OF idea?

[TeamBoone]

Chris Welsh mentioned today that the OF wall (rt field?) was 21 feet high to honor Roberto who wore #21. I didn't even know a team could have 21 foot walls!

Anyway, it got me to thinking.... why couldn't the Reds raise the height of the OF walls? They could go up with plexiglass and lose no seats because the front rows in the OF would be able to see through the glass... just charge less for those seats.

Would it work?

Also, they should mow the Reds logo into the grass in front of the batter's eye... it would be pretty.

[tripleaaaron]

I agree on both counts, raising the wall in front of the visitor bullpen would be cake, and stretching it out a section or wouldn't be a problem as well, I think it would work just fine.

[BearcatShane]

That would make the park look ugly. GABP hasn't been much of an issue for the Reds pitchers this year(at least the starters). You wanna know why? Becuase they are actually good pitchers. GABP will give up a few cheap homers but for the most part if you are a good pitcher you will succeed in Cincinnati.

[HumnHilghtFreel]

That would make the park look ugly. GABP hasn't been much of an issue for the Reds pitchers this year(at least the starters). You wanna know why? Becuase they are actually good pitchers. GABP will give up a few cheap homers but for the most part if you are a good pitcher you will succeed in Cincinnati.

I agree with this. It would look tacky/like a novelty. If they do anything about it, they have to go all out and actually move the walls back or add on an additional level, not just a hockey looking plexiglass wall.

[Ron Madden]

I like the idea of doing something with the grass in front of the batters eye.


I'm not sure about moving the walls back or making them higher.

Most of the HRs hit here go half way up in the seats anyway.

[mth123]

Some points on the posts in this thread:

1. Moving the walls back is not real possible without ripping seats out and doing a major remodel. I don't think it will happen.

2. I actually think a plexiglass height extension would help some. It would turn some HR into doubles and may lead to fewer runs scored. Not sure about how it would look.

3. I think the team and MLB likes the walls low, so OF can jump up and rob HR. The theory is that this is a play the fans like to see and has more appeal than jumping up and robbing a double.

4. The pitching staff has been aided by the cold weather to begin the season. I think we'll see HRs fly as the weather warms. I do think the quality of the Red's staff has been a part of the problem in previous years though.

5. Maybe an answer would be to move home plate back closer to the stands behind home. Not sure if this can be done as the ball heads into the corner since the foul line would move. I'm not sure there is enough room to make much of a move. If possible, it would make the OF bigger, but with less foul ground which may help hitters more than making the park play a little longer helps the pitcher. Don't know really.

6. I think Rose has a point about the park. It will be difficult to put a consistent winner on the field without consistent pitching and it will be difficult to maintain consistent pitching in GABP.

The Reds need a humidor.

[savafan]

S

The Reds need a humidor.

I thought all teams had one now.

[creek14]

I guess if we lower the plexiglass when the Reds come to bat it would be okay. But why would we want to do anything to lower our offensive production? Heaven knows, it's low enough already.

[Degenerate39]

How tall is the green monster?

[blumj]

How tall is the green monster?
37 feet

[dabvu2498]

Also, they should mow the Reds logo into the grass in front of the batter's eye... it would be pretty.

That's plastic grass.

[savafan]

That's plastic grass.

I thought they had gone to real grass...:confused:

[redsmetz]

I thought they had gone to real grass...:confused:

GABP is real grass, to the best of my knowledge.

[dabvu2498]

I thought they had gone to real grass...:confused:

In front of the batters eye? Up above the wall? I'm 95% sure it's still fake. Although I've only been to one game this year and didn't walk out there. Next time you look at it, ask yourself how they would get a mower up there.

[Chip R]

That's plastic grass.


Use a plastic mower. ;)

There's nothing wrong with GAB. I've seen more than my share of games there where it's either a pitcher's duel or one pitcher shut the other team down. And these games were in the dead of summer too.

[Ltlabner]

In front of the batters eye? Up above the wall? I'm 95% sure it's still fake. Although I've only been to one game this year and didn't walk out there. Next time you look at it, ask yourself how they would get a mower up there.

You are 100% right. The grass on the field is natural. The "grass" in the elevated section in front of the batters eye is astroturf/plastic grass.

Leave the park alone. Plenty of teams have been competitive in a bandbox. I'd rather the money spent on park renovations be invested into onfield tallent instead of trying to make the OF seats look like a hockey rink.

Of course, if they change the rules and the oposing teams non-batting players can run out and check the OF trying to field the ball into the plexi, then I'm all for it.

[HumnHilghtFreel]

Of course, if they change the rules and the oposing teams non-batting players can run out and check the OF trying to field the ball into the plexi, then I'm all for it.

We think very much alike :laugh:

[Bobcat J]

The Metrodome used to have plexiglass above the left field wall. It looked horrible.