Camden Yards is undergoing another renovation this offseason. No more rooftop bars or legends statues, this time they’rereinventing the warning track.
MASNSports.com’s Roch Kubatko reports that the Orioles will no longer use the rubber warning track that’s been installed since Oriole Park opened in 1992, instead they’ll be using a more traditional crushed stone material.
I’m guessing that manager Buck Showalter would prefer having baseballs stay in the ballpark rather than take high hops over the fence, and he wouldn’t be the first one. The old track also held a lot of heat on those scorching summer days and nights. Players often commented on it.
The natural surface may not dramatically decrease the number of ground-rule doubles, though it obviously won’t be as springy. It won’t deaden balls, but it should play more like most other ballparks in the majors.
Buck is involved of every aspect of the game, from managing a bullpen to changing the warning track.
