Q: Is the Stadium playing small? A: Why does it matter?
Posted by: Sam Borden - Posted in Misc on May 21, 2009 
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Debating whether the new Yankee Stadium is a “bandbox” or “playing too small” or “Coors Field East” seems to be a pereptually hot topic, but to those who are breathlessly discussing whether the Yankees now play in a launching pad, my question is this:
Who cares?
Two months is way too soon to be labeling anything, in my opinion, but even if there was some Pythagorean theorem that could prove, once and for all, that the new Stadium is a hitter’s paradise and always will be, what’s so wrong with that?
The New York Yankees play baseball. Home runs are a part of baseball. What’s the problem with home runs being hit during New York Yankees home games?
One of the Yankees’ goals with the new stadium was to give it a historical feel and incorporate numerous elements of the franchise’s past. To me, they (mostly) did a good job in that regard – the pictures, the frieze, the museum, etc. They also kept the field dimensions the same, which is a nice nod to continuity.
So does a plethora of home runs change that? Some people seem to believe that lots of homers and high scores somehow cheapens the new stadium or makes it lesser, and I can’t really understand why. Are home runs somehow a bad thing? Did a ball that flies into the seats not actually travel a great distance to get there? No one is hitting homers at Citi Field, so does that make it a better park than Yankee Stadium?
It’s still too early to say for sure how this park will play – I’d say give it a full season, at least, before you draw any real conclusions. But even if it does turn out to be a hitter’s haven, there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s just the way it is.
i’m with you there
thanks….a positive post….haven’t been yet and not sure if I’ll be able to go up this year but it looks gorgeous on T.V…..the national media just wants something negative to throw at this franchise…all the haters can watch the new palace in October
Anyone know if Moyer is pitching for the Phils this weekend at the stadium? I think the Yankees would crush him…matter of fact, none of the Phils pitchers have really been overpowering yet so I think it may be a good interleague weekend for the Yanks
Dimensions are not the same. They are the same in center and down the lines, but they walls are straight from point to point in right rather than curved, so they lost 9 feet in right field.
Chicks dig the longball.
Bring back the greenies and andro!
Sam, you didn’t answer my question about the french fries! Hmph!
I care because I love thinking that when someone swings that bat and parks one, it’s because the strength of a great hit is behind that swing – not because air currents magically carry the ball that would have been a single elswhere and turn it into a homer.
That said, I don’t lose sleep over much so I’m not breathlessly awaiting discussion about this. If it continues long enough and is still seen as a “problem” I hope it is somehow addressed.
Is all.
In the meantime I’ll live.
May make it harder to recruit FA pitchers.
It’s supposedly Blanton, Happ and Hamels for the Phils this weekend.
My attitude is that they could have kept the dimensions of the old Stadium (for the historical purposes) in the alleys and CF… and when I say old Stadium, I mean OLD stadium.
Want to take steroids? Aim at the 457 or the 461.
Both teams play in the same park so there is no “advantage”. Who cares really.
A question; besides cavernous Citifield, are homeruns up in all of MLB?? Maybe MLB are using juiced baseballs. Pop flys are flying out of the “House that Greed Built”. That ball hit off Rivera in the 9th looked like a lazy flyball, it went way out.
Trisha,
What was the french fries question? Sounds interesting.
(from previous thread)
murphydog, I am 100% Italian and that swear stuff in Italian wasn’t around me. (In fact the only time my parents spoke Italian is when we weren’t supposed to know what they were talking about. So unfortunately I have no mastery of a very beautiful language.) But being all Italian, I did have friends who did have that stuff around them, so I got to hear the really bad Italian swears that you wouldn’t dare say in your house. And I got to hear them said with gusto!
At home we were allowed to say (forget the spelling, you’ll recognize the word) fah-nah-bola. I always thought of that as “oh nuts”; we’d get killed for fahn-ghoul.
disagree.
i think it’s too early to say if the HRs are all a result of the stadium or if the Yankees are just hitting a lot of HRs (for example, the pitch that Melky hit was one of the worst pitches i’ve seen all season. just a complete and total meatball. it would have been hit a mile by almost any hitter in any park).
but….in general, the Yankees do NOT want to play in a hitter’s paradise. it will tax their pitching staff in the long run.
that said, there are things they can do to make adjustments.
CBP in Philly played like a pinball machine the first season. they took some seats out and raised the wall, and now it’s closer to neutral. it still has a bad rep, but the changes did help.
they knocked their park factor down from about 105 to 103.
the Yankees can do something like that fairly easily after the season.
no one knows how a stadium will play until you play in it. so the yankees will make adjustments, just like they adjusted the old park countless times.
Does’t really matter because they can’t do anything about it this season, but yes the stadium is playing small. Through the same number of games as last season, there are twice as many bombs to both left and right fields in NYS. Exactly the same number to center.
Took awhile for the pitchers (and hitters!), but it looks like they’re adjusting.
One thing is clear, we need to develop more groundball pitchers.
Sam, I’ll grab it from the previous thread. You would haved loved the discussion about it! BRB
“It’s supposedly Blanton, Happ and Hamels for the Phils this weekend.”
Blanton is pitching today, so it’s Myers, Happ and Hamels. A righty and two lefties, just like what the Yanks are throwing.
Mike S. Hamels looked good last start but hasn’t been as dominant yet as last season….hopefully it doesn’t start against the Yanks but you know how that goes….he’ll be pumped to be pitching at the New Stadium
Sam,
I too have a question?
Are you Wally Pipp ing Pete Abe?
trisha,
Just link the game thread for Sam.
Great Point. I have been sitting uneasy with the idea of the possibility of Yankee stadium being a launching pad but it could prove to be a huge homefield advantage.
Development groundball pitchers and then let our hitters tee off on visitors that throw flyballs. It will then be the coaches and managers responsibility to advise their players to take good ABs rather than hit homeruns.
I did have a few complaints about the ballpark when I visited. I loved Old Yankee stadium and considering that I like the New Stadium and think there are aspects that are awesome means that it really must be a masterpiece. I was expecting to hate the park and curse it’s construction. After visiting I can really seeing myself falling in love with it.
I also think there is a ESPN factor in this whole thing. ESPN loves to create controversy around the Yankees. Given that some is deserved like the A-Rod and Pettitte PED scandal, certain things are bigger stories because they are Yankee related. I.e. Joba fist pump, the stadium, ticket prices and empty seats.
“Both teams play in the same park so there is no “advantage”.
ok, but this is faulty reasoning. that may be true for ONE GAME, but over the season, it’s not true that both teams “play in the same park”.
the yankees will play in NYS 81 times, and visitors will play there about 3-9 times and play 81 games in their home park.
if the stadium taxes a bullpen, the yankees will be disadvantaged in relation to the visiting teams.
From the last thread…
“here’s an important question for you. Do you eat french fries with brown gravy???”
Cheese whiz. In that whole discussion the other day, no one mentioned cheese fries. I’ve probably lived a sheltered existence, but I haven’t seen cheese fries except at the ballpark.
Who here eats cheese fries when they go to the Stadium?
Generally agree, Sam. However, it’s my opinion that Cashman and the brass are hellbent on building their team around pitching rather than bashing. I don’t think he envisioned a pitcing staff that would be 2nd in the AL in homeruns allowed. And make no mistake about it, they are in that position because of an inordinate number of homers allowed at home.
I’d guess some adjustments are made to the dimensions this coming offseason.
Thanks for the correction, Joe. So it looks like Myers/AJ, Happ/Pettitte and Hamels/CC.
mel, I’ll put my question here and then link the game thread. I’ll have to go find it. I’m not thinking that he’ll have the time to read the whole thing but I’m sure he would have loved it! Anyway if it gets going again, please feel free to discuss french fries with vinegar and ketchup for me. I have to get going for a doctor’s appointment so won’t have time to participate for a while.
*Sam Borden, this one’s for you.*
Since it seems that you do read along at certain points, here’s an important question for you. Do you eat french fries with brown gravy???
I think you would have loved the discussion we had one evening during a pretty resounding Yankee win (that’s the only time it seems that we get to enjoy each other’s company and were probably so relieved to be witnessing a resounding win and not having to deal with the doom and gloom crowd that we let our hair down and discussed food AND the game!) Anyway the variety of things that people put on french fries was pretty amazing. I had never heard of fries and brown gravy.
AMEN
“I’d guess some adjustments are made to the dimensions this coming offseason.”
How would you push the fences back at the new stadium? Or make them taller? I don’t see a lot of room to play around with.
“i think it’s too early to say if the HRs are all a result of the stadium or if the Yankees are just hitting a lot of HRs”
37 homers in 19 home games
27 homers in 21 road games
34 homers allowed in 19 home games
22 homers allowed in 21 roadies.
It’s cutting both for and against them, but the Stadium is unquestionably playing very small.
Happ is in because Park was demoted to the pen. Happy times for the Yankee bats in the late innings.
Okay, did I just wake up from a coma or something? Peavy to the CWS pending his approval? Well, he might be cool with that. It is the weakest division in the AL right now. Can’t wait to see how he adjusts.
Wow, french fries with brown gravy? That’s a combo I’d never considered. To be honest, I’m not a big gravy guy in general, so I wouldn’t think I’d enjoy that. I do LOVE french fries though – the garlic fries at the Stadium are exceptional – and my usual condiment of choice is basic: ketchup. I have, on occasion, brought ranch dressing and/or bleu cheese into the mix. Great flavor.
To me, the bigger question is what kind of fry is the best?
1. Thin, crispy fry with no ridges (sort of McDonald’s-ish)
2. Ridged fries, medium-size (standard luncheonette style)
3. Thick steak fries
4. Curly fries
I also love cheese fries, though they’re soooooo greasy. Back in high school, we used to hit the diner late at night and cheese fries with a couple scrambled eggs was my standard order.
trisha – OPPC member and proud of it:
One of the traditional formulations involved “porca di…” usually porca di miseria or worse…
A good friend of mine is half italian, half german and speaks enough of each to get by. He was explaining the literal translations for some popular Italian curses at the office one day and I was laughing so hard I started to cry. If you visualize the positions and relationships and actions involved in some of the more elaborate curses, they are Twitter-sized novellas of folly and bad behavior.
trisha,
Here’s a hint. It was near the beginning of the win streak.
