We've entered the second week of the 2013 baseball season, and as of Monday night, only two teams have yet to play a game a home: the Angels and the Padres.
They both finally get to perform in front of their home fans on Tuesday.
At 1-5, the Padres are in two things; last place, and dire need of a win against their long time rivals. They (and the entire fan base) are REALLY hoping some time at PETCO Park will save the season, which is something we would have liked to avoid talking about in April.
On Monday PETCO went through its final preparations for Opening Day 2013. Regardless of record, the first game of the year is a sold-out party, so the field has to look amazing.
Major League Baseball has every team paint a special "Opening Week" logo along the baselines. It's nice and colorful and adds a nice aesthetic for the fans.
But it's not very popular with Padres Head Groundskeeper Luke Yoder. Even though it's a water-based paint, and washes off fairly easily, it can mess with the science of grass growing.
"Less chlorophyll going on in the blue paint when it covers up the green," says Yoder. "It does reduce photosynthesis and eventually it will check out."
While the paint looks nice for a while, it's Yoder's job to keep the field looking good all the time. He's alright with the temporary intrusion of his photosynthesis.
"Painting for Opening Day is a couple of coats, so it shouldn't hurt anything," says Luke. "We keep the white SD behind home plate and white's a much more friendly color than dark blue or red or something. It's no problem. It's all a part of Opening Day festivities."
First pitch is 3:40 against the Dodgers.
