"For me, it's fine," Roberts said. "For the left side of the infield, it's different. You don't have the same time you normally would, so you start rushing things. I think it affects double plays a lot. It also makes it tough on the pivot guy with the runners bearing down on you."
Izturis isn't making excuses. He's a Gold Glove shortstop and he said he'll adjust, though it would be easier on a more consistent track.
"You have to get used to it," he said. "But if they cut it a little shorter, I think it would be better for everybody."
Before you start questioning the competence of the grounds crew, decisions on the height or type of grass used on the infield come from the stadium operations department, which gets its marching orders from the front office. It's probably fair to assume the team wanted the infield slower in the hope that it would aid the starting rotation, but it apparently isn't working out that way.
"It hurts everybody," catcher Gregg Zaun said. "The ground around home plate is soft and the grass is high, so you can make great pitches and the ball isn't hit hard enough to turn the double play."
Of course, that will affect opponents, too, but since the Orioles are one of the best hitting teams in the league now, the impact of the slower infield on the offense also is magnified.
"We're going to lose some hits," hitting coach Terry Crowley said. "If it helps our team overall, that's OK, but right now we're losing one to two hits per game."
Manager Dave Trembley is convinced it will even out over time. The defense has had trouble adjusting to the infield, but there are 142 games to go and the numbers figure to moderate over time.
"I honestly believe before the season's over, our defense will save us and be a factor in us winning a lot of games," Trembley said. "The proof is in the pudding and over the course of the season - not over two weeks - and we feel the defense will be there."
Listen to Peter Schmuck weeknights at 6 on WBAL (1090 AM).