The demensions are the same. The only difference is the fence in RF is straight (due to the auxiliary boards) as opposed to curved in the renovated stadium.
And I believe the fences are slightly shorter in the new place.
Wave:
I don’t know. I’m no architect, but I can’t believe that it can’t be done.
“Wow, french fries with brown gravy? That’s a combo I’d never considered.”
Oh, poor Amish boy. Leave your community and come with us to learn of the larger world…
It was the last time CC pitched Tues Wed?
SAm which place gas the garlic fries?
I like all fries but the medium ones are the fave
mel – found it!
sam, if you ever get to read it, this is the thread. And hey, if we get another “food during game” thread going, I bet you’ll be there!
http://yankees.lhblogs.com/200.....blue-jays/
Sam,
During a game thread, the Yankees had taken a lead and so the regulars started talking food (because someone mentioned fries). Everyone (that was present) had their say. Later that night, someone said it was lame that the thread had been reduced to a thread about fries and Cervelli’s eyes. Anyway, that guy (unfairly) caught some heat (b/c he name-dropped his Ivy League pedigree) and it’s been a running joke ever since. (come back, Gary. it’s safe to come back in the water).
-chili cheese fries
-plain
-curly fries with buttermilk/frank’s hot sauce dip
Sam:
If you like french fries, I have one word for you: “Tostones.” Some additional words: “White rice, red beans and tostones.”
Oh, mami.
Does anyone know what is going on with Wang?
Sam, this is exactly what I’ve been thinking all along. There are a lot of things that are bothering people about this new stadium that just don’t seem to be a big deal to me, and this is one of them. Thanks for this post.
“How would you push the fences back at the new stadium? Or make them taller? I don’t see a lot of room to play around with.”
remove the first 2 rows of seats, push the wall back and make it higher.
the best fries you can make at home:
http://picturemyfood.com/wp-co.....bag_sm.JPG
Mmmmmm….
Hey murph before I go – as I got older and learned more about languages (I minored in Spanish in College – it was a Hemingway thing. Journalism major-spanish minor, going off to be a foreign correspondent
) I figured out that the fahnabola was really probably vanapoli, or something like that – go to Naples!
How much do the garlic fries go for at the stadium? They sounds freakin amazing
Guys Guys, Come one. Don’t get too excited about the Yankees 8 game winning streak. I mean come on, it’s not like they are the Boston Red Sox. Now that team is just full of Gamehas. Kevin Youkilis, now he’s a Gameha. Teixeira may have 4 home runs in 4 games but i just rather have Youkilis as my first baseman. I just do. He’s a winha, ya know? He’s got grit. Gutz. He grinds it out. He doesn’t waist his time hitting the long ball. He doesn’t pad his own stats.
And the pies, don’t even get me started on the pies. Did Paul O’Neil throw pies after wins? Did Scott Brosius ever fist pump? It’s not the Yankee way!
And when are they going to send Jober back to the Pen?!!! It’s where he belongs! They took away his swaga! GIVE HIM BACK HIS SWAGA!!!!!!!!
How come we are comparing HRs to last year? Last year HRs were down everywhere (can anyone say no more PEDs). Lets compare this year’s HRs in every park compared to last year? Why not compare HRs in Yankee stadium over the last 25 years?
Also – who’s to say the hitters can simply see the ball better in the new stadium?
Sweet potato fries.
Whether the new stadium is a bandbox or not is a moot issue as the Yankees can’t fix it until the off season. If the HRs continue to fly at this rate, I’d be very surprised if they don’t do something. Not sure if they can move walls, but they most certainly can make them taller. Also, if the wind is the issue, I’m sure they can find some specialist who can do some analysis on how to repair that. But trust me – if management is not happy with it, it will get fixed; especially if we start losing games because of it.
“Jon Ringland
May 21st, 2009 at 1:01 pm
How much do the garlic fries go for at the stadium? They sounds freakin amazing”
Bit of advice on the garlic fries …. you still taste them the next day. And if you happen to break wind …. let’s just say you’ll feel like you are back at the ball park eating those fries. But they are GOOOD!
“Sweet potato fries.”
Eww
“Sweet potato fries.”
Eww
“Bit of advice on the garlic fries …. you still taste them the next day. And if you happen to break wind …. let’s just say you’ll feel like you are back at the ball park eating those fries. But they are GOOOD!”
LMAO, duely noted.
Fries at In-N-Out-Burger are good. Made with Maine taters.
The Yankees have more players in their lineup capable of hitting HR’s. They also have a starting staff loaded with strikeout and groundball pitchers which should minimize the damage. The new stadium is getting the feel of a home field advantage.
Sweet potato fries are a conundrum to me. They taste good…yet my brain has issues resolving the combination of sweet and salt tastes.
Who sells the Garlic Fries
I’m eating fries right now, how appropriate.
I agree it’s too early to tell. There’s been a number of theories about wind, the affect that the old stadium has on wind currents, wall height, etc… Who knows if it will even out by end of year? There’s definitely been a few ‘cheapies’, both for and against. If it plays that way, stack the lefties and let er rip!
Wasn’t the old stadium known for the short porch build especially for Ruth? HRs have been part of “THE YANKEE WAY” for a looong time. If the pitchers pitch better, they won’t have to worry about the long ball!
http://www.worleygig.com/wp-co.....-fries.jpg
I stand by my French-Canadian poutine.
French fries with cheese curds covered in gravy!
MMMMMMmmmmmm.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poutine
Zach, that’s basically a derivative of Disco Fries.
Delicious when made right…
Garlic fries are pricey. $8.50 for a “large” that looks like a small serving from McDonalds. The large cheese fries have about twice as much fries. I guess garlic is expensive…
A more ignorant comment I have yet to read on your blog. It matters quite a lot whether or not the new Yankee Stadium is indeed Coors Field East. Giving up so many home runs and warning track doubles will wear out a bullpen over the course of 81 games. Not to mention the fact that, all things being equal (i.e., the same $$ contract), good pitchers tend to avoid signing with teams that play at notorious launching pads. The CR learned this the hard way and, consequently, have been forced to develop a platoon of ground ball pitchers in their farm system. Is this where the Yankees are headed? Imagine selecting your pitching prospects based on how much drop some kid has on his sinker. Much has been written thus far about the atrocious Yankee bullpen. In a specialty, where confidence is just as important as “stuff,” how do you think the psychological effect of a right field jet stream plays on the reliever’s mind. Please think before you commit fingers to keyboard. RC
Jeff NJ:
They’re giving up nearly as many homers at home as they are hitting.
I think the Garlic fries are 5.50$ & 7.50$.
As they have cheese fries and garlic fries at the same kiosk, I asked to have garlic-cheese fries but I was told no dice.
Peavy to the Chi-Sox?
Hear the latest? Barry Axelrod, Peavy’s agent, is saying he doesn’t think that Peavy will approve the trade. That if he were a betting man, he would say that Peavy’s not ready to take the step at this time. But he probably would give it serious consideration in the future.
Either Peavy’s a wuss, or this is a negotiating tactic. \scratching head
What is most impressive during their winning streak, is that they’re winning at home….The 3 game debacle vs. Boston has been erased…The mindset that home is a comfort has been an early on issue…..This is key, have a winning record at home and play .500 on the road has been estabished as part of a formula for Championship teams for a very long time…..
Ortiz, “When they start dropping in, it’s on baby”
Sounds like a challenge to GGBG!
Prior to last nights game, the Yanks avg 1.4 HR’s per game at home and 1.2 HR’s per game on the road. What’s the problem?
Last nights HR’s were the result of Guthrie meat pitches than any problems with the stadium.
Garlic fries are pricey. $8.50 for a “large” that looks like a small serving from McDonalds. The large cheese fries have about twice as much fries. I guess garlic is expensive…
gimme a break. I really don’t like being scammed.
Sam,
Two reasons I can think of:
1. It taxes the Yankees’ bullpen. More pitches by the starters, and quicker calls to the bullpen. Taking a single game, this is obviously equalized, but the Yankees play 81 games here. Over the course of a season, this will add up.
2. It may make it difficult to attract free agent pitchers or ones with no-trade clauses.
Fran is pissed about the bandbox
Until the old stadium comes down, theres nothing to do about it.
Watch them fly and applaud when Yanks are hitting them.
As to fries-
I prefer the non- crinkled variety and don’t care about the width but they need to have some crisp to them and be salted.
Curly fries from Arby’s are underappreciated.
I don’t quite understand the argument that pitchers will avoid signing with the Yankees due to the new stadium’s reputation as a lunching pad. The Yankees are not the Colorado Rockies. The Yankees have lots and lots of money… if the Yankees were prepared to pay me thirty million a year, you could surround the pitcher’s mound with guys in white lab coats armed with tazers, and I’d gladly take the ball every fifth day. Just a thought…
Like I said before, the original dimensions (circa 1923) would have been cool. Short porch but with a blackhole in center. How’s this sound:
Left field foul pole: 280.50ft
Left side of bullpen gate in short left-center: 395ft
Deepest left-center: 500ft
Center field: 487ft
Deepest right-center: 429ft
Left side of bullpen gate in short right-center: 350ft
Right field foul pole: 294.75ft
I think A-Rod would have opted out for good if they told him the new stadium would look like this…
“I think A-Rod would have opted out for good if they told him the new stadium would look like this…”
So would every free-agent hitter the Yankees hope to sign in the future. That would be about as stupid as building bleacher seats that can’t see half the field.
I don’t think Swish’s HR is gone last year.
