamond.
When Little League fields and ad hoc diamonds in public parks start to brown in the heat of summer it always makes me a little sad. Because every player deserves some lush vivid green grass under their cleats.
Photo: University of Virginia Starting Pitcher Brandon Waddell, warming up in left field before his start on Saturday in the NCAA Super Regionals. Virginia defeated the University of Maryland and will advance to the College World Series this weekend.
The Baseball Bloggess 
Green, green grass may be good for cleats, but your photo made me remember vividly how wonderful grass feels on bare feet and toes, especially after a rain. Many a summer day when growing up we went barefoot all day long. Thanks for another great memory.
Bare feet on soft grass … wonderful! The very first time I had an opportunity to go down onto a professional ball field, the very first thing I did … I pressed my hand down into the outfield grass. It was heaven. (Yes, I avoided the piles of sunflower seed shells!)
I love the work that the grounds crew does at Kauffman Stadium… except lately. Lately, the mowing job just looks like a badly designed T-shirt.
“A badly designed t-shirt.” :) Camden Yards is always prim and proper and never trendy … just plain old green grass mowed just so. I’m very pleased that the Groundskeeper for the Orioles is a woman … and she’s considered one of the best in baseball.
I love morning games, with the smell of the grass! Good luck to Virginia in the CWS. Going to Omaha is high on my baseball bucket list for sure.
-Mike
Thanks Mike! It’s on our bucket list too. We considered this season a rebuilding year — after last season’s good run (and losing so many players to the MLB draft last June). And, it sure did seem like a freshman-heavy rebuilding year until about 3 weeks ago when they started playing for real. So, we never really considered this season an option for Omaha. Heck, I had trouble cancelling appointments to get to the Super Regional games last weekend! We didn’t expect THAT to happen either. :) (I know, a nice problem to have.)
This will be a good opportunity for UVa’s freshmen to get a taste of the CWS … so they’ll be hungry next season … and I can finally book my trip to Omaha!
I felt the same way about Wrigley Field in the summer – when the Ivy was lush and green, and the grass in the park was immaculate. There is something cool about getting to sit close enough to hear the cleats digging through the infield dirt.