THE HOUSE THAT YOU BUILT

The real test for the grass, however, will come next year when the team plans to plant a field in the Phoenix area to see how it grows.

While the DeAnza may not be the ideal grass, the alternative is dreadful.
"Players would rather have zoysia than [artificial] turf," Dozer says.
Only time will tell if the stadium's innovations--its roof, air conditioners and grass--will perform as hoped. If they do, Bank One Ballpark could set a standard other teams will shoot to exceed, just as America West Arena has in the NBA. Baseball's Seattle Mariners and Milwaukee Brewers already are pushing for retractable-dome stadiums.

"If we pull this off, this will be a fabulously successful venue," Ellerbe Becket project manager Joe Diesko says. He sounds as if he were living a dream. An April daydream, perhaps.