Melky’s shot ??
Garlic fries are on the field level next to the Cucina Latina stand…up the first-base side of Gate 4. They’re at least $6 and better eat them fast because they’re terrible cold.
Sam, there’s nothing better than seasoned curly fries, like the kind you can get at A&W, if they still exist.
“As they have cheese fries and garlic fries at the same kiosk, I asked to have garlic-cheese fries but I was told no dice.”
Me too, I was saddened. It seemed ridiculous, but I bet if I waved a $20 at them, I could have gotten a small serving of garlic-y cheese fries.
I thought they were 8.50 for a large, but I could be wrong, it could be 7.50… But “large” is no large by anyone’s definition. Maybe large for an infant…
1) I hate french fries. Actually I hate most potato products. Except for baked potato chips.
2) Yes, the Stadium is a bandbox. No, I don’t really care. Why wouldn’t a team try to do everything to help it at home? Look, if this was Citifield you would all be complaining that the park was too big. If they have to change the fence they will, but for now I’ll just enjoy the bombs.
3) Peavy’s gonna reject the trade.
“I don’t think Swish’s HR is gone last year. ”
agreed.
“Melky’s shot ??”
gone. no doubt.
Sorry Melky’s was the deeper of his and Cano’s?
Wasn’t it.
WHat about waffle fries?
Rebecca,
maybe Peavy doesn’t want to pitch for Ozzie?
Frank,
Think about from a business perspective. Unless a FA is considering ending his career here, he has to take a future move into account. He stands to make less money, potentially, if his stats get inflated from playing in a hitter’s park.
“Are home runs somehow a bad thing?”
No, I like the new stadium.
The Riddler,
I respectfully disagree that it would have been stupid. I agree that some righties would be scared away from the stadium. So what? Let them pad their stats elsewhere.
And BTW if the current trend of home runs continues, then no pitcher in his right mind will sign here.
Yeah Cano’s was a little deeper than Swish’s but much shorter than Melky’s. Mely’s was a 2nd decker
But if you factor in the shorter and closer right field wall, Cano’s HR might be a play at the wall.
Swish’s? Warning track ?
Rebecca said…
“but for now I’ll just enjoy the bombs.”
Me too.
Rebecca:
4) Complainers need something to complain about. This includes ‘media’.
Melky ‘s shot was second deck and not a first row one either. It was gone in almost any ballpark.
Well, the reason it would concern me is because pitchers will A) get shelled and B) the Yankees will be a less desirable team for pitchers to sign with knowing they’ll make roughly half their starts in a hitter’s haven.
If its anything like Coors Field, I think we all know how that has fared for pretty much every starter the Rockies have ever had at home games.
However, I agree that the sample is too small and that preventative measures can be taken to defeat the “wind tunnel” or whatever it is they’re blaming.
I think the fans in right field need to be separated from the wall, but I like that it is shorter and allows the RF to rob HRs. That’s tight.
melky’s was hit high and long. Cano’s was an absolute bullet. Swisher’s looked like he got jammed and was the least doubtful of the 3.
“You know how you can keep HRs from flying out of Yankee Stadium?
PITCH BETTER!”
-Buck Showalter
Sam said…
1. Thin, crispy fry with no ridges (sort of McDonald’s-ish)
2. Ridged fries, medium-size (standard luncheonette style)
3. Thick steak fries
4. Curly fries
Sam, they’re all good especially when you’re hungry.
Like I said before, the original dimensions (circa 1923) would have been cool. Short porch but with a blackhole in center. How’s this sound:
Left field foul pole: 280.50ft
Left side of bullpen gate in short left-center: 395ft
Deepest left-center: 500ft
Center field: 487ft
Deepest right-center: 429ft
Left side of bullpen gate in short right-center: 350ft
Right field foul pole: 294.75ft
I think A-Rod would have opted out for good if they told him the new stadium would look like this…
———————————————————–
Where you on drugs when you wrote that LMAO…. WTH that would be a very stupiddddddd Move…!
Like I said before, the original dimensions (circa 1923) would have been cool. Short porch but with a blackhole in center. How’s this sound:
Left field foul pole: 280.50ft
Left side of bullpen gate in short left-center: 395ft
Deepest left-center: 500ft
Center field: 487ft
Deepest right-center: 429ft
Left side of bullpen gate in short right-center: 350ft
Right field foul pole: 294.75ft
I think A-Rod would have opted out for good if they told him the new stadium would look like this…—————————————————————————————-
Were you on drugs when you wrote that LMAO…. WTH that would be a very stupiddddddd Move…!
“maybe Peavy doesn’t want to pitch for Ozzie?”
Swisher called him and said don’t do it.
Peavy’s a FA next season.
Why come to the AL, put up worse numbers and make less money next contract. Makes no sense when he’s in the NL west.
He’ll probably want a trade and extension like Santana.
“He stands to make less money, potentially, if his stats get inflated from playing in a hitter’s park.”
not sure where you are pulling this from…
‘Peavy’s a FA next season.
Why come to the AL, put up worse numbers and make less money next contract. Makes no sense when he’s in the NL west.”
Peavy is signed for the next 3-4 seasons….
Ozzie will be managing for a lot longer than Peavy will be pitching……
Rebecca:
Re #2, my problem is that the Yankees probably didn’t plan the park to be a launching pad; it just “happened.” It’s just one of the many, many things about the new Stadium that were poorly thought out or just plain forgotten about when the place was being built, and now they act all surprised and defensive when fans and the media point it out.
Move the RF fence back five feet, and while they’re at it, resurface the warning track. There’s too much bounce in it, yielding too many ground-rule doubles that might have bounced off the wall, resulting in a play at third or a slower runner stopping at first. It’s like the old Metrodome turf out there.
Why don’t the Yankees (or the opposition for that matter) ever get credit for hitting the ball HARD? Mediots are like wolves – they sink their teeth into something (in this case a story) and they won’t let go. Oddly, they are also like sheep – once one clown starts assuming all HRs at YS are aided by the stadium, the others take up the cause. Sheesh….
When I was at school in Boston we used to do late night trip to the dinner in Kenmore Square to get french fries and BBQ sauce yummy
“Fries at In-N-Out-Burger are good. Made with Maine taters. ”
I’m not a fan of the InNout fries… but for some reason I never have a problem finishing them off.
I just realized that I’ve inadvertently had fries with gravy – it occurred when I would get an open-face turkey sandwich at a diner. It would come with fries, and there would be some cross-pollenation going on.
I missed most of that “fries” game thread – did anyone mention dipping fries into a Wendy’s Frostee? I’m amazed how many people do it (myself included) – no one ever told me about it, I just randomly did it when I was a kid.
“Look, if this was Citifield you would all be complaining that the park was too big.”
Not me. It would be a nice change.
The new stadium is ok, I have to stay the views from the Mohegan Sun restaurant and the bleachers are awesome (but I’d exchange those views for an expansive outfield). But the bowl shaped seating is boring and not intimate.
Not everybody’s gonna be pleased, the Yanks had a tough hill to climb in recreating Yankee Stadium and changing it at the same time, I think most people recognize that. I’m just saying that it will take a while for me to embrace the new one.
The garlic fries are amazing, the 5.50 or 6.50 small was plenty of fries for one person, and they were so delicious. They went well with my carl’s cheesesteak (which is several hundred calories less than a johnny rockets burger…) I didn’t see how much cheese fries were going for or how much you got, but yeah, let’s just say I wouldn’t advise getting the garlic if you’re with a hot date.
“not sure where you are pulling this from…”
Sorry, ignore me Hman. thought you were talking about hitters, not pitchers. my bad.
“No one is hitting homers at Citi Field, so does that make it a better park than Yankee Stadium?”
——–
heck no. more HR is a good thing.
More HR = more runs = more RBI = more Yankees at the top of the statistical leaders and career records.
non-Yankee fans won’t like it and will say the #s are inflated… but who cares what they think.
Hman,
If the rest of the league knows its a hitters park, would they really point towards statistics such as ERA and HR allowed when discussing a contract? I doubt it … sure the Rockies had trouble because of their ballpark luring FA pitchers in, but it WAS the Rockies. If a player wants the $$ and wants the challenge/prestige of playing for the Yankees, I really dont think the ballpark will play that big of a factor.
“It’s just one of the many, many things about the new Stadium that were poorly thought out or just plain forgotten about when the place was being built, and now they act all surprised and defensive when fans and the media point it out”
says you. the truth is that they brought in an engineer and the engineer told them it would play the same.
but yes, i know everyone wants to assume the worst about the FO.
“I respectfully disagree that it would have been stupid. I agree that some righties would be scared away from the stadium. So what? Let them pad their stats elsewhere.
And BTW if the current trend of home runs continues, then no pitcher in his right mind will sign here.”
It’s not about padding stats, it’s about have realistic dimensions conducive to a championship team. And those original dimensions from the 1920s are asinine, sorry.
And I never said I liked the current dimensions, either. The best dimensions are somewhere in the middle. Push the walls back 10 feet in right field or find a way to control the wind traveling out to right-center and I’m happy.
In-N-Out Fries. Well Done. Animal style.
That is all.
If Peavy declines the trade, it won’t speak very well of him, IMO.
He always claims he wants to win. I can’t blame somebody for not wanting to be in a particular city. That’s their prerogative.
But he would go to the Chicago Cubs. If he says no to the ChiSox, he’s clearly more concerned with his own stats than winning.
“says you. the truth is that they brought in an engineer and the engineer told them it would play the same.”
Respectfully disagree. The general contractor (Yankees) are responsible for the work of their subcontractor (engineer) and thus are to blame for getting it wrong. Let’s hope they hired a more capable crew to pour the cement.
