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Tampa Bay Rays All-Star Evan Longoria Joins the FieldTurf Team
Tampa Bay, FL (Vocus) May 4, 2010
FieldTurf and Tampa Bay Rays All-Star third-baseman Evan Longoria have signed a partnership agreement. The Tampa Bay Rays currently play on FieldTurf at Tropicana Field and initially began play on the worldâs most trusted brand of artificial turf in 2000.
As part of the partnership between FieldTurf and Longoria, the 2009 Gold Glove Award Winner will be the official âfaceâ of FieldTurfâs baseball division. Presently, there are over 350 FieldTurf baseball fields, and that number is growing at a rapid pace â largely because of the consistent ball bounce and performance properties associated with the patented FieldTurf system.
âI am extremely proud to be associated with the brand that has become synonymous with high performance in the world of baseball,â said Longoria. âPlaying on FieldTurf certainly leads to truer hops and a more consistent ball bounce â especially when compared to grass infields and other kinds of artificial turf. Knowing exactly how the ball will react once it hits the surface contributes largely to my abilities to properly field ground balls and read how the ball will react when coming off of a bat. The consistency that comes with playing on FieldTurf was certainly a factor that contributed to me winning the 2009 Gold Glove.â
âThere is no question that Evan Longoria is one of the preeminent names in all of baseball,â said FieldTurf President Eric Daliere. âBeing one of the gameâs best hitters, in addition to being named to the All-Star team and winning a Gold Glove, is certainly no fluke. Evanâs commitment to being the best and his success on FieldTurf is very exciting to us. This is a tremendous opportunity to form a partnership with one of the most exciting individuals in the game today. The baseball product that we have developed 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 Evan.â
In addition to the Tampa Bay Rays, the New York Mets practice on FieldTurf while the surface is also utilized at various facilities throughout minor league baseball, such as PGE Park, home to the Portland Beavers. FieldTurfâs college baseball installations are also quickly expanding, with over 25 NCAA D-1 schools playing and/or practicing on FieldTurf. Oregon State, University of Texas, Texas Tech, University of Oregon, Washington State, University of Louisville, University of Michigan, University of Illinois, Rutgers University, and Kansas State University are just some of the NCAA D-1 schools that have chosen FieldTurf for baseball.
About Evan Longoria
Evan Longoria went from being undrafted in high school, to Rio Hondo Junior College to becoming the highest-drafted player ever out of Long Beach State (third overall in 2006). Evan played his first full season in the majors in 2009 after playing in 122 games in 2008. In 2009, he established career highs in almost every offensive category with 33 homers, 44 doubles and 113 RBI. Only 3 others in Major League history have reached those numbers in one season before the age of 24. Evan was the youngest to win a Gold Glove at any position since ATL Jeff Francoeur (age 23 in 2007) and the youngest in the AL since Chavez in 2001. He was the second Ray ever to earn a Gold Glove and was the youngest in either league to win a Silver Slugger in 2009. Evan is only the 2nd AL third baseman in the last 12 years to win the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger in the same season. In 2009, Evan joined 3-time All-Star Carl Crawford as the only Rays position player to be selected to more than one All-Star Game.
About FieldTurf
FieldTurf offers industry-leading engineering and manufacturing resources and leads the synthetic turf industry with regard to setting higher environmental standards. FieldTurf is the global market leader in terms of synthetic sports fields with more than 3,500 fields installed. Additionally, FieldTurf has attained more than 15,000 satisfied customers in high quality pet, residential, commercial and municipal landscaping solutions, playground surfacing and has a complete range of golf and tennis products. FieldTurf synthetic turf customers enjoy the benefits of significantly reduced water consumption, the elimination of fertilizer and pesticides, superior durability and drainage and a product that looks and feels real. The positive environmental impact of FieldTurf provides the added benefit of LEED building contributions.
FieldTurf is part of Tarkett Sports, a Division of the Tarkett Group. Tarkett Sports is the largest entity in the sports and landscape surfacing industries. Included within the Tarkett Sports portfolio is an impressive range of performance sports flooring products. This product range includes: synthetic and hardwood basketball; volleyball and gymnasium flooring; squash and racquetball courts; floor protection and covering systems; weight room flooring; and high performance indoor and outdoor running tracks, featuring Beynon and Atlas track surfaces. All Tarkett Sports surfaces are developed, produced and installed with a concentration on sustainability and a commitment to protecting the environment, providing additional LEED contribution opportunities for customers. The company calls this focus on sustainability and the environment âEnvironmental Intelligenceâ and all company personnel strive to exemplify this philosophy in all aspects of the business.
For more information, please visit: FieldTurf Artificial Grass & Synthetic Turf Products
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