New home turf

[Durango53]

The Twins tried out their new turf April 5 in the season opener, and it's clear the synthetic grass surface will take some getting used to. The benefits, though, should far outweigh the drawbacks. The best thing about the new surface is that it's soft. Ailing backs and knees should get a break, and outfielders won't have to worry about nasty scrapes every time they dive for a ball. The AstroTurf was basically a hard slab of green carpet on top of cement. Manager Ron Gardenhire is grateful his players, especially Torii Hunter, will be safer.

[Durango53]

For years, Twins players complained about the Metrodome's turf. It was too hard. It left them with aching knees and backs. So Dome officials installed a new synthetic turf last month. A blend of sand and rubber that a sports study shows is better to play on than natural grass. Problem solved, right? Maybe not. The turf was soft and not fully ready for the home opener because Dome officials didn't allow enough time for the FieldTurf to be installed. "As you play on it or as it settles in with weather it firms up and becomes a nice little product or grass to run on," said John Gilman, CEO of Montreal-based FieldTurf.