Boston Dave, the rumor is that he doesn’t want to pitch for Ozzie Guillen, and I can’t blame Peavy for that at all. Guillen is a psycho who in the past has shown no compunction about tearing apart his own players in the press and in front of their teammates. Peavy is a “sensitive” type who wouldn’t do well in that environment.
here is a link about how they did wind studies during construction:
http://www.nj.com/yankees/inde.....t_rig.html
“NEW YORK — Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said he’s been surprised at how the new Yankee Stadium has played early in the season because wind studies done on the ballpark showed no reason to believe that it would be a hitters’ haven. He is particularly surprised at how balls are carrying to the cozy right field porch.
“There was nothing in the wind study that indicated that the ball would be jumping to right field,” Cashman said.
Though he refused to disclose details of the study, he said initial concerns stemmed more from how balls would carry to left field, and whether the demolition of the old Yankee Stadium would have any impact on wind patterns in that direction.
“But nothing to right field,” Cashman said. “There was no indication that this would play any different than the other ballpark.”"
Re: Mariano pitching last night…
I was definitely surprised that he came out for the 9th… but does anyone else find it egotistical that everyone watching at home knows what’s best for Mo’s arm? I’m going to put my faith in the guy who’s been pitching for 15 years, and his manager who has been around longer than him.
Mo couldn’t care less about notching another save – he’s all about winning and he knows the Yanks aren’t going to do that with him on the DL. We go through this whenever Mo struggles in April/May – his cutter isn’t sharp and his velocity is down… and every year he says that he needs to pitch in order for those things to be corrected. Give the future HOF and his manager the benefit of the doubt for once.
Because a homer happy park wears down bullpens with high scoring games, and the Yankees will play half their games in a high scoring park.
That’s why it’s a problem.
In terms of the “bandbox” playing a role in taxing the bullpen, say in a game last night, when Guthrie allowed a couple of cheapies to Swish and Cano, that it was CC that allowed those, or Joba. Does Girardi automatically think, they might not have it, and go to the pen sooner? I really doubt that, as the Yankees will have an opportunity to hit a few to make it a 6-5 game in the 6th or 7th. Sure it will cause more pitches for the starter to throw etc, but as far as manager thinking he has to pull said starter, probably not a big issue, just a fact that games at the NYS will be a little more high scoring.
“And BTW if the current trend of home runs continues, then no pitcher in his right mind will sign here.”
——–
Last I checked, the Yanks still pay top dollar and look like they’ll continue their trend of being a perennial playoff caliber team.
Pitchers may attempt to gouge the Yanks with that excuse but make no mistake about it… pitchers (the ones worth getting anyway) will follow the dollar, the wins, and the glory, over to the Bronx.
p.s. Fenway park is a hitters park too. That hasn’t stopped them from getting interest from pitchers.
“Respectfully disagree. The general contractor (Yankees) are responsible for the work of their subcontractor (engineer) and thus are to blame for getting it wrong. ”
i don’t really understand your complaint then. it is literally impossible to know how a stadium will play until you play in it. they had studies done. the studies said there would be no additional HRs to RF.
explain to me what else they should have done.
Don’t know if anyone mentioned this, but the fries at Citi Field are great. They have this bacon dipping sauce that w/o question the best condiment that I’ve ever tasted.
The Riddler,
Didn’t the Yanks win championships with those dimensions???????
Guthrie allowed some cheap HR’s but still stayed in into the 7th.
I don’t think it is too early to say that the new stadium is playing short in right field. Swish and Robby’s flys would not likely have been homers in the old park. There have been many others including one by the Orials last night.
But it’s OK; it’s the same for both teams. After the season changes can be made. Not a big deal, it is what it is for this year.
I have only been to one game this year but I will be going again and again. This new Stadium is awesome and worth every bit the hassles getting to and from.
I had not gone to the old Stadium for 2 years; it was just easier to watch on YES.
“In-N-Out Fries. Well Done. Animal style.”
Animal style definitely changes things. Regular In N Out fries is like the Yankees lineup without ARod, Posada, and Matsui… but animal style turns it into Murderers Row. Also very nice on the burger, as well.
“but does anyone else find it egotistical that everyone watching at home knows what’s best for Mo’s arm?”
absolutely. it’s hilarious.
Heh. Shelley Duncan is talking to me (and a bunch of other LoHuddites) via Twitter.
“Boston Dave, the rumor is that he doesn’t want to pitch for Ozzie Guillen, and I can’t blame Peavy for that at all. ”
——–
hmmm, that is different but still seems like a sacrifice worth making if you’re truly committed to winning.
I would never ever want to be in San Diego as a player. I’m too competitive. I’d do anything to get on a team that actually cares about competing. Even if it meant making a sacrifice like that. It might not be ideal, but it’s far better than San Diego.
If he does decline because of Ozzie, I hope he has the cajones to be honest and say that’s what it was.
Look, I’m old-fashioned.
They should stop playing night games too.
JK
Makes no sense for Peavy to accept the deal
Why would you want to go from a bad team in a weak league to bad team in a superior league?
Might as well stay in warm, sunny SD and pad your stats. Gaining nothing from going to Chi-Town.
“Don’t know if anyone mentioned this, but the fries at Citi Field are great. They have this bacon dipping sauce that w/o question the best condiment that I’ve ever tasted.”
——–
lol nice.
the Yankees would never do that because they don’t want to give their high-paying season ticket holders heart attacks.
but sounds tasty
“And BTW if the current trend of home runs continues, then no pitcher in his right mind will sign here.”
The pitchers you are referring to are those who are afraid to compete, ie their fear of giving up HRs. Why would a pitcher who is afraid to compete ever consider pitching in the AL East in the first place? Just sign with the Dodgers, and ask to be skipped when the team is in Denver.
Who cares if it plays small if both teams have the opportunity to hit em. Sure I get the yanks play 81 there but who cares about individual stats. When your a Yankees fan you measure success in championships, not in individual statistics.
I think the issue with the home runs is how it affects the pitchers over the course of the season. If Yankee pitchers need to throw more pitches over the season to get through their games compared to pitchers in other parks without this issue, it could be an issue come playoff time regarding the wear-and-tear on the staff.
“Makes no sense for Peavy to accept the deal
Why would you want to go from a bad team in a weak league to bad team in a superior league?”
——-
not that hard to see for me. San Diego doesn’t give a crap about winning games.
The White Sox are a legitimate team, especially in that division, and actually care about winning.
It seems like a no-brainer to me. Be a loser for the next 4 years or have a chance to win.
The weather argument doesn’t work with baseball that much. They play games in the summer. He can go back to SD for the winter if he wants to.
“The Riddler,
Didn’t the Yanks win championships with those dimensions???????”
Are you seriously trying to compare the 1920 era when lineups were not nearly as stacked with offensive talent, AL pitchers hit and the Yankees basically bought every player they wanted and had two farm systems as the Kansas City A’s were essentially a pipeline to the Bronx?
For your sake, I hope you are not.
Cubs and White Sox are like night and day
That’s like the Knicks (when they are good) and the NJ Nets.
White Sox are a big market team in name only.
Are homeruns up nearly double around the league?
OYS (L/C/R): 11/5/23
NYS (L/C/R): 22/5/44
(courtesy espnews)
maybe it’s the pitching, too…. varitek had 2 homers last night and ortiz finally hit his first and everyone keeps saying “he’s back” — good pitching will bring down the homer rate
The crowd noise won’t be the same at the new place as it was at the old place. The stadium isin’t build as intimately. Much more space and thus, the noise won’t carry as much.
I really don’t care if the new stadium is a bandbox. A lot of people say its Coors east, but its probably closer to Citizens Bank field instead. Considering the Phillies are reigning world champs and won with a lineup that included a few power hitters and a dominant lefty ace that might bode well for our chances this year in the New Yankee Stadium.
I’d imagine we’d hit more HRs than our opponents here, so it’ll probably benefit more than hurts. And as for free agent pitchers hopefully with our minor league system we won’t need to be wooing too many more.
I believe I read a headline somewhere that all homers were up, but I have no idea where that was
“Though he refused to disclose details of the study, he said initial concerns stemmed more from how balls would carry to left field,”
Well, left center isn’t exactly Death Valley anymore.
“White Sox are a big market team in name only.”
Yeah, but they compete in that division almost every year, and won the WS in ’05. They have some decent pitching, strong offense, and the Cuban Missle himself (best nickname in sports).
If Peavy would accept trades to teams like Houston and Atlanta who are further away from contention than the Chi Sox are, why wouldn’t he approve the trade?
Rejecting the trade shows his priorities are in the wrong place. Yeah, the White Sox are not exactly the Cubs, Dodgers, Yankees, Boston etc. but they give you a much better chance to contend.
“The pitchers you are referring to are those who are afraid to compete, ie their fear of giving up HRs. Why would a pitcher who is afraid to compete ever consider pitching in the AL East in the first place? Just sign with the Dodgers, and ask to be skipped when the team is in Denver.”
I agree completely, I was just giving an example after somebody said no hitter would sign with the Yanks if the outfield dimensions were huge. It goes both ways, pitchers will be apprehensive to sign for a team with a bandbox and sluggers will be apprehensive to sign for a team with a pitcher’s park.
“Makes no sense for Peavy to accept the deal
Why would you want to go from a bad team in a weak league to bad team in a superior league?”
Because he supposedly loves Chicago and as mediocre as the White Sox are they are not nearly as terrible as the Padres are now and will be for the foreseeable future. He knows Kenny Williams will do his best to spend and acquire talent in the hopes of putting together a contender. With the Padres’ ownership situation he knows he’s not getting that commitment in San Diego.
Jeanmar Gomez threw a perfect game against Double-A Trenton today.
Yankee Park is a launching pad and the amount of time is sufficient to suggest that this is a joke and probably done so to assist A-Roid in surpassing Ruth, Aaron and Bonds in home run totals.
This is not a mistake as good ol’ Tweedle Dum (Hank Steinbrenner) has a financial interest in the cheat we have playing 3rd surpass the total (see his contract).
