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AstroTurf was invented in 1965 by employees of Monsanto and patented in 1967 under the name "Chemgrass." It was renamed AstroTurf due to its first well-known use in the Houston Astrodome baseball stadium.
The advantage for AstroTurf is quite clear: it requires minimal maintenance. It also is ideal for indoor stadiums, since it does not need sunlight. However, AstroTurf is much harder than natural grass. Players describe the impact as similar to falling on cement. Also, in baseball, the ball tends to bounce higher and faster. AstroTurf is being replaced in many stadiums with a newer artifical turf known as Sport Grass. This material is much closer to natural grass.
See also: turf, astroturfing