Robertson Field at Satow Stadium
Robertson Field, formerly Andy Coakley Field, is Columbia University's varsity baseball facility at Baker Athletics Complex. It is named after Hal Robertson SEAS'81, who donated $1 million to the facility. [1]
Although fans disagree over the the appeal of the all-turf infield (described below), they universally agree that Robertson Field is one of the most pleasant places to catch a ballgame in New York City. It's a shame that more students don't make games.
Contents
Why Baseball Purists Hate It
In the offseason in 2006-2007, the natural-grass surface was replaced by FieldTurf (TM), the same surface of Lawrence A. Wien Stadium. Inexplicably, however, the infield dirt was covered in turf, too; in its place is a brown turf infield pattern. Consequently, the only actual dirt areas are the mound and a circular cutout around homeplate. The result is a playing field that looks pretty damn ugly. Why the Columbia administration could not even arrange for dirt cutouts around the bases is beyond me. Without doubt, unnecessarily sterile aesthetic has drawn the ire of many Columbia baseball fans.
Justifications
Defenders of the turn say that, given the weather conditions in the Northeast, the new state-of-the-art FieldTurf (TM) surface allows the Columbia baseball team much greater utilization of the baseball venue at all times of the year. Because the new turf surface drains much more quickly and evenly than a clay infield, the venue is less likely to be considered "unplayable" after poor weather in the New York metropolitan area. (the simple solution, of course, would be to cover the infield with a tarp, like most teams do)
Furthermore, they say, Robertson Field is not the only field in America to have an all-turf infield. In other words, Columbia has done this only because it wants to conform.
Why Baseball Purists Love It
Unlike many modern ballparks, which add "unique features" to try to spice up the outfield with "unusual nooks and crannies," Robertson Field is unique without trying. Quite simply, the outfield dimensions of Robertson Field conform with the physical limitations of its location. Most ballparks are shallower down the foul lines and have a deep center field. However, thanks to Robertson Field's situation flush against the Harlem River, the dimensions down the lines are estimated to be 370 and 340 feet, while center field is about 300 feet.
To help alleviate the obvious problem of cheap dead-center home runs, there is a chain-link fence which rises about 30 feet above the wall and spans from right-center and left-center; any ball which bounces off the fence stays in the park and is in play. A true nickname for this unique feature has yet to emerge, but "the Steel Monster" (a shout-out to Fenway's "Green Monster" and Florida's "Teal Monster") seems to be closest to entering into common parlance.