As you may or may not recall, Tweedle Dum’s father (King George) had the walls pulled in for our first baseman of the future, remember? His name? Steve Balboni.
Seeing half swings result in home runs over the RF wall is a mockery to the game and its historical facts, but who cares about that?
Riddler,
To state that a team can’t win a World Series because of stadium dimensions is asinine, that’s what I am saying.
T15D23… that is the most hilarious post I have ever read on here. Bravo
Ironically, teams who play in a bandbox have done well the past couple of years
08 – Philly won the WS
07 – Rockies made the WS
05 – White Sox/Astros both made the WS
“Seeing half swings result in home runs over the RF wall is a mockery to the game and its historical facts, but who cares about that?”
——-
first, you are acting like the Yankees planned some wind tunnel effect when they planned the stadium. the dimensions are almost identical to OYS. unless you also think they have a weather machine that blows wind out when the Yankees are hitting and in when the opponent is up… (not a bad idea
)
second, its been 2 months. let’s wait and see the #s after a season or two to make sure it’s the stadium and not the players.
In my opinion, the only issue is the ERA of our pitchers. If this is considered a more “home run friendly” park, and we have higher scored games at Yankee Stadium III, then that would reflect poorly on our pitchers.
On the plus side…. it looks great for our hitters.
mg,
True, we have witnessed some bad pitching. But some of those homeruns were off good pitches, they weren’t all meatballs.
Melky’s ball yesterday and Tex’s ball on Tuesday would both have barely gone out in other parks, here they are moonshots in the 2nd deck
Great, let’s pull the left, center, and right field walls to 250 feet and get ourselves some championships!!
“Melky’s ball yesterday and Tex’s ball on Tuesday would both have barely gone out in other parks, here they are moonshots in the 2nd deck”
?!?!?!
“first, you are acting like the Yankees planned some wind tunnel effect when they planned the stadium”
Yeah, they did. Wasn’t much fanfare about it as the place was going up, but The Lonn Trost Memorial Wind Tunnel is indeed a reality.
“Melky’s ball yesterday and Tex’s ball on Tuesday would both have barely gone out in other parks, here they are moonshots in the 2nd deck”
hmmmm…if only there was a way to check these wild claims….oh wait, there is:
http://www.hittrackeronline.com/
Melky’s HR went 395 feet. you’re wrong.
As Pete said yesterday (in the comment section), it is fine now because we’re the ones who are the beneficiaries of the bandbox. But one of these days, it is going to cost us a key game and it won’t be fun and games anymore.
Melky’s homer is a play at the wall at Yankee stadium circa 1923…
“I figured out that the fahnabola was really probably vanapoli, or something like that – go to Naples!”
Right. But where is the destination of damnation when someone from Naples is telling you off?
As for the tostones, mentioned earlier, you are supposed to use a garlic and oil dressing. My wife however has gone a little native after marrying an anglo and now puts Thousand Island dressing on the tostones. Oh yeah, baby.
I haven’t read all the posts so I am sorry if I am repeating anyone, but I care about the HR rate because it cheapens the home run and is unfair to the pitcher. If not, why not move the left field fences in too? Let’s make it 365 ft all the way around while we are at it. When a pitcher makes a good pitch, and causes the hitter to get jammed or pop one up, he shouldn’t be penalized by the ball flying out. And I am talking about Yankee pitchers and opposing pitchers. That is not what the game is about. After years and years of baseball, we know what fair dimensions are, and right field is not fair right now (I don’t think the dimensions are the same all the way around the OF – maybe at certain points, but not the whole thing). Add on the way the ball is carrying and the stadium is not playing fair to the pitchers.
It’s the bullpen, Sam, the bullpen.
Generally, I’m with Sam here. I think people are putting too much stock into the idea that this Stadium is a “launching pad” because it really isn’t.
First of all, there is only one section that really is…in right field (not quite the gap) from the WB Mason ad to the auxiliary scoreboard. All of the “cheapies” have gone out in that general area, into the first few rows of seats. But this is kind of how the original Stadium played…to me, that’s part of the “short porch”.
The rest of the park plays honest, and really, it plays big. Left and center field have swallowed up plenty of fly balls this year and will continue to do so. There have been some balls hit pretty well that have died before the warning track out there.
I agree too, that the sample size is way too small. Let’s see the stats over a full season. And let’s remember too that this is a Yankee lineup with a tremendous amount of power. When Jorge and Nady are in the lineup, almost every hitter is capable of hitting at least 20 homers.
Sam:
Have you seen left field at Fenway?
Above, Tony wrote: “That ball hit off Rivera in the 9th looked like a lazy flyball, it went way out.”
You’re sadly mistaken. All you needed to do — and YES showed it twice — was see Mariano’s reaction the SECOND the ball was hit. He knew it was a monster and in fact he talked to himself for about 40 seconds afterward.
meanwhile,
watch out for those Detroit Tigers
Verlander has been unhittable lately, Edwin Jackson looks like a Cy Young candidate, Porcello has settled in, even Dontrelle Willis came back and looked like his old self yesterday.
With Zumaya back, Ryan Perry improving, and a pretty good offense, they could run away with that division and be a force to be reckoned with.
“Seeing half swings result in home runs over the RF wall is a mockery to the game and its historical facts, but who cares about that?”
Really? So, HRs that barely went over the wall at the old stadium are okay compared to fly outs that went 380+ when Mantle/Maris were playing?
The dimensions of the parks change. All of them. Along with the talent of the pitchers and hitters, the equipment, etc. It’s part of the evolution of the game. If you’re going to use that silly argument, then all stats in the “modern era” are a mockery of the game.
Because you win baseball with pitching and defense, not the long ball. I am a transplanted New Yorker living in Colorado. 12-10 games are a joke. Great free agent pitchers will be heistant to pitch in a band box. And worst of all, it’s demoralizing for the fans, because no lead is a safe. You can’t enjoy a 10-5 lead in the 7th because you know there’s a great chance the bullpen will screw it up. Colorado – 2 playoff appearances in 16 years – one due to an insane run to the finish the season in 2007 plus winning a play-in game. 12-10, 14-12, 9-7 – that isn’t baseball, that’s lacrosse. 5-4, 4-3, that’s a great baseball game. I guarantee you the Yanks will make an effort to curtail all these dingers – bandbox baseball is for the little leagues, not the greatest franchise in the history of sports!
Nick in SF
If you’re lurking about, this one’s for you.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wallyg/3549610503/
“As you may or may not recall, Tweedle Dum’s father (King George) had the walls pulled in for our first baseman of the future, remember? His name? Steve Balboni.”
let’s check some facts….
Steve Balboni was a Yankee from 1981-1983 and 1989-1990.
according to this, there were no changes to the dimensions in any of those years:
http://www.ballparks.com/baseb.....yankee.htm
in fact, there weren’t any significant changes to the dimensions from the time of the renovations in 1976 until the stadium closed.
in other words, your story is unsupported by the facts. sorry. keep ptrying though.
Why is it bad if there are a disproportionate number of home runs?
Because pitching wins championships and home runs extend innings, wearing disproportionately on Yankee pitchers over the life of a season. This threatens to lead to shorter outings for starters, more use of bullpen, and difficulties in developing pitchers and recruiting free agents who like to keep down their ERAs with fly balls.
That’s why it’s a concern. But I agree that it’s early.
“I am a transplanted New Yorker living in Colorado. 12-10 games are a joke.”
——-
that’s funny. The Yanks have been winning more games 12-3 than 12-10 since their pitchers woke up.
I guess the other teams haven’t figured out where the wind tunnels are yet.
Rishi May 21st, 2009 at 1:52 pm
I believe I read a headline somewhere that all homers were up, but I have no idea where that was
******
Someone should tell Mike F that. But don’t let facts get the way of a stupid argument.
Instead of talking about the 8 game in streak the Yanks are on he is carrying on about how the stadium is playing.
go back and watch Knoblaugh’s HR in game 3 of the 1999 World Series.
i don’t remember anyone complaining about that being a “cheap” HR….
“…comparing what MLB was like 80 years ago is just plain ridiculous b/c the game has changed so much.”
Really?? Has it, my friend? Aren’t the mounds still 4 feet tall and the gloves three-fingered and games called when a black cloud covers the sun??? I wasn’t comparing. For your sake, I hope you’re not an ass all the time. I first said, I think it would be cool to have those dimensions, personal opinion. It would be unique to baseball today and it would be a breath of fresh air from the small stadiums.
Then second I said I don’t think it would affect the Yanks winning games. Hmmm, I didn’t realize that the Pads didn’t win because of their ballpark. That’s ridiculous.
“I guarantee you the Yanks will make an effort to curtail all these dingers”
——–
not if the Yanks keep winning or win in the playoffs.
they’ll need an excuse to make meaningful change and winning won’t be an excuse.
they’ll need to be on the short end of the HR stick before it makes sense to change anything, IMO
1. just a fan May 21st, 2009 at 2:08 pm
“Melky’s ball yesterday and Tex’s ball on Tuesday would both have barely gone out in other parks, here they are moonshots in the 2nd deck”
hmmmm…if only there was a way to check these wild claims….oh wait, there is:
http://www.hittrackeronline.com/
Melky’s HR went 395 feet. you’re wrong.
- – - -
No fair using facts to win an argument.
The seats go right to the fence in RF.
There’s no room to move home plate back and get some extra distance that way.
Barring major surgery, the fences aren’t going anywhere. This is the Stadium we have, small, large or neutral (which we don’t even know yet anyway), so there is absolutely no point in complaining about the fences.
