Coalition of Green Environmentalists Chastises Major League Baseball for Partnering With Scotts Miracle-Gro

A lush green lawn

In 2010, Major League baseball partnered with the Scotts Miracle-Gro company. The Scotts Company LLC (Scotts became the official lawn care company of Major League baseball, an endorsement they are permitted to use in marketing their 4 step lawn care. The association between Scotts and lush baseball park green grass has been good for company sales and good for Major League Baseball, and they both agreed to renew and extend the agreement in 2014.

Not everyone was happy with the agreement. A coalition of environmental groups criticized major league baseball for supporting Scotts Miracle -Gro. The gist of their complaint was that the techniques used to maintain healthy green lawns in the ballpark are not appropriate, environmentally, for maintaining lawns on smaller residential properties.  The environmentalists complained that the Scotts grass grow program fosters a heavy reliance on hazardous herbicides, insecticides and synthetic fertilizers. Furthermore, they claimed that the type of turf required for a ballpark that often uses artificial soil and underground irrigation is not appropriate for homeowners. According to the coalition, residences need an approach to lawn maintenance "that address soil health, aeration, mowing height, proper organic fertilization, watering techniques, and appropriate grass varieties (for soil, light, and local climate)."

The coalition's letter to Major Baseball listed harmful effects of pesticides and artificial fertilizer. Pesticides, they noted, harm beneficial insects and earthworms that are essential for healthy soil; pollute local water, and are harmful to all life including children who like to play on grass. Synthetic fertilizers harm microorganisms in the soil, "restrict water and air movement," accelerate turf growth, stimulate thatch build-up, and are prone to run-off that may contaminate above and below ground water sources.

While the coalition made a number of interesting points, none of Scotts Miracle-Gro lawn care techniques are cause for legal restrictions of any kind, and major baseball ignored the environmental coalition complaint.  

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