Comments on: Padres bring in the fences at Petco Park

By: critter69

critter69 — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 06:53:23 +0000

I guess the Giants had a difficult time getting other teams to play at their old stadium, the Polo Grounds, in New York, correct? After all, it’s been said that you could see Yankee Stadium from the Polo Grounds, and the trolley dodgers home field was just a few miles away in Brooklyn.

In fact, the Yankees played several dozen ‘home’ games each season at the Polo Grounds before and while Yankee Stadium was being built, even if The Polo Grounds was considered by almost all to be the worst hitter’s park ever.

Left-Center – 450 ft
Center Field – 483 ft
Right-Center – 449 ft
(although the left and right field fences were considered much more friendly at 279 ft [85 m] and 258 ft [78 m] respectively.)

Why was it called The Polo Grounds? Because the first of the four stadiums at the site was specifically built to accomodate the stands for the game of polo.

By: echech88

echech88 — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 04:24:51 +0000

Interesting rant given that we are about to start a World Series with two teams that play in huge ballparks.

The Padres do not have a good offense because their lineup is typically full of guys that are cheap journeymen or just-promoted prospects that aren’t a finished product.

Weak argument. Could just as well say having a hitters paradise in Colorado isn’t worth it either.

By: protius

protius — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 04:14:25 +0000

Pardon me, while I whip this out.

Nope, sorry, it’s not a spray chart.

By: protius

protius — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 04:10:50 +0000

I think it will bode well, if they’re not too bold about it, but some fans might not be bowled over by the idea.

By: icanspeel

icanspeel — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 04:05:00 +0000

I dunno if there is a spray chart showing fly balls at Petco which would turn into home runs with the changes, but it’d be interesting to see if there was.

By: yahmule

yahmule — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 03:45:52 +0000

Seems more like a love letter to Chase Headley.

By: ptfu

ptfu — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 03:27:41 +0000

Spoken like a man with a five-cent head.

By: mrlaloosh

mrlaloosh — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 02:52:40 +0000

Wow! Who knew San Diego had a MLB team.

By: js20011041

js20011041 — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 02:24:39 +0000

I agree. I think that in part, this belief stems from the fact that the Mets and Mariners have put up poor numbers offensively. This is only partially caused by their home ballparks. The much larger factor, in my opinion, is that those teams (particularly the Mariners) have fielded poor offensive talent. Pitching plays in any ballpark but the reverse is also true. Good hitters will hit no matter how big the park.

By: hcf95688

hcf95688 — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 02:18:23 +0000

You may be right, but I have to wonder how it will bode.

By: Alex K

Alex K — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 01:33:33 +0000

Right?

By: mikeincmn

mikeincmn — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 01:15:57 +0000

I suspect part of this also has to do with trying to draw a few more fans. Obviously winning cures all, but it has to be a bit of a hard sell to bring fans in to watch constant 2-1 “grind em out” games.

By: prestigious1

prestigious1 — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 01:01:04 +0000

This won’t bold well.

By: 13arod

13arod — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 00:18:22 +0000

they should have done it way earlier

By: schlom

schlom — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 23:35:17 +0000

That’s simply just not true. The Giants had the best road offense in the NL this season (and only scored 9 less than the Angels without the benefit of the DH) and play in the most extreme pitchers park in baseball. The Padres actually had an average offense on the road this season and during their good period (2004-2007) had top 10 road offenses. If extreme pitchers parks wrecked their offenses, wouldn’t they have finished lower down?

By: xmatt0926x

xmatt0926x — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 23:24:00 +0000

Good pitching plays well in any kind of park. The only thing playing in these canyon stadiums does is wreck your offense. The hitters change their hitting style to try and compensate and it ruins their morale as they are always bitching about it. All you hear every season from the teams that play in these parks is how the offense is horrible because of the dimensions. You never hear a team gushing that the large stadium fits their style perfectly. It just seems to be more trouble than it’s worth to have these giant parks. I think teams prefer the chance to get a few runs quick with a bomb than always having to string together 3 or 4 hits in the gap.

By: APBA Guy

APBA Guy — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 23:12:28 +0000

Now that they have two legitimate young hitters with Grandal and Alonso this move gives them and their offense a bit more of a chance.

By: cambodianbreastmilk

cambodianbreastmilk — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 22:48:36 +0000

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

By: ptfu

ptfu — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 22:38:46 +0000

During the day the ball carries a lot better due to relatively warmer, drier air. (One reason Petco’s so pitcher-friendly is the cool dense nighttime air.) Now that the power alleys are more reachable, look for more daytime homers.

By: protius

protius — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 22:26:27 +0000

Alex K.:

Never mind.