You will be happier if you accept it and love it.
i think the yankees will adjust the stadium, but it IS kindof funny to read how “pitching and defense” win championships, yet these teams all play in hitter’s parks:
1. Phillies – 2008 WS Champs
2. Red Sox – 2007 and 2004 WS Champs
3. Chicago White Sox – 2005 WS Champs
4. AZ Diamondbacks – 2001 WS Champs
murphdog:
left field at Fenway takes away as many homers as it gives (and it gave us Bucky Dent, thank god). granted, those now all become hits rather than some being outs. But, Fenway is a unique case that has been around for years and years. One of them is enough. Most new stadiums at least put a high wall in the areas that play short. I didn’t mind the old short porch in Yankee Stadium because it was a pretty small area of the OF, but so far this short porch now extends too far into RF. I am willing to see what happens for an entire year, though.
“The seats go right to the fence in RF.
There’s no room to move home plate back and get some extra distance that way.”
but why can’t they remove a row of seats?
The point about it taxing the bullpen and starters isn’t necessarily valid. First, there is more room in foul territory to make outs, so that can counteract the number of pitches getting thrown. Second, you don’t necessarily go to your bullpen any earlier. You only go to your bullpen when your starter is putting you in too deep of a hole to win or he’s reached a pitch count. If both pitchers are pitching in the same park, you’d think that the Yankees would muster enough offense to match what the other team is doing to our pitcher in order to keep our starter in the game for the usual 6-7 innings.
Our starters over this homestand seem to be going as long as they normally do (or as short, in Joba’s and Hughes’ case). If you are going to make the argument that the stadium is taxing the pitchers and putting us at a disadvantage, then you need to trot out some stats to back this up. Otherwise, it really doesn’t matter. I’d also like to see if the number of overall runs being scored is any different. Like I said, foul territory may be cutting down on a lot of scoring too.
Q: Why does it matter?
A: Because one day very soon, the Yankees are going to lose an important game because of a 325-foot HR to right-center. And from then on in, Yankees fans will realize that the new dimensions dont only play to the Yanks advantage, but their opponents as well.
Plus, with all the money spent on pitching, it wont look very good for CC or AJ if they give up bull-doody HRs to RF
In the same vein, the Padres should move their walls in, its a mockery of the game to have 380-400 foot flyouts.
Don’t hear anyone complaining over there, though.
While I really enjoy seeing a lot of HRS, and enjoy seeing Yankees with alot of HRS and RBIS, it does open us to ridicule and provides ammo to opposing fans.
It is unfortunate, and on balance, I wish they never moved at all.
I shudder to think what the Phillies will do, and only hope our lefties keep hitting both bombs and pop ups over the little league porch
Its not that its a launching pad, its more of the fact that pop ups are homeruns and hitters who are jammed are hitting bombs. Even the balls in play are at the warning track. Something is wrong here
“but why can’t they remove a row of seats?”
My guess is, structurally, that’s not a piece of cake.
“but why can’t they remove a row of seats?”
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
“Melky’s ball yesterday and Tex’s ball on Tuesday would both have barely gone out in other parks, here they are moonshots in the 2nd deck”
I wonder if you were watching the same game that we all were? Those were bombs.
“Yankees fans will realize that the new dimensions dont only play to the Yanks advantage, but their opponents as well.”
i’m not sure you understand the definition of “advantage”.
Damn Fatcessa wants Joba in the BP so badly that he just continues to put down Mo over the radio. It’s like he’s writing his funeral.
Plus, I haven’t seen many home runs land in the first row of seats, maybe a couple.
Just make the RF wall as high as it used to and that would already cut down on the homers, anyway.
“My guess is, structurally, that’s not a piece of cake.”
i am not claiming to be an expert on this, but isn’t this what they did in Philly?
might actually be easier to remove some of the seats behind home plate and move home plate back.
Adam Jones homer last night should never have gone out.
Yeah, I don’t think they could move the wall back unless they get rid of some seats, which I don’t think will happen.
I’m curious to see how it plays once the old stadium is torn down. Some people have mentioned that it might be creating some sort of wind dynamic on the new stadium. Not sure how, but I’m willing to wait and see (not much choice in the matter anyway).
I am not saying that the dimensions are a deal breaker for any and all FAs. But, it certainly is a consideration for some I would think. Not the CC Sabathia’s, but middle tier, solid pitchers.
In any event, I think the effect on the bullpen is more important and potentially damaging.
I don’t think the quality of the ballpark is lessened just because homeruns are being hit, as long as making it a hitters park was not the intention. The new stadium has the same dimensions as the old park, and is a short distance away. There was no way they could have foreseen that more homers were going to be hit in the new stadium, if in fact this is the way it is gonna be. If the way the seats are arranged or the pitch of the grandstand/bleachers has led to more homeruns, well then that is just a freak thing and I think it makes it pretty cool.
Yes, they could move homeplate back and just consolidate all the unsold seats in the moat!
what the hell is Francesa babbling about..
Caution is up regarding Mo?
“might actually be easier to remove some of the seats behind home plate and move home plate back.”
This seems like the least likely of all possible options.
“Q: Why does it matter?
A: Because one day very soon, the Yankees are going to lose an important game because of a 325-foot HR to right-center. And from then on in, Yankees fans will realize that the new dimensions dont only play to the Yanks advantage, but their opponents as well.
Plus, with all the money spent on pitching, it wont look very good for CC or AJ if they give up bull-doody HRs to RF”
But when they win one on one of those, it’s fine? You can’t have it both ways.
As to the pitching, as has been mentioned before, if you make your pitches, you don’t give up HRs.
No one complains about the moonshots that travel 300 feet to LF in Boston that are flyouts in 29 parks but HRs there. It’s part of the game. All stadiums have different dimensions and different HR capabilities.
I’m not so worried about HR totals. I am more worried about Win and Loss totals.
Funny too. Didn’t notice CC giving up a lot of HRs.
I bet Doc or Zach Greinke won’t either.
I didn’t get to watch Phil pitch, can someone give a recap? How did he look, etc. Thanks.
Honestly, why does anyone still listen to Francesa? From the posts here, I’m glad I can’t.
Talk radio, and sports talk radio in particular, is a gargantuan waste of airwaves.
“Plus, I haven’t seen many home runs land in the first row of seats, maybe a couple.”
but that’s the thing….the point isn’t to eliminate the HRs that would have been HRs in the old stadium, right?
the point is to just eliminate the super cheap ones.
if you do that, the stadium plays more like old stadium.
people (not you per se) are falling into the logical trap that EVERY home run that is hit to RF in the new stadium is illegitimate. which is far from the case.
a homer friendly RF in Yankee Stadium has been the team’s trademark for 85 years.
Agree Melkys was legit, Tex was legit, BUT Swishers was kind of a joke.
RE: free agents. I think $$ trumps personal stats.
LF in Boston is the biggest joke in terms of baseball park dimensions. But you don’t hear people complain about that.
Girardi could really make a case for his positive value by evolving to factor into consideration park effects like these. It is not a foregone conclusion that more HRs in parks like YS mean more relievers. The manager makes personnel moves based on outcomes of matchups. If there’s a strong park effect at YS, Girardi might visually assess fly ball HRs to determine whether they indicate bad luck or real evidence of poor performance.
A manager could easily turn this park effect to his advantage by maintaining a slow hook and by knowing his personnel even if the result of a HR would “traditionally” be the removal of the offending pitcher. Visiting managers would be less likely to adapt to park conditions and would tend to exhibit the tendencies in personnel selection and substitution that characterize their normal profile. So they might burn bullpen in response to “fluke” HR while a Yankee reliever stays in despite surrendering a similar size.
Considering that both teams play with the park effect, there are definitely creative ways in which the Yanks could turn a park effect to their advantage.
for some of the cynical people who think the yankees won’t remove seats to change the dimensions, i have to ask one question: when is the last time the Yankees refused to cut into their profit margins to improve their on field product??
if the team feels like they can’t win with the stadium as is, they’ll spend some money to fix it.
this team puts winning above everything else and always has since the Steinbrenners took it over.
*similar HR/hit
“No one complains about the moonshots that travel 300 feet to LF in Boston that are flyouts in 29 parks but HRs there”
People complain about that all the time. It actually creates a lot more doubles than it does homers.
“Brandon Pie “Because it’s the thing to do in this stadium”
May 21st, 2009 at 2:26 pm
Damn Fatcessa wants Joba in the BP so badly that he just continues to put down Mo over the radio. It’s like he’s writing his funeral.”
Well they took away his swagha! I’ve seen them do this before! The kids a killa in the pen. Jober is no stater. Give me two lock down innings over 6 to 7 quality innings any day of the week.
“Agree Melkys was legit, Tex was legit, BUT Swishers was kind of a joke.”
yes, Swisher’s was a cheap HR.
but…that’s the HR that should be easiest to fix. even if they don’t move the wall back, they can make the wall higher.
they’d just have to remove the first row of seats and raise the wall to a height where the people in the second row can see.
it would also eliminate the “problem” of fans reaching over from that first row.
“LF in Boston is the biggest joke in terms of baseball park dimensions.”
At least not since it was replaced by right field in New York.
““might actually be easier to remove some of the seats behind home plate and move home plate back.””
That would only work is they had a ton of room down the left and right-field lines, which they don’t. The foul lines are 90 degress to one another, and moving their starting point (home plate) “south” would cause them to run into the foul-line stands in the OF.
just a fan-
Remember, I’m not complaining about how the Stadium is playing.
But those who are are basing their complaints on the large number of HRs currently being hit, and eliminating the cheapies wouldn’t have really reduced the number of HRs hit so far in the Stadium.
If in fact the Stadium really is playing farther (which is far from proven given the limited number of games played there so far), I’m no expert, but I suspect it’s more the wind, perhaps due to the open concourses and the more open design of the stands.
vin -
I used to go to Wetson’s many years ago, with my parents, and we’d get burgers, fries and chocolate shakes. I wouldn’t dip the fries, but I’d take a bite of the fries and then a sip of the milkshake. Until you wrote dipping the fries into a shake, I had absolutely forgetten that taste. Was very, very good!
