Did the Astroturf of Veterans Stadium Cut Down Phillies Legends? 🔬

Рет қаралды 8,258

9 ай бұрын

Veterans Stadium was the backdrop for unforgettable Philadelphia sports memories for decades, but did its artificial turf leave a legacy of toxicity within the baseball players who called it home? Innovation can have a dark side.
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Relevant Players: Darren Daulton, John Kruk, John Vukovich, Ken Brett, Johnny Oates, Tug McGraw, David West, Lenny Dykstra, Curt Shilling, Mitch Williams, Larry Bowa, Greg Luzinski, Gary Maddox, Gary Carter, Dan Quisenberry, Bobby Murcer
Music Credit (via Epidemic Sound): Tigerblood Jewell, Roof, Loving Caliber, Harbours & Oceans

Пікірлер: 79

@longlakeshore 9 ай бұрын

BTW football players would only have 7 or 8 games on home astroturf per season while baseball players had 81.

@yotoober1 2 ай бұрын

Yes but the players are mostly upright away from skin and face while footballers are getting it ground into their tissue and getting facefulls of the dust when they hit the turf. Big difference.

@RickyWatter32 4 ай бұрын

I miss the vet with all my heart. I miss my dad. I miss the 90s. I just miss. I miss every thing I do lol

@TheodoreRizzo 3 ай бұрын

I’m there with you. I miss the 80’s and 90’s and how things used to be then.

@RickyWatter32 3 ай бұрын

@@TheodoreRizzo simple times. 🥂

@sfrank8687 3 ай бұрын

The vet was fun!!! If the game sucked at least we got to see a fight or someone doing something stupid stupid

@rayl3103 2 ай бұрын

I miss everything but the turf but no doubt we have better now. Of the newer stadiums, ours seems to have been built nice and maintained fairly well. I wish Shibe Park would’ve last 15-20 years longer so I could’ve seen it.

@williamrea5193 9 ай бұрын

Thanks again Hatbilly. This is an incredible story and as always, you deliver so much more than a simple baseball video. This is some thoughtful stuff. Good luck to your bird's in the playoffs. I'll be rooting for them.

@Hatbilly 9 ай бұрын

Thanks, William! And thanks for the tip. This one took some time, man, wanted to do it right. Hopefully its a great postseason for us! I've waited a long time for this.

@big8dog887 9 ай бұрын

Regarding the three non Phillies you mentioned: Gary Carter played the bulk of his career in Montreal - artificial turf. Dan Quisenberry played mostly in Kansas City (where Dick Howser, not mentioned, also managed, and died of the same disease) - artificial turf. Though we think of Bobby Mercer as a Yankee, he did play two years in San Francisco's Candlestick Park, which we think of as natural, but we forget that they, too, had artificial turf in the 70s. I'm a little curious why, if heat is a contributing factor, we don't see this more with the Cardinals of the 70s and 80s, their artificial turf stadium was a notorious heat trap.

@Hatbilly 9 ай бұрын

I didn't mean to snub Dick Howser there. I could probably do a follow up this eventually talking about the same issues at Kauffman, for sure. There was some footage on Candlestick's artificial turf days mixed into the video, but I didn't didn't delve into that much, either. The possibilities are endless.

@gregpaspatis9425 3 ай бұрын

@big8dog887 ".....but we forget that they (Candlestick Park), too, had artificial turf in the 70s" One of the most unexplainable mysteries of all is how exactly was it that in California the home fields that are in San Diego (the old San Diego-Jack Murphy-Qualcomm Stadium home of the Padres and Chargers and S.D.S.U. Aztecs), Oakland (when both the Athletics and Raiders used the Coliseum) and Anaheim (1980-1994, when the Angels and Rams were both playing there) never once needed to use any artificial playing surface yet somebody thought it would be more convenient to have the 49ers, who had just given up their use of Kezar Stadium after losing their conference championship game to the Dallas Cowboys in January 1971, along with the National League baseball Giants both use the artificial field throughout the first eight years when both the 49ers and Giants were playing at Candlestick Park?

