Ballpark effects

[traderumor]

The West Coast parks are notorious for the ball not carrying, be it the proximity to sea level, or low humidity, or whatever factor plays in the parks on the left coast. Yet, the genius architects build large gaps and death valley wall distances in a few places to ensure that the games are influenced by ballpark effects.

Then there is the Midwest, where the ball flies most of the year due to humidity or wind, so naturally the architects go to work and provide small dimensions.

It seems that this is exactly backwards to reduce ballpark effects to neutral, which would certainly make the game overall more enjoyable. I know there are some that think ballpark effects add to the romance and uniqueness of the game, but I am annoyed by the disparities from one park to the next.

I'm sure Bud cares about my annoyance.

[reds1869]

I personally love the different effects of the ballparks. I hated the cookie cutters like Riverfront, so I am glad that modern ballpark architecture is bringing back some quirkiness.

[traderumor]

But the only option isn't to have cookie cutters to have some degree of uniformity. Using the analogy of golf, teams seem to design 700 yard par 5s in places the ball already doesn't carry and 350 yard par 4s where it does, when logic would tell you to do the opposite to provide a fair playing field.

Really, its just the extremes that really get to me, like cheap HRs at GAB or Minutuemaid and hammered easy fly ball outs at Safeco, or Petco, or whatever the Giants call their park these days.

[BCubb2003]

I'm in the minority, but I like neutral ballparks more than the ones with weird angles, gale-force winds, and hills in the outfield. Might as well have a windmill in centerfield.

[jojo]

The last thing I'd do is build a billion dollar stadium that plays vanilla.

[traderumor]

The last thing I'd do is spend a billion dollars on a ballpark that a crushed ball turned into a can of corn for the center fielder and a high fly ball is caught by a fan in the seats instead of an outfielder. I'll always take fair over kitchy.

[kaldaniels]

The irony is, this trend SHOULD help the Reds. Playing 81 games a year in a odd-playing ballpark allows you to customize your team to fit your park...but I just don't see the effort...could we have a sinkerballer please?

[jojo]

The last thing I'd do is spend a billion dollars on a ballpark that a crushed ball turned into a can of corn for the center fielder and a high fly ball is caught by a fan in the seats instead of an outfielder. I'll always take fair over kitchy.

Safeco is one of the nicest ballparks in major league baseball. Its a great place for baseball. If its the problem with mlb, then the problem isn't a big one.

[westofyou]

While the parks play big and gaps that Gapper would envy the real culprit is the marine layer, which was in full force all weekend. The park in Oakland is a major marine layered park, while the Giants home is also affected greatly they have shorter corners making pulling the ball a possible work around, while not so much in Oakland/LA and SD.

Personally I hate similar parks and celebrate the differences that force teams to play the game in different manners.

[OnBaseMachine]

Personally I hate similar parks and celebrate the differences that force teams to play the game in different manners.

I agree. It's one of the things that makes baseball so great. In basketball and football every field/stadium is the same. That's boring, IMO.

[BCubb2003]

I think it's interesting that in the original ballparks, the quirks were flaws -- compromises to squeeze a ballpark into the street grid or between warehouses. Now the new ballparks are built with flaws, like beating up a new chair to make it look like an antique.

[Rojo]

I just hate band-boxes. Kudos to the Best Coast for getting it right.

[Sea Ray]

Safeco is one of the nicest ballparks in major league baseball. Its a great place for baseball. If its the problem with mlb, then the problem isn't a big one.

I disagree with you where fans are concerned. The seat widths are quite tight and the concourses are narrow. This makes for some very "cozy" moments

[jojo]

I disagree with you where fans are concerned. The seat widths are quite tight and the concourses are narrow. This makes for some very "cozy" moments

But everyone is so nice in Seattle that it isn't a problem.

IMHO, its a great venue.

[Sea Ray]

Just got off the phone with my close relative who lives in Seattle (yeah he's up early) and he tells me that the Seattle media is reporting that if that series had been played in Cincinnati, the Reds would have hit 7 HRs.

The ballpark effect is huge. Aaron Harang could win 20 pitching in a place like that