I avoid fries. But if my kids get ‘em, I hunt for the crunchiest fries on the plate (there’s usually about 3 to 5) and really, really, enjoy those. I like crunch. If I want soft, I’d rather have a baked potato. For the combo of crunch to soft – great diner home fries with diced onions and peppers. But just a taste.
I will make baked sweet potato “fries” at home and I love them.
Big Mikey F. May 21st, 2009 at 2:38 pm
“Brandon Pie “Because it’s the thing to do in this stadium”
May 21st, 2009 at 2:26 pm
Damn Fatcessa wants Joba in the BP so badly that he just continues to put down Mo over the radio. It’s like he’s writing his funeral.”
Well they took away his swagha! I’ve seen them do this before! The kids a killa in the pen. Jober is no stater. Give me two lock down innings over 6 to 7 quality innings any day of the week.
==============================
vb03
LF in Boston is the biggest joke in terms of baseball park dimensions. But you don’t hear people complain about that.
–
It’s 315ft or something, right? Then there’s a 37ft wall…
Breaking News:
San Diego Padres pitcher Jake Peavy is going on the NL. He has been diagnosed with AL Anxiety Disorder (ALAD).
Peavy holding out to see if a NL team will step up in the next 3 weeks.
Between worrying about all the HRs and all the empty seats I Haven’t slept in days.
Joba does 7 strong tonight – bank on it
So I did the math. Through 18 home games last year we had a 9-9 record, scored 87, had 80 scored against us. The starters threw a total of 93.8 innings.
Through 18 home games this year, we have an 11-7 record, 100 runs scored and 113 runs scored against us. The starters have thrown a total of 99.8 innings.
So this shows that scoring is up, but our starters are actually throwing more innings and our record is 2 games better. So, I don’t think it’s fair to say our bullpen is getting taxed more because of the new dimensions.
Boston Dave:
Regarding the Tigers, you may be right. Jury’s still out on the pitching to me, but they have a great manager and several good bats. Be great if they could make a summer of it anyway. Give the folks in a tattered city something to rally around once the Red Wings are done.
“Well they took away his swagha! I’ve seen them do this before! The kids a killa in the pen. Jober is no stater. Give me two lock down innings over 6 to 7 quality innings any day of the week.”
Gotta go with Ellsworth, he called Cano’s shot.
Hmmm, Cano went 3-4 last night. I guess he’s due for a slump now…
Someone tell fatboy Melky’s HR was 395 ft, not a skimmer to the wall.
Francessa bragging about how well Varitek is doing. He failed to mention that both Varitek and Ortiz hit their HRs off of a guy that is probably better suited for the minors.
Doreen,
There’s something terribly delicious about the saltiness of the fries meeting the sweetness of the chocolate. My wife thinks I’m insane whenever I mention it, but then again, she is the self-proclaimed “ketchup queen.”
Also, sweet potatoes are one of the LEAST tasty things I’ve ever eaten, so having them in fry form holds no appeal. But they are very popular.
Yanks moved in the walls in left center ( 430 to 399 ) & center ( 419 to 409 ) when thsy signed Don Baylor….
Moving home plate back would eliminate a row of Legends seating. I just don’t see that happening.
And in RF, remember that’s a manual scoreboard. There’s a room under there. I suspect eliminating a row of seats in RF would, in addition to losing ticket revenue, entail some tricky structural changes as well.
This is why its a disadvantage to the Yankees.
The Yankees all along thier history have had power hitters. They developed it before free agency and have the money to acquire power in the free agency era. When you have powerful hitters that hit 450 ft HR’s you dont need a launching pad. When you have a launching pad stadium youre only creating an equal playing field for teams with less power. By creating a launching pad you have made the opposing teams mediocure hitters into power hitters. Where the Yankees dont need the added advantage of a small stadium because they can hit it out of a bigger stadium too.
The perfect example would be the grand slam that Asdrubal Cabrrera hit earlier in the season. In the old park that same swing would have produced a medium depth fly ball to right center. But, because of the jet stream/dimensions an average hitter hit it that pitch for a grand slam. While the Yankee home runs that have been hit this year (I havent seen all of them) for the most part have been belted. Those same hits would have gone out of the old park too. Basically a launching pad home stadium has equalled the playing field for lesser powerful teams.
m, the easy answer to your question is, Phil Phrancise went after the hitters. No nibbling on the corners. He pounded his fastball all night, and got them chasing pitches out of the zone. When he missed a couple locations, they hit him hard for the 2 HR’s. But he didn’t miss much.
He looked a lot like he did when he started against the Tigers, just more strikeouts in this start. If he does go back to AAA, he made his last start count. Good for him.
m, On the downside. PH went just 5 IP, gave up 3 R on 2 HRs. But his FB was 92-94 with a lot of life, especially up in the zone. He threw some good CBs, he didn’t roll any up there like in some other starts. They all had bite. In fact Roberts got an IF hit by golfing a CB that landed on the plate. Don’t know how he hit that! He pitched out of 1st & 3rd no outs in the 3rd on a K of Jones and a strike out(Markakis) throw out(Roberts) Of his 9Ks, 6 were FB, 3 CBs, 8 were swinging. I didn’t notice any Changeups. He threw some cutters in the 4th and 5th. What was most impressive was his attitude/ approach. He went right at hitters. I believe Markakis & Huff were a combined 0-5 with 5Ks, that doesn’t happen to them very often! Overall he looked good, an improvement over the Minn game. His 2nd best start since his return (Detroit game being his best). The NYY have won 3 of the 5 games he started, not bad for a #6 starter.
Apparently, Mike feels that Mo is upset with the ballpark based on the look on his face when he gave up the homer.
Hmmm, I think he was more disappointed with the pitch he threw…
murphdog/trisha –
Yes now something I can add (and relate)to: being born in italy and raised in brooklyn..
vafanapoli is the equivalent of “stick it in your ear” instead of sticking it somewhere else…which is what vafangulo is(misspelled to protect the innocent)..
your sister’s (or mother’s) bleep at least the one i know isn’t the derriere but the “other” thing that will not be mentioned…written “la fessa di mama”…
btw – ALOT of these expressions are used quite often in my household relating to the yankees (or their opponents)during games..
i can write a book on how many of these expressions exist in the italian vernacular….
thanks for bringing it up..
What did Francessa whine about that got him knocked off the YES Network?
I just put the TV on to YES and all I’ve got is a test pattern.
There’s been more legit HRs then cheap ones. There hasn’t been any wacky ones since the Cleveland series when balls off the edge of the bat where going out.
As far as Mo giving up a HR last night, Francesa is a D-bag. Really that is a legit HR straight away CF over 400 feet. That’s not a wind aided HR.
Home runs are up everywhere. Two prime examples are in Tampa. Barrett has 5 through today. He had 11 in his ML career and never more than 5 in any minor league season. Zobrist has 7 so far in 100 at bats. Roberts has 5 in a career where he averages 11, based on 1 season with 18. Scutaro has 5 and Aaron Hill has 11. Pitching around baseball is just bad. Bartlett is hitting .380. That’s 100 points above his career.
“Through 18 home games this year, we have an 11-7 record, 100 runs scored and 113 runs scored against us. The starters have thrown a total of 99.8 innings.”
Goes to show just how badly Wang’s start vs. Cleveland skews the numbers. If that game is removed from the record (we can only wish):
17 games
11-6 record
96 runs scored
91 runs allowed
98 IP for starters (not sure about your “.8″ – usually goes to .2 to represent 2 outs, but whatever)
Correction: ***Bartlett*** has 5 through today
Help please? moving home plate back won’t help because the lines down first base and third base hug the outfield walls.
How about just raising the fence in right field? How do NYS and Fenway compare?
How do Fenway and NYS compare HR totals-wise?
Sam, you’re right, there’s nothing wrong with it, especially if they are able to secure a big time home field advantage here. I’m sure our pitchers would rather have a larger, more pitcher friendly ballpark. But the Yankees have as much or more power than any other team in their lineup. This park is great for them. If the Yankees continue to win at home there’s no reason to change anything about the dimensions. Why would the other team all of the sudden have the advantage against us in a small ballpark where more homers are hit? It’s the same game of baseball for both teams. I don’t see anything wrong or disturbing with a record number of home runs hit, as long as the Yankees keep winning.
A 37ft wall in right field at NYS would block some views. Some.
“Moving home plate back would eliminate a row of Legends seating.”
Would that be a bad thing? Attendance in those seats should be adequate to eliminate a row of ‘em.
Not going to happen though. Some day, they may sell those and I don’t think the reduction in foul ground behind the plate was an accident.
“That would only work is they had a ton of room down the left and right-field lines, which they don’t. The foul lines are 90 degress to one another, and moving their starting point (home plate) “south” would cause them to run into the foul-line stands in the OF.”
yes, you are correct. i actually looked at some pictures, something i should have done before making suggestions.
it seems like the easiest idea to implement is to raise the wall in RF a bit.
Swisher’s home run was a line drive. It never got high enough to be affected by the wind. Cano’s was hit into the wind blowing right to left at 17 MPH.
Stultus,
Apparently mike didn’t see mo’s face when he gave up the hr to Bay at Fenway.
I read where during the Kangaroo Court, they fined A-Rod for not reporting to the team with everyone else when the season started. Alex’s excuse, of course, was his hip surgery. Mo would have none of that and upheld the fine anyway. Mariano is one tough dude.
m
Apparently mike didn’t see mo’s face when he gave up the hr to Bay at Fenway.
–
Ha! Mo was angry at the Fenway dimensions.
I don’t think the outfield walls are the problem with the HR’s. A lot of them being hit lately are absolute BOMBS. You’d have to move the fence back 20 feet, and make it 6 feet taller to start taking away those HR’s.
It could be a “wind tunnel” issue though, but it’s still early. The Yankees have hit many HR’s with Damon, Tex, and A-Rod on an absolute tear during the last homestand. Wait to see how things average out over the long-term, and when those guys return to human-level performance.
“How do Fenway and NYS compare HR totals-wise?”
