ORLANDO, Fla., Dec. 5, 2006 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- A landmark industry partnership between Ripken Baseball and FieldTurf was jointly announced today by Cal Ripken, Jr. and FieldTurf CEO John Gilman. As part of the agreement, FieldTurf becomes the exclusive "Official Turf Provider of Ripken Baseball." The announcement was made at a press conference during the Major League Baseball Annual Winter Meetings.
As part of the multi-year arrangement between FieldTurf and Ripken Baseball, Ripken will attend trade shows and major sales presentations on behalf of FieldTurf. He will be the official "face" of FieldTurf's baseball division. Presently, there are 140 FieldTurf baseball fields, and that number is growing at a rapid pace. Three MLB teams currently play their home games on FieldTurf: the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at Tropicana Field, the Minnesota Twins at the Metrodome and the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.
"As we continue in our efforts to grow the game of baseball, we needed a strong turf partner and we found the best in FieldTurf," said Ripken. "FieldTurf looks like grass, feels like grass and plays like grass and I am proud to say that it is the official turf of Ripken Baseball."
"There is no question that Cal Ripken is one of the preeminent names in all of baseball," said Gilman. "His Hall of Fame-worthy playing career speaks for itself, but we have been so incredibly impressed with his efforts to grow the game of baseball, both at the youth and minor league levels. Cal's commitment to the sport is very exciting to us at FieldTurf. This is a tremendous opportunity to form a partnership with Ripken Baseball, and to work together to maximize baseball's youth participation and overall growth. The baseball product that we have developed at FieldTurf is without question the finest in the world. FieldTurf is extremely proud of its position as the worldwide leader in synthetic turf surfacing, and we very much look forward to working with Cal and his team."
In addition to the MLB stadiums, FieldTurf is also utilized at various facilities throughout minor league baseball. FieldTurf's college baseball installations are also quickly expanding, including last week's announcement of a new FieldTurf baseball surface for NCAA champion Oregon State.
FieldTurf's new baseball surfaces provide a grass-like bounce that thoroughly maximizes playability and safety. FieldTurf baseball fields are built without clay or dirt sliding boxes, which makes this modern system cleaner, safer and in need of less maintenance. FieldTurf's patented firm infill of a sand/rubber mix features a special top layer of rubber that gives the baseball a truer roll. FieldTurf's outfield surface and warning track include various tangible features that assist in alerting the outfielder to the proximity of the fence. Additionally, FieldTurf has created a unique convertible tray system for removable infields.
Ripken Baseball is the parent company that oversees Ripken's business and philanthropic interests. The company is comprised of five individual subsidiaries: minor league teams the Aberdeen IronBirds and Augusta GreenJackets, Ironclad Authentics, Ripken Camps and the non-profit Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation. The mission of Ripken Baseball is to grow the game of baseball at the grassroots level. Ripken Baseball owns and operates two youth baseball academies, one in Ripken's hometown of Aberdeen, MD, and the other in Myrtle Beach, SC. The Ripken Baseball facility in Myrtle Beach currently features six FieldTurf fields.
In the summer of 1999, Babe Ruth Baseball changed the name of its largest division from "Bambino" to "Cal Ripken Baseball." Currently nearly 700,000 kids play Cal Ripken Baseball worldwide.
Ripken is in his first year of eligibility for the Baseball Hall of Fame... voting will be announced on January 9.
FieldTurf is the result of years of research -- evident in the patented FieldTurf infill mix of silica sand and cryogenic rubber and patented layering process that deliver a system that emulates natural grass. Additional benefits are found in improved player safety, reduced maintenance costs and flexibility for conversion -- allowing stadium managers to quickly change the field from one sport to another or to easily host a variety of sporting events, concerts and other special events on top of the FieldTurf surface.
Over the past few years, the quality and performance of FieldTurf's patented system has resulted in over 1900 installations in more than 40 countries, and has made it the first choice for top stadiums around the world. FieldTurf is a privately held company that has revolutionized the artificial turf industry with its patented products and installation technologies. FieldTurf also offers a full range of artificial grass solutions. For more information on FieldTurf, please visit www.fieldturf.com.