@davidlafleche1142 3 ай бұрын

@@Hatbilly Bobby Bonds was a driving force to ban Astroturf. He said, "If cows don't eat it, I don't want to play on it!" Candlestick Park wisely ripped out the Astroturf and replanted grass.

@joegrahe3958 5 ай бұрын

Played with the Phillies in 1999 so I guess if there is something to this...I just remember thinking that how in the world can they actually play football on this green parking lot. Ouch.

@Hatbilly 5 ай бұрын

Thanks again for stopping by my channel, Joe! Sorry if this story made you a little paranoid. See any bad injuries out on the green parking lot that year?

@tripgreat 9 ай бұрын

Fantastic video on a terribly tragic story. My Twitter friend from Philly has been a season ticket holder for the Phils for awhile, as was his older brother who presumably spent more time at the Vet than the new one, and died of Glioblastoma at the age of 46. I grew up primarily in Dayton, Oh, where a brother still lives (the other is in Pittsburgh, thank goodness, with his wife and daughters). I moved to Nashville in '98, so I moved from one awful area for this to another, unknowingly exposed to this toxicity. I'm glad your Governor is taking proactive steps. It's horrifying that HS and college students are using artificial turf.

@Salvatore1268 9 ай бұрын

Im so deeply deeply

@Hatbilly 9 ай бұрын

Sorry to hear about your friend, thats so tragic. Seems it would be impossible to measure the Vet's effect on fans. At the least, I hope they encourage longtime stadium employees to be proactive with cancer screenings. Unfortunately, most places that offer some sort of opportunity have chemical manufacturing in their history. I grew up playing high school baseball right next to a plastics plant. If I ever follow up on this in another video, I plan to bring that up.

@nathanwoodside2309 9 ай бұрын

I saw this a lot, but probably your best video. Smart, entertaining, brilliantly edited. Had to take so much time to do.

@Hatbilly 9 ай бұрын

I agree, man! I really took my time on it, and leaned into some of my own expertise, as a wildlife/fish biologist type. Moving forward, especially with my viewership waning a bit during football season, I'll probably post a little less often, but make it count when I do.

@kathywhalen6286 9 ай бұрын

This was very well done. You know my background so that was a hard earned compliment. Glad to see you combining your degree with baseball who would have thought. Any time something makes your life easier it comes with a price. Keep up the good work. I am learning a lot about baseball.

@Hatbilly 9 ай бұрын

Thanks, mom! I think I'm finding the kind of video I can really do well on.

@215_Philly_4for4 2 ай бұрын

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="180">3:00</a> I cackled at the pinto exploding at the touch. I went to veterans stadium many times as a kid, by that time they were using “NexTurf” which replaced the original astroturf surface from the 70’s-late 90’s. I remember going onto the field for fireworks during the Fourth of July week, and remember how hard the surface was and how pinchy and fake the grass felt. No wonder so many players got hurt. Great video.

@11cost1 9 ай бұрын

Very informative video. I never thought about the astroturf had effect on former phillies players. I notice the pattern of their lives cut short by watching this video.

@DrJuice1 9 ай бұрын

This is really well done

@Hatbilly 9 ай бұрын

I appreciate that!

@JonWithTattoos 9 ай бұрын

Yet another great video, Hatbilly! And as a surgical tech specializing in ortho, that metal on metal hip comment made me blurt laugh! 😄

@Hatbilly 9 ай бұрын

It was a headliner on an article I found about innovations gone wrong, so I'm only recently familiar, but familiar. I'm blessed with a bright, talented audience on here!

@hailmaryrecordings8255 3 ай бұрын

Just found the channel. Nice work, man. 👍🏻

@Hatbilly 3 ай бұрын

I really appreciate it! More on the way.

