Should the Orioles consider moving back the fences to help the pitchers?

[TINSTAAPP]

This has been one of my pet peeves for a long time. Camden Yards has some of the smallest outfield dimensions in baseball. Baltimore can be very hot and humid during the summertime. When that happens, the ball just flies out of the ballpark. It's borderline unfair to pitchers. Mookie Betts hit five HRs off Orioles pitching during the four game series with the Red Sox. Only two would have gone out in nine or more ballparks. There's literally no room for error at Camden Yards especially if you're a contact pitcher. High popups, line drives and balls hit off the end of the bat have left the yard many times over the years. I also think the dimensions hurt the offense as well. The park is so small that hitters become overly aggressive to hit the ball out of the park instead of taking pitches and using the entire field. Add in the fact that the AL East is historically the best hitting division and it makes developing young pitching a pretty difficult task. Move the fences back 15-20 feet. It'll help the pitching staff and the team as a whole.

[LookitsPuck]

2016

Home: 4.00 ERA, .259/.332/.428 - .760 OPS

Away: 4.21 ERA, .256/.318/.410 - .729 OPS

2015

Home: 4.09 ERA, .257/.312/.421 - .733 OPS

Away: 4.02 ERA, .257/.329/.415 - .744 OPS

:shrug:

[TINSTAAPP]

2016

Home: 4.00 ERA, .259/.332/.428 - .760 OPS

Away: 4.21 ERA, .256/.318/.410 - .729 OPS

2015

Home: 4.09 ERA, .257/.312/.421 - .733 OPS

Away: 4.02 ERA, .257/.329/.415 - .744 OPS

:shrug:

Boston Red Sox

2016

Home: 4.13 ERA, .249/.324/.403

Road: 4.78 ERA, .242/.324/.410

2015

Home: 4.30 ERA, .263/.322/.422

Road: 4.37 ERA .265/.332/.426

2014

Home: 4.06 ERA, .265/.326/.412

Away: 3.96 ERA, .254/.315/.407

2013

Home: 3.57 ERA, .243/.308/.379

Road: 4.03 ERA, .253/.325/.408

I guess Fenway Park isn't a hitter's park either. The stats seem to indicate that it is a pitcher's park.

[notyourbuddy]

Pretty sure its the Oriole's crappy development system that is responsible for the horrid starting pitching and not the ballpark.

[El Gordo]

No they should consider finding better SP.

[25 Nuggets]

Moving back the fences would be a bad idea for a team that, offensively, is built to strike out, hit prodigious fly balls and play station-to-station..

[SeaBird]

Moving back the fences would be a bad idea for a team that, offensively, is built to strike out, hit prodigious fly balls and play station-to-station..

Agree. Moving back the fences would hurt the offense. As was said above, the fences aren't the problem; the SP is the problem.

[thezeroes]

Moving back the fences would be a bad idea for a team that, offensively, is built to strike out, hit prodigious fly balls and play station-to-station..

If we want to draft, develop, sign Punch and Judy Hitters over the next three to five years then by all means move them back but if you are building the team on Doctor Long-ball then leave the fences alone and sign mostly ground ball driven pitchers.

[OFFNY]

Moving back the fences would be a bad idea for a team that, offensively, is built to strike out, hit prodigious fly balls and play station-to-station.

Agreed.

Also, while we have speedy Adam Jones in centerfield, Joey Rickard is no longer playing regularly. We now have Trumbo, Kim and occasionally Reimold playing the corner outfield positions, and their range (I believe) is about average at best. Moving the fences back might take some home runs away from opponents, but it would also take some away from the Orioles, AND it would make the Orioles' corner outfielders have to cover more ground than they already are covering ...... which is not something that I see as advantageous to the Orioles.

[OrioleAL]

I agree with this idea and posted it last year. At least move 'home run alley' back a bit in left-center so that it's not such a joke to hit one out near the bullpens. OPACY is a great park. Lets make it better

[FlaO'sFan]

I agree with this idea and posted it last year. At least move 'home run alley' back a bit in left-center so that it's not such a joke to hit one out near the bullpens. OPACY is a great park. Lets make it better

Agree with this. Left-center should be moved back 15 or 20 feet. I could live with leaving everything else alone, but the left-center fence is an absolute joke. I don't think there is a shorter dimension in mlb for that area, at l;east that is what I remember seeing when I was looking at ballpark dimensions a few years ago.

[Ori-Al]

Teach our pitchers to