# MLB Parks - Drainage? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** baseball-mlb\ **Created:** [March 30, 2024, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-parks-drainage/999624 "2024-03-30T23:21:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![19USMC69](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/ac91a4/32.png) [@19USMC69](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/19USMC69)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2024, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-parks-drainage/999624/1 "2024-03-30T23:21:11Z")
When constructing MLB parks, specifically outfields, how is drainage dealt with? Are there drains under the grass? Specific soil composition? Thx. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2024, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-parks-drainage/999624/2 "2024-03-30T23:33:35Z")
According to this article, which appears to be from a company that specializes in building athletic fields (including [several MLB fields](https://scgfields.com/major-league-baseball-fields/)), it looks like it’s a combination of: - A properly-built crown to the field surface itself - A choice of what sort of soil is used - Some manner of drainage system located under the field surface > **[UNDER THE TURF: Field Surface Drainage](https://scgfields.com/articles/field-surface-drainage/)** > > Poor drainage is one of the most common problems of high-use sports fields. Learn the proper steps to achieve proper field surface drainage. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2024, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-parks-drainage/999624/3 "2024-04-01T12:47:29Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Some manner of drainage system located under the field surface One hopes that those are now where they can’t injure players. > **[Mantle’s Knee Injury Was Just the Start (Published 2012)](https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/05/sports/baseball/mantle-sustained-yankees-other-famous-knee-injury.html)** > > Until this week, the Yankees’ most notorious knee injury had been Mickey Mantle’s, in the World Series of his rookie season. > Mantle said: “I was running as hard as I could to get over to it because Casey had told me before the game about how Joe had slowed up a little bit, he thought. Well, anyway, when I get there, Joe is already standing under the ball. He said, ‘I got it.’ And you don’t want to run into Joe DiMaggio. So when I tried to stop — I was going as fast as I could — my back cleat in my spike stuck in a rubber drain, and when it did, my knee went right out through the front of my leg and I just folded up on the field.” ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2024, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-parks-drainage/999624/4 "2024-04-01T17:59:20Z")
The Red Sox rebuilt the outdated field in 2004 to improve drainage. The article has some details. > **[Field of champions: Fenway undergoing turf lift](https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=1930166)** > > The Boston Red Sox will rebuild their antiquated playing field just weeks after they buried another part of their history by winning their first World Series in 86 years. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2024, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-parks-drainage/999624/5 "2024-04-01T18:05:53Z")
It’s got something to do with milkshakes and very long straws, IIRC.