Warning track
The warning track typically refers to the strip of dirt in front of the home run fence. Because the warning track's color and feel differs from the grass outfield, an outfielder can remain focused on a fly ball near the fence and take his proximity to the fence into consideration while attempting to catch the ball safely. It is also used for grounds maintenance so as to not drive on the grass field. A warning track is also a common feature along the left and right sides of a field. A warning track's width varies from field to field. It is generally designed to give about three steps of warning to the highest level players using the field. Typical widths run from about six feet for Little League fields to about 10–15 feet for college- or professional-level play. The track can be composed of finely ground rock particles such as cinders, which is why announcer Bob Wolff called it the "cinder path" rather than the "warning track". The idea of a warning track originated in Yankee Stadium, where an actual running track was built for use in track and field events. When ballpark designers saw how the track helped fielders, it soon became a feature of every ballpark. Despite the warning track's presence, it is common to see outfielders crash into the wall to make a catch, due either to a desire to field the play r
gardless of the outcome or because they fail to register the warning. For this reason, outfield walls are typically padded for extra safety, where feasible. Wrigley Field's brick wall is covered only by ivy, which is not especially soft. There are pads on the walls of the tight left and right field corners in foul ground. Warning-track power is a derogatory term for a batter who seems to have just enough power to hit the ball to the warning track for an out, but not enough to hit a home run. The term more generally refers to someone or something that is almost but not quite good enough for something. Robert "Bob" Wolff (born November 29, 1920, in New York City, New York) is an American sportscaster. He was the radio and TV voice of the Washington Senators from 1947 to 1960, continuing with the team when they relocated and became the Minnesota Twins in 1961. In 1962, he joined NBC-TV. Wolff began his professional career in 1939 on CBS in Durham, North Carolina while attending Duke University. He is a graduate of Duke University with Phi Beta Kappa and Omicron Delta Kappa honors. Wolff is currently seen and heard on News 12 Long Island, on MSG Network programming and doing sports interviews on the Steiner Sports' Memories of the Game show on the YES Network. He is a longtime resident of South Nyack, New York.