They don’t.
71 homers in 19 Yankee Stadium games.
39 in 18 games at Fenway.
That said, I bet the total runs are pretty close. Fenway is not a homerun park at all, but it is a hitter’s park.
Laura, and you KNOW Swisher got dinged for that terrible haircut. “Grooming unbecoming a Yankee.” Jim Bouton’s “Ball Four” had some great examples of kangaroo court.
Yankees vs. A.J. Burnett, charge: wanton waste of dessert products.
Yankees vs. CC Sabathia, charge: overuse of the pinstripes.
Yankees vs. Angel Berroa, charge: collecting a paycheck and Social Security simultaneously.
Yankees vs. Melky Cabrera , charge: missing “3″ on the batting helmet.
Actually it’s 40 homers in 19 games at Fenway.
Does Francesa ever even watch a Yankees game? Something tells me he watches a highlight reel before he goes on the air, reads a few news items and that’s it.
Why do people fret about what he says? Why, why, oh why????
“Yankees vs. Angel Berroa, charge: collecting a paycheck and Social Security simultaneously.”
Pete would be proud.
“As far as Mo giving up a HR last night, Francesa is a D-bag. Really that is a legit HR straight away CF over 400 feet. That’s not a wind aided HR.”
Nolan Reimold can hit. He has flown under the radar as far Oriole prospects. The Baltimore Sun inadvertently left him off their prospect preview and then he started off by hitting .394 with 9 hrs and 27 RBIs in 31 games at AAA. He impressed me with last year with Bowie. The Orioles are loaded with prospects but Reimold could be one of the better ones.
Steve B,
Wow. For a park that plays small like Fenway, that’s a pretty dramatic difference.
Bet Fenway produces a lot of doubles, tho.
One way to look at how offense friendly a park is, is to look at the road splits. Take a look at the Red Sox’s home record. Yankees have played decently on the road around .500.
the funny thing about the Mo HR last night is that HRs are NOT up to CF in the new park.
it’s the one part that has played the same as the old park.
Francessa is a hack.
“Nolan Reimold can hit”
Francesa wouldn’t have the slightest idea who that is. All he knows is that some no name scrub hit a shot to straight away CF off the great Mo Rivera. Doesn’t like it and blames the ballpark for it.
Calm down Kay-no one is proclaiming Hughes as the chosen one
vin -
Then you must like potato chips and M&Ms. I got that one from my mom. Yummy. Salt, sweet & chocolate. The best.
Mel:
Yup. Both have played 19 at home and 21 on the road. Boston is three games better than the Yanks at home and two worse on the road. Still can’t believe Boston is done with the west coast for the year.
1.Why is Francesa dishing my man John Sterling? He brings great life to the broadcasts, yeah he will blow a call from time to time but so did the Scooter, so what!! He is so Yankee History knowledgable and is part of the Yankee tradition of great broadcasters, and I’ve heard them all since the day of Mel Allen.
2. I didnt hear anybody complaining about Yankee Stadium in the old days? Right field has ALWAYS been an issue at 296!! And it was stupid to have death valley..Joe D and others have been cheated out of homers.
3. Raise the walls if you want and be done with the issue.
4. Francesa needs to stop bashing!
Is it true was commenting here yesterday as a civilian and not “the voice of blog” if so he needs to adopt a screen name. “BruceGroupie73″ or something
If he is commenting as “a regular person” he needs a regular person screen name.
Uncle Ellsworth (relax Chief)
May 21st, 2009 at 3:18 pm
Is it true PETE was commenting here yesterday as a civilian and not “the voice of blog” if so he needs to adopt a screen name. “BruceGroupie73” or something
If he is commenting as “a regular person” he needs a regular person screen name.
Did I just hear Kay correctly, before the break? He wants PH to go to the SWB pen? Thankfully he isn’t the GM.
Bill
May 21st, 2009 at 3:20 pm
Did I just hear Kay correctly, before the break? He wants PH to go to the SWB pen? Thankfully he isn’t the GM
I thought he said SWB OR the NYY pen
I know this is repetitive, but after agreeing with 99% of what you said, I believe that the outfield dimensions are NOT the same as the old stadium. Both left center and especially right center are “suspect.” On the other hand as you so correctly put it, “why does it matter?”
He said SWB or the NYY pen. Not the SWB pen
I dont worry at all about the new stadium even if it is a bandbox now. I’d be more concern if I was a CR fan since there is nothing you can do about the thin air. You can always make the walls higher or farther in the Bronx. Thin air kills breaking pitches and makes balls travel faster. They’ll fix it.
once again I pist on the old thread…oh well, meant to say farther not faster above
Kay is for sending Hughesie down to SWB if Wang is ready. He has to continue to be a starter
“Kay is for sending Hughesie down to SWB if Wang is ready. He has to continue to be a starter”
does anyone disagree with this?
Tom in N.J.
May 21st, 2009 at 1:03 pm
Sweet potato fries.
—-
yes! ridged ones
Who cares about the bandbox effect? Most Yankee fans do.
I’m amazed how sports professionals can’t do basic research:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04.....eruns.html
As for the argument “both teams hit in the same field, so it doesn’t matter”, then why don’t MLB teams just play on regulation softball fields, with 300-foot fences all around? The answer is that baseball fans expect drives to have to be hit with a certain amount of force and a certain trajectory to certain areas of the field in order to result in home runs (aka “instant scoring”). Nick Swisher’s one-handed medium-depth line drive of last night, and Cano’s pop-up last night don’t qualify.
The new Stadium is an absolute joke to RF. It takes away from the level of play, and creates absurd home runs.
As long as the stadium is the same size for both teams, I don’t care if HRs are going out of it as if it was the size of a little league field.
Small sample size or not, I don’t think there is any question that this new Stadium is biased very heavily in favor of the Yankees. Right now the Stadium is on pace to allowing over 300 homers in the 81 games that will be played there this year. The most any ballpark in the majors gave up last year was 217. That is a difference of 3.73 HR/game and 2.69 HR/game. That is a glaring difference. And over 60% of the HR’s hit in Yankee Stadium so far this year have gone to right field. Those numbers tell a pretty significant story in my mind.
However, as Yankees fans we should embrace the “bandbox” that Yankee Stadium appears to be. This team is built to be very successful in a park of this nature. CC and A.J. have very good BABIP averages due to the high number of strike outs they record. Both also allow less than 1 HR/9. Joba appears to be right in line with these two, but I think we need more to time with him as a starter to see how it will play out. Then you have Wang who when pitching like Wang is primarily a ground ball pitcher. He draws 1.5 ground balls for every 1 fly ball, but only 3% of those fly balls become homers. These 4 guys should be the core of the rotation for the next 5 years which is encouraging if the Stadium continues to play like it has been. Add all that to the fact the lineup has a ton of good power and so many guys that can hit from the left side of the plate, then the apparent ease the ball is able to leave to right could be very beneficial to the Yankees.
One way it could be a negative for the Yanks though is when it comes to signing free agent pitchers. Not many guys are going to want to pitch here if it could balloon their numbers. That means a lot more overpayed, CC-type contracts having to be handed out by the Yankees.
I think the amount of balls flying out of the stadium CHEAPENS the excitement of a Home Run. Home Runs are not supposed to be rare, but they are “special”.
If every two bit fly ball to right field goes out, the home run loses it’s luster, it becomes boring.
And it cheapens it further for those balls that are legitimate HR’s that travel the normal distance and didn’t need a push for the wind currents.
Yankee Stadium right field was already hitter friendly, they don’t need to give it an extra “boost”.
More importantly though, you don’t mind getting beat by a Home Run from a legitimate power hitter.
But when you start losing games from weak hitters, who had the good fortune of lifting a ball into the right field wind currents, that is not good or legitimate baseball.
Alot of people who sit in the upper deck state that the winds are much more severe than they were in the old stadium.
Not sure if anything can be done about it this year, but if they need to fill in the holes in the back of the stadium, do what it takes to make it play it the stadium of old did, not like Coors Field EAST.
Steak fries dipped in some A-1 sauce ………… yes !
Agreed, the Yankees are called the Bronx Bombers for a reason. They’re not called the Bronx Hurlers, they’re called the Bronx Bombers. If Yankee Stadium had the dimensions of Petco, then maybe they would be called the Bronx Hurlers. But I’d much rather have them be called the Bronx Bombers and hit 7 HRs a game. We have a great offense, it’s best to capitalize on it. We also have great pitching, and they will learn to use the park to their advantage as well. It’s true homefield advantage. Our offense can dominate, while our pitchers will hopefully have the experience/knowledge and are savvy enough to pitch in a way that the other team’s offense can’t capitalize on the park dimensions.
to “just a fan” who said:
——————————————————————–
“just a fan
May 21st, 2009 at 2:16 pm
“As you may or may not recall, Tweedle Dum’s father (King George) had the walls pulled in for our first baseman of the future, remember? His name? Steve Balboni.”
let’s check some facts….
Steve Balboni was a Yankee from 1981-1983 and 1989-1990.
according to this, there were no changes to the dimensions in any of those years:
http://www.ballparks.com/baseb.....yankee.htm
in fact, there weren’t any significant changes to the dimensions from the time of the renovations in 1976 until the stadium closed.
in other words, your story is unsupported by the facts. sorry. keep ptrying though.
——————————————————————–
I do not to have to keep on trying as I remember this being done and with many scratching their heads. Would love to dig up the quote from King George himself, but do not have the time.
The dimensions constantly changed and no changes were made after 1988.
This link should shed some light on many of the changes, but there was a change made in 1982 that is not noted and that was for Balboni.
http://www.baseball-almanac.co.....dium.shtml
Ansky:
“As long as the stadium is the same size for both teams, I don’t care if HRs are going out of it as if it was the size of a little league field.”
Absurd statement.
i love how this guy chimes in about french fries but completely ignores facts and comments that disprove his claims in the original post.