FIELDTURF AT THE SURFACE OF QUEBEC’S FIRST SYNTHETIC BASEBALL FIELD
Traditionally known for its rich hockey background and abundant Italian-Canadian presence, Saint-Léonard, a borough of Montreal, is experiencing a significant surge in baseball. From 2007 to 2014, registration increased over 1000%. Of the eleven Montreal baseball associations, Saint- Léonard has the highest participation, according to league president Gerry Dupuis. To answer the influx in demand, the city opted to convert an existing soccer field at Parc Giuseppe-Garibaldi into the first full-size synthetic baseball surface in the province.
"We had a little bit of difficulty after the Expos left (Montreal’s former MLB Team / Now the Washington Nationals)," said Gerry Dupuis, President of Baseball St-Leonard. "But we've had a tremendous appetite for baseball in the last five, six years and we are growing at a tremendous capacity.”
The FieldTurf baseball philosophy is simple: create systems that are tailored to the program’s needs and wants. Our DoublePlay series offers the highest level of fiber quality, of which FieldTurf is renowned for, with the added peace of mind that our system design will match any desired playing characteristics. From fast to more grass-like, FieldTurf can tailor the surface to any programs’ desires.
The field is also equipped with portable bases to allow for a variety of different age groups to utilize the field. Setting the distance in between bases at the standard 90 feet or shortening that distance for leagues with younger players.
The City of Montreal unveiled a multi-million dollar 10-year Baseball Action Plan to create a grassroots love of baseball in the city by developing the sport through new minor league teams, training officials, improving baseball facilities and hosting events to promote the sport.
The project was designed by Expertise Sports Design LG and completed in collaboration with L.M.L Paysagiste & Frères Inc., our exclusive distributor of FieldTurf in Quebec. Together, FieldTurf and L.M.L have installed numerous premier athletic facilities around the province such as the University of McGill’s Molson Stadium, the University of Montreal’s Cepsum Stadium and a MLS practice field for the Montreal Impact.
Driven to redefine home field advantage, the FieldTurf DoublePlay series is the trusted surface of hundreds of NCAA Baseball programs, local high school teams and municipal parks.