The Oakland Athletics will no longer be playing on an artificial turf at West Sacramento's Sutter Health Park, as was initially planned. Instead, the natural grass field that's been a long-time feature of the ballpark will continue to serve both the Athletics and their temporary roommates, the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats, according to CBS News. This decision marks a significant turn in the saga of the A's temporary relocation ahead of their permanent move to Las Vegas.
After consultation with the players and Major League Baseball's field surface consultant Murray Cook, Major League Baseball, the Athletics, and the venue agreed that the grass is greener on the... grass. This collaborative decision, influenced by the player's preference for natural surfaces and potential safety concerns, has taken many factors into account. KCRA noted the league's statement affirming that all parties, including the Major League Baseball Players Association, are on board with this choice. "In light of the players’ clear preference for natural grass, and after weighing with the MLBPA the potential risks and benefits of maintaining natural grass versus replacing the playing surface with synthetic turf, all the parties are aligned in moving forward with a natural grass field for opening day 2025," Major League Baseball Players stated.
The A's, who played their final game at the Coliseum in Oakland, on September 26, will begin sharing Sutter Health Park with the River Cats starting in 2025. This move was initially met with concerns about the grounds crew's ability to maintain a grass field under the stress of an intense schedule. With over 150 games -- that's a game near-daily for half the year, maintaining a playable and safe surface posed significant challenges. This was particularly relevant during record-breaking high temperatures experienced in Sacramento, as noted by heat scientist Professor John Abraham in an interview with CBS News. Abraham detailed the extreme heat on synthetic turf could burn players, even through their cleats.
Feedback from players, agents, and concerns from other teams like the San Francisco Giants about their prospects playing on artificial turf also influenced the conversation. Susan Slusser, a veteran baseball reporter for the SF Chronicle, had anticipated the backlash from players, "Nonstop complaints from agents and players, particularly visiting players," she reported. Despite some initial groundwork, Sutter Health Park's grass will remain, with only its infrastructure receiving an MLB-upgrade. Sutter Health Park, opened in 2000, has been home to the River Cats and is accustomed to accommodating baseball played on nothing but grass. The River Cats' management has not yet responded to questions about how this decision might affect their operations, as captured by CBS News crews on-site at the stadium.
As the Athletics prepare to open their schedule against the Chicago Cubs on March 31, with a capacity of about 10,500 fixed seats, fans can expect to see their favorite players take the field on the traditional, and now confirmed, grass surface of Sutter Health Park. The field upgrades, including the construction of a new home clubhouse, renovations to create more space in dugouts, revamped bullpens, and a new batter’s eye to address visibility concerns are still ongoing, ensuring that the stadium is up to Major League standards for 2025.
