baseman Miguel Sano came to the ballpark on Wednesday

CINCINNATI -- NFL fields have come a long way from the days of lumpy artificial surfaces, but theres still a lot of room for improvement, the head of the players union said Tuesday.Bengals offensive lineman Eric Winston said the league and the NFL Players Association need to identify trouble spots in advance. He noted that running back Reggie Bush tore a knee ligament after slipping on concrete alongside the playing field in St. Louis last season.The annual Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio was called off Sunday night because paint had congealed on the field, making it hard and slippery.I think theres a ton of improvement still to be made, Winston said in an interview with The Associated Press. Obviously there are technological advancements. I think they should apply to fields as well.The NFLPA and the league have formed a committee to evaluate field conditions overall. The league already has standards for game-day field conditions.The new committee will perform research and advise the parties on injury prevention, improved testing methods, and the adoption of tools and techniques to evaluate and improve field surface performance and playability, league spokesman Brian McCarthy said in an email.NFL fields have come a long way in the last 15 years. Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia had numerous issues with its uneven artificial surface. Bears receiver Wendell Davis tore tendons in both knees when his foot got caught in a seam in 1993. A preseason game was called off in 2001 because of the uneven surface.When the Bengals moved into Paul Brown Stadium in 2000, they used a grass surface that tore up easily and left the field sandy, causing kickers to fall. The team switched to an artificial surface.One of the unions concerns is the wear and tear on fields that host many events.The big problem is you have people trying to maximize revenues with these stadiums, Winston said. They cost a lot to build, so youre going to have monster truck rallies and concerts, and theyre trying to do a thousand different things in them, which is fine.But at the end of the day, youve got to remember what theyre built for. Theyre built to play football games. If its tearing up the grass, hurting the turf, creating an unsafe playing environment, then at the end of the day to us its not worth it. I think thats something thats probably got to be looked at going forward.Winston said the committee will consider fields used abroad for NFL games as well. The Bengals play in London for the first time this season. He said the union has heard from other teams that the fields there can be soft because of the rain.You see a lot of chunks (of grass) flying up, he said. Thats been a concern for some guys -- losing footing, pulls and muscle tears. Well be checking it and see what happens.Winston said that research on injuries so far seems to indicate that grass is a better surface for players.I dont think thats going to shock anybody, he said. That raises the question: Well, if theres less injuries on natural grass, shouldnt all stadiums have natural grass? Were going to have to ask some tough questions and have creative solutions.As weve come a long way from the Vet and those things, weve still got a long way to go into the future. To say this is good enough is the worst thing you can do.---Online: AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Wholesale Soccer Hoodies . 8 Iowa State on Saturday, sending the Cyclones to their third consecutive loss. The Longhorns (14-4, 3-2) got their biggest win of the season with their third in the row in the Big 12. Cheap Football Jerseys Store . 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MINNEAPOLIS -- The Detroit Tigers gained ground in the American League wild card race on Wednesday night, even though they were rained out in Minnesota.Thursdays doubleheader gives Detroit another big opportunity to climb in the wild card standings.Wednesdays game was delayed by rain in the bottom of the third inning with the two teams scoreless and was postponed 90 minutes later leading to a split doubleheader on Thursday.Despite the rainout, the Tigers moved within a game of the Orioles for the final AL wild card as Toronto lost 2-1 at Seattle and Baltimore was beaten 5-1 by Boston.Right-hander Buck Farmer started for Detroit on Wednesday and had allowed one hit in 2 2/3 innings. Minnesota rookie Jose Berrios had stranded runners on third in the first two innings while giving up two hits and two walks.Berrios entered the game with an 8.88 ERA in his first 12 major league starts, which included an 0-1 mark against the Tigers with a 19.06 ERA.Youre just looking for things to make him feel a little bit better about what hes doing, Twins manager Paul Molitor said. We talked about after those innings when hes able to get off the field unscathed even though hes had a rough time, and how he can build on those things. Its kind of like it never happened because its going to get washed away, but at least in his mind he knows he went out there and competed pretty well for three innings.Verlander has won 11 of his last 12 decisions against Minnesota with a 2.28 ERA and 129 strikeouts in 118 2/3 innings. Santana hasnt recorded a decision in his last three outings, despite allowing just four runs in 18 innings.TThe postponement could prove beneficial for a few injury situations for both teams.dddddddddddd.Detroit second baseman Ian Kinsler and designated hitter Victor Martinez were both out of Wednesdays lineup. Kinsler likely wouldnt be ready for Thursday as he deals with a concussion. Martinez has swelling in his right knee after being hit by a pitch on Sunday.Twins third baseman Miguel Sano came to the ballpark on Wednesday with a little stiffness after a rigorous workout on Tuesday, Molitor said. Sano has been out since Sept. 12 with a back injury, but Molitor left open the possibility that he could return to the lineup on Thursday.Well see how he does tomorrow, Molitor said. I know he did some cage stuff today. Im hoping that he can swing. We dont have a ton of players, considering where were at, so it would be nice if we can spread the workload out a little bit tomorrow.Twins second baseman Brian Dozier, who is third in the AL with 41 home runs, was hit in the ribs by a pitch in Wednesdays abbreviated game.We have to wait to see how he feels tomorrow, Molitor said. It was kind of up in the rib section. Hopefully hell be OK to find his way in there tomorrow in the early game, and well see how he does.UP NEXT:Anibal Sanchez (7-13, 5.90 ERA) will start the day game for Detroit against Minnesotas Pat Dean (1-6, 6.71). The finale of the three-game series will feature Tigers ace Justin Verlander (14-8, 3.22) facing the Twins top starter in right-hander Ervin Santana (7-10, 3.53). ' ' '