@BAKER22-l4u 3 ай бұрын

As someone who worked in the NFL for the Redskins, I can tell you personally the field was like CEMENT, and that we got hit with beer, soda and other numerous items EVERY time we played there! The fans may be passionate, but they have NO manners or morals

@positively_broad_st3780 3 ай бұрын

Modern astroturf is now called field turf. It's predominantly recycled rubber. I went to a game at Campbell University when they first installed their field turf. The place smelled like a tire shop...

@ColinMoran 9 ай бұрын

Holy crap. Hatbilly, you've given me a lot to think about here. Magnificent piece. Absolutely magnificent.

@Hatbilly 9 ай бұрын

Thanks Colin! I took my time on this, and leaned into some of my own expertise as a biology person, glad it showed through.

@GnarlyCharly 9 ай бұрын

Great video as always Hatbilly! I had never heard of this topic before. It's honestly concerning.

@Hatbilly 9 ай бұрын

Thanks! I agree, it should be more well known.

@DutchChattahoochee 9 ай бұрын

i've heard about that shit astroturf as long as I've been alive and just from my experience, i would definitely say it did for sure affected their careers. there is no give and it's basically like getting to play on concrete. it's the worst surface of all time.

@WALTERBROADDUS Ай бұрын

I would want a study of non-players. I've not heard of anything happening to ground crew, ball girls or umpires?

@BallparkHunter 6 ай бұрын

An interesting insight to the dangers of Astroturf. I hope the new synthetic material is not as little as the former.

@WhatHappenedtoBaseball 9 ай бұрын

Hey! Thanks for the shoutout! Hatbilly makes much better content than I do though, if we're going to be honest.

@Hatbilly 9 ай бұрын

Thanks, buddy! Don't sell yourself short, though, I watch your stuff religiously. 😃

@willslowik7264 9 ай бұрын

Interesting video, great production as always. Riverfront and Three Rivers (someone already mentioned Busch) also had a synthetic playing surface for decades in a similar climate conditions but I’m not aware of a cancer incidence with Reds and Pirates players. In addition to the movie based on DuPont and PFAS chemicals, Lindsay Graham (not the senator, a different LG) discusses it on his American Scandal podcast.

@Hatbilly 9 ай бұрын

Thanks! I know the two with the most evidence are definitely Veterans and Kauffman. I'm not familiar with that podcast, but it sounds right up my alley. I'll check that out!

@willslowik7264 9 ай бұрын

I stand corrected. Tim Wakefield just passed from brain cancer. RIP. Came up through the Pirates org but played nearly all of his career for the Red Sox.

@Hatbilly 9 ай бұрын

@@willslowik7264 Wild timing on that one. From what I gather, nobody even knew he was sick.

@DrAnarchy69 9 ай бұрын

It’s almost like putting profit over people is a BAD THING!

@blacktooth3336 9 ай бұрын

Bruh...this video was tailored made for WOOD BOOGER!!! LUV YA MAN!!!

@studmuffin3028 3 ай бұрын

There were so many players who played in that stadium over it's history but only a handful of players got sick. Could it be...chewing tobacco? 🤔🤔

@billnye7323 2 ай бұрын

A lot of those baseball players also did steroids, drank and chewed tobacco on top of that.

@Cam23 9 ай бұрын

Friday ❌ Hatbilly Day ✅

@RickyWatter32 4 ай бұрын

Wait wait wait. Kalas’s first game was the first day of the vet?!??😮

@chalesgolding5314 9 ай бұрын

This is an important video , well done Bro…

@Hatbilly 9 ай бұрын

I really appreciate it!

@alansantaniello4536 9 ай бұрын

Very interesting, good job Hatbilly!

@Hatbilly 9 ай бұрын

I appreciate it!

