Meanwhile, back in the Bronx …
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Apr 30, 2009 
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When last the Yankees played at home, there were two problems: Too many home runs and not enough wealthy people in the good seats.
The Yankees tried to solve one problem, cutting the premium seat prices from obscene to merely outrageous. Those on the good side of the concrete moat must be happy.
But what of the home runs? Brian Cashman has said the team is “monitoring” how the balls flies out the new place. You can be sure everybody will be monitoring how many dingers are hit over the next eight games.
I wonder if playing at night will change anything?
Joe Girardi is right when he says it doesn’t matter as both teams play in the same conditions. But over the course of time, if Yankees pitchers give up home runs by the score and there are more 9-8 games instead of 3-2, it’s going to wear the bullpen out.
Nothing can change this season in terms of the dimensions. But if it’s home run derby all summer, there will have to be some adjustments made before 2010. The Phillies had to fix up left field in their new park. It happens.
I also wonder if any measures will be taken to keep fans sitting atop the outfield fences from interfering with play.
Fine. While they’re busy “monitoring” they need to call up Juan Miranda to take advantage of the situation.
The objective is to win games, after all.
I blame A-Rod
It’s true that playing a lot of 9-8 games will get the Yankees’ pitchers more tired than the opposition, but there’s also a positive effect. If balls really do fly out to right, the Yankees can take advantage of the situation by carrying a few lefty hitters who specialize at reaching the porch. Other teams that play 81 home games in normal stadiums probably can’t afford that, and will be at a disadvantage in the Bronx. I don’t know if it balances out or not, but it’s not a wholly negative thing.
I’m not advocating that; I like well-pitched games. I hope they take a look at it over half a season or so and see if there really are an outrageous number of taters hit.
Peter attack A-Rod is fun. Right.
Do it Peter DO it. Let me see you’lll burry arod.
“Fine. While they’re busy “monitoring” they need to call up Juan Miranda to take advantage of the situation.”
he does need to come up anyway, the Yanks are **1** person short for the bench. Let’s see Berrora needs to be pinch hit for, who would it be while the regulars are in the game.
Its one of those non-issues to me that will have a lot of time and space wasted discussing all season.
Any changes that have to be made can only be made after the season with the approval of MLB.
Both teams play under the conditions. Deal with it.
If the bullpen isn’t good enough, find other guys.
The opposing teams bullpens also have to deal with this and their bullpens weren’t hammered at an alarming rate during the first homestand.
Play the games, play better and any stadium issues will not be a factor.
Losers whine, winners play through anything. I’d prefer the Yankees be the latter.
If the Red Sox, White Sox and Phillies can win 4 of the last 5 World Series in their hitter friendly ballparks, the Yankees can do the same.
No Excuses.
They never should have moved in the first place.
And Tl1125, if you insist that A-Rod be picked on like the dead horse that he has become, then they should’ve let him walk when they had the chance.
any word on whether alex is 0-5 or 1-3 with a homerun?
cute:
Keeping Up With the Molinas
By Tyler Kepner
DETROIT – Jose Molina’s locker was directly under a television in the Comerica Park visitors’ clubhouse Wednesday night, and when the TV showed highlights from the San Francisco Giants’ game, Molina looked up from his chair and whooped.
“Get up! Get up!” he cried at the screen, as a long drive off his brother Bengie’s bat soared to left-center at AT&T Park. “Yeah!”
Molina raised his arms over his head as Bengie pulled into third with a two-run triple. That got me wondering: when you have two brothers in the majors (the other, of course, is Cardinals catcher Yadier), how do you keep track of what they do?
Molina has a system. At home, he has the baseball package on TV, so after a game, he will usually catch the Giants’ game from the West Coast. He also records the Giants and Cardinals whenever possible to watch for later.
On the road (and at home, too), Molina has a BlackBerry alert system that lets him know everything his brothers do in each game. He showed me the screen and clicked on the alerts, line after line of type about Bengie and Yadier (“my little brother,” Jose said), instantly delivered.
Why are the Yankees allowing fans to get near the outfield fences anyway? They put up railings after 1996′s incident. Who was asleep at the switch when the plans for this ballpark were set?
Excuse me, phone ringing. It’s Randy Levine, I think he wants to scream at me.
Rishi,
Thanks for that.
He’s 1 for 3. The third at bat he hit a bomb.
Good news UnKnown.
Heard ARod’s been working on hitting to the opposite field as well
To confirm: ARod is 1-5, homer last at bat. He also had 2 Ks and 2 walks.
“Excuse me, phone ringing. It’s Randy Levine, I think he wants to scream at me.”
Now he screamin’ at me just because my handle is close to your’s.
Thanks a lot dude.
Looks like a ‘pat’ imposter.
And if you think about it, Holtzman wouldn’t give an opinion about Alex not being MLB-ready. He’s a reporter, not an analyst. Fail.
That was funny, Steve(space)B
Nice name, BTW. There’s something about it I like.
what is wrong with selena roberts, what does tipping minimum have ANYTHING to do with baseball? How the **** does someone even come across that information? Its extremely obvious she has a vendetta against the guy and her latest accusations have no evidence. She’s the next TMZ
“If the Red Sox, White Sox and Phillies can win 4 of the last 5 World Series in their hitter friendly ballparks, the Yankees can do the same.”
Besides that, we still can’t rule out hitter friendly pitching as a reason for the homerfest.
Evololution, even TMZ has some standards.
Not an imposter. As Pete says I’m just reporting what happened.
Holtzman said 0-5 with 3 strike outs and 2 fly outs. I can’t be responsible for him not being able to count.
Pete really has to get a handle on the imposter stuff. Its rampant on this blog now.
They missed the boat with registration. At this point in the blog’s popularity, it isn’t going to suffer from registration. You will still get a lot of participation.
What you will also get is a way to detect and ban the fakes.
Its a big problem and its going to get worse once school is out.
I think the night game aspect of the home run derby at the Stadium is not being talked about enough.
IIRC, only one of the games in the first home stand was at night. I was there. It was a Tuesday night v. Oakland, and there was only one home run, by Johnny Damon, and he smoked it into or off of the second deck (again, IIRC).
Since, as the season moves forward, most of the games are at night, the whole home run derby issue could be meaningless if the ball only carries so much during the day.
To be clear I’m not saying this IS the explanation. I’m only saying that considering how odd it is for a team to play a five-game home stand (one was rained out) with only one night game, it should be something that is taken into consideration as a possibility.
if the new park is a hitters park looking for strike out and ground ball pitches would be nice.
you definitely won’t want pitchers that give up a lot of fly balls.
on another pitching note, the yankees are giving up too many walks. teams like the twins preach attacking the zone. i personally like that approach. there’s fielders out there for a reason.
The good news is no Vlad (.322/34 RBI against the Yankees since ’05)
The bad news is Bobby:
The right fielder signed a $5 million, one-year contract with Los Angeles in the offseason. He’s batting a team-high .363 as he makes his return to the Bronx.
“I was good. I didn’t do nothing wrong while I was there,” Abreu told the Angels’ official Web site. “I guess it’s just that they’re going to see me in a different uniform. I hope they still like me.
The veteran right-hander is 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA in four outings against Los Angeles. Abreu is hitting .328 (19-for-58) versus Burnett.
Holtzman said they were playing on a back field with no fans in attendance but quite a few media because of the allegations that came out today and that’s what the media was talking about more than his playing. Said he hoped Alex would talk with the media when he was done playing.
Could he have been taking BP before the game and Holtzman thought that was the game?
pat,
So Alex went 0-5 with a meaningless homerun?
Are you seriously saying that Holtzman gave the opinion that Alex looks rusty and not ready for the majors? I mean it may be true, but I thought he was a “just the facts, ma’am” kind of guy.
“Abreu is hitting .328 (19-for-58) versus Burnett.”
i dont remember him hitting that much off of Aj.
Randy,
The most impressive thing about Joba last night was how he pounded the zone after he got a big lead.
Now, he has to transfer that mentality to attacking the zone when the games are closer. We have seen him do it in the past. He just has to stay with it.
“on another pitching note, the yankees are giving up too many walks.”
So does Boston (80), Tampa (81) and Toronto (80).
Yankees have walked 81.
new post re: AROD
The Red Sox have shut down Smoltz for at least a week. Proof once againg that pitchers w/rebuilt shoulders are to be avoided at all costs.
still the best opinion/thoughts I’ve read on the new park’s “HR issue” (posted here before by pete himself)
http://nyenviro.blogspot.com/2.....s-not.html
Pete they have that problem everywhere. Yesterday a fan reached over the wall at Shea, they had to review it. There is nothing you can do short of tieing fans hands behind their backs.
Abreu needs to stop whining about the Yankees not bringing him back.
they signed his checks for 2 1/2 seasons. after that, they have no obligation to keep doing that. they made a decision to go in a different decision.
i like Abreu when he was here, but he’s been whining incessantly since the winter. get over it. it happens all the time. there wasn’t a single team in baseball willing to pay you what you thought you were worth, why would the yankees?
“Nothing can change this season in terms of the dimensions. But if it’s home run derby all summer, there will have to be some adjustments made before 2010. The Phillies had to fix up left field in their new park. It happens.”
yes, Pete, exactly. you play a season, then adjust. this is the most reasonable post you’ve made all year about the new stadium.
also, i noticed that during the games in Detroit, they had the same “net” issue as the yankees.
i also realized that this is something i have never noticed in the past, until everyone here started whining about it. it’s just not a big deal.
If A-Rod is suiting up and playing games in Tampa there is no reason he shouldnt be playing for the yankees now. They need him. He needs to stop being a wussy and get back into action. Im sick of this rehab garabage, He looks fine to me, Play him.
The Red Sox have shut down Smoltz for at least a week. Proof once againg that pitchers w/rebuilt shoulders are to be avoided at all costs.
But according to espn, the smoltz deal, penny, and baldelli were the best deals ever. even though one hasnt pitched, one went right to the DL, and the third has had many rough starts.
‘The most impressive thing about Joba last night was how he pounded the zone after he got a big lead.”
sj-
that was nice to see. you wouldn’t think joba would be tentative , but he has been for some reason. after the yankees had the big inning, he seemed to relax and let it go which resulted in more velocity and control.
i used to compete against some long drive guys in florida and ironically when you want to swing faster and hit the ball further, you have to get looser and relax. muscling up with tension is a swing speed killer.
swing speed in golf and ptiching velocity are very similar in that they are a balance beteen a high intensity effort and relaxation going on at the same time. with joba it seems he just had to get the balance between cranking it up and relaxing and letting it fly.
the bottom line is tension is a velocity killer. and often the best control comes from just taking a little off maximum effort.
whatever it was joba had it going after that big inning.
“also, i noticed that during the games in Detroit, they had the same “net” issue as the yankees.”
i saw the same thing at CitiField on SNY
I do remember Abreu being the one guy in the Yankee lineup who hit Burnett well.
It would be insane to rush Alex into games. Hitters need timing and you don’t get that back with BP. A couple of more simulated games and 4-5 minor league games might be enough, but that’s not a lot either.
The simulated games are good because they give him 7 or 8 at bats.
ESPN and Hit Tracker (the latter of which focuses on measuring the distance of every home run hit in MLB by analyzing ballpark blueprints and weather) say that the RF wall is 9 feet closer in places in NYS than than in the soon-to-be-demolished YS. You can see it with you own eyes.
http://i120.photobucket.com/al.....llcomp.jpg
http://i120.photobucket.com/al.....tc/714.jpg
http://i120.photobucket.com/al.....YS1976.jpg
Hit Tracker:
http://i120.photobucket.com/al.....verlay.jpg
Yes, the wind had something to do with the spate of HRs during the first home stand. But guess what – he wind in NYS is predominantly from the west in NYS, and since the Stadium is oriented slightly more to the north than RYS, that means it blows more directly towards the RF fence than in the old park. So the wind will continue to be more of a factor, and will exacerbate the trend of cheap HRs over a too-close wall.
Who cares if both teams get to play the same dimensions during a game? By that reasoning, why not have RF 250 feet away, since both teams get to swing at the same fences?
“But over the course of time, if Yankees pitchers give up home runs by the score and there are more 9-8 games instead of 3-2, it’s going to wear the bullpen out.”
Yet, I seriously doubt that any park is so home-run-friendly as to yield SIX more runs per team, per game.
You don’t want to take any more steroids? Come & play for the NY Yankees!
I have a solution to fan interference…kick the fan out of the game…if he has season tickets or some kind of ticket plan, revoke the tickets with no refund. problem solved.
it’s only a problem if other teams hit more homers than the yanks…
Going to tonight’s Yankees’ game. But gonna get there with my kid maybe an hour before game time. They still haven’t changed the policy about letting people — or NOT letting people — go down to the field during batting practice to try to snag balls or get an autograph. Again, yeah-yeah, I get: tickets don’t mean you have the right to go down. But if the park opens three hours before a game, come on, let people go down. Seriously, you need a $2600 to $350 ticket to have the “right” to go down? That’s nonsense. The guy who goes with his wife and two kids at $150 a ticket can’t go down either, despite spending $600 for one game? Again, nonsense. The guy in the bleachers whose kid wants a shot at a ball? Screwed, too. For the record, went to Citi Field the other night. Section 127 was open for fans to go down. An hour before game time you could still get a spot. Marlins players tossed ball after ball to fans (we got there too late and missed the Mets). My son even got a ball. Come on Yankees, you gonna let the Mets be the more fan-friendly team?
The next 8 games are against the Angels, Red Sox and Rays. All Top 5 teams in the MLB from last season, and probably this season also. I agree with whoever said that we should wait until the All-Star Break to see how the new stadium is affecting HRs.