For many years, Arizona Diamondbacks chief executive Derrick Hall received complaints about the natural playing surface at Chase Field.

Players grumbled that the grass dried and hardened as the season progressed, causing the ball to bounce too high and roll too fast. Medical personnel worried that large patches of dead sod presented an injury risk. Fans complained that the grass looked ugly after a summer of Phoenix’s harsh desert conditions and limited sunlight from the stadium’s retractable roof.

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