@dafttassia1960 8 ай бұрын

Ive never heard a good thing said about turf

@markbrown2450 9 ай бұрын

The Pinto scene from Top Secret is a classic gag from a movie that only three people seem to know about!🤣🤣

@Hatbilly 9 ай бұрын

I love that movie, and totally struggle to find many people to discuss it with. 😂

@AnsonBeeker 6 ай бұрын

😂 "Ken Brett, primarily known for being George Brett's brother...." Absolutely legendary, Hatbilly. Fantastic! Funniest quote I've heard in awhile. Don't forget about Billy Ripken. He's another guy like that. Ozzie Canseco too. 😂

@kc0lif 4 ай бұрын

I don't think gary carter played for phillies. but isn't astroturf in most baseball stadiums. some players do tobacco dip.

@Salvatore1268 9 ай бұрын

It seems like the cancers were mostly infielders pitchers and catchers, no outfielders it may be something on that pitching mound or infield Bobby Murcer at the vet homered in a game in 1979

@Hatbilly 9 ай бұрын

Good observation, I'm sure the rubber in bases, mound, plate weren't made of the most natural chemicals in the world in those days, either.

@Salvatore1268 9 ай бұрын

@@Hatbilly thank you

@astrostar49 9 ай бұрын

Astroturf was such a menace of players. It sounded cool, and looked cool, but in reality having those pro athletes play on that field which was basically carpet on cement was terrible. It's so funny to me in modern times seeing people on social media complaining about field upkeep in modern facilities (even grass), when half of the NFL and MLB way back was using astroturf which was way worse compared to now. Field Turf is a bit better these days, but still not ideal. I'm a 49ers fan, and also appreciated that natural grass at Candlestick, even when it got torn up, or the Giants baseball diamond was visible (although for a short period in the 70's Candlestick had astroturf). Taking a sack by an NFL defensive player is already hard enough I'd have to imagine, but going to the ground at the Meadowlands or Astrodome must have been hell. I think Andre Dawson from the Expos said playing all those games at Olympic Stadium really messed up his knees over time as an outfielder. And those baseball players were playing way more home games than NFL players.

@Hatbilly 9 ай бұрын

I played exactly one game on astroturf as a high school football player, and you're totally right, it's devastating compared to grass. It was rough game for me, got sacked several times. I was bruised for over a week, and far more sore than normal.

@rayl3103 2 ай бұрын

It didn’t look cool to me. Nothing looks better than a perfect lawn so natural grass is always king.

@_joestop5 6 ай бұрын

The 1980 Phillies World Series championship ended a 97-year drought, not 77.

@HipsterDoofus100 2 ай бұрын

Willie Wilson. Not Willie Williams

@Hatbilly 2 ай бұрын

Freudian slip in a video that mentioned Mitch Williams.

@turtle19dad 3 ай бұрын

Willie WILSON

@Hatbilly 3 ай бұрын

Freudian slip in a video where I was also talking about Mitch Williams.

@positively_broad_st3780 3 ай бұрын

Not all of us Philly phans are like the rude, angry animals that get all of the attention. Squeaky wheels and all of that business...

@longlakeshore 9 ай бұрын

Did steroid use contribute to these brain cancers? One wonders. What was Dow's old slogan? Better Living Through Chemistry? As for the 1980 World Champ team it's amazing what adding Pete Rose can do to a team. His 95 runs scored was second only to Mike Schmidt's 104. The Red's loss was the Phillies' gain. Long before Sabermetrics we knew guys who get on base score. Schmidt hit 48 homers. Rose hit 1.

@Hatbilly 9 ай бұрын

This comment also reminds me I omitted that the original inventor of the first astroturf was Monsanto, now renown for their pesticide lawsuits... And, as hard as Pete played, I'm surprised there was anything left of his body after a few years in Philly.

@fredcasdensworld 3 ай бұрын

Hey... HEY... if you're going to talk trash about Philadelphia Fans get the facts right... the batteries being tossed at JD Drew happened in 1999, not 2003.

@Hatbilly 3 ай бұрын

I don't see it as trash talk, it's just a reference to a well known reputation they've made for themselves. But anyway, '99 would make sense, as it would be his first trip to Philly. Can't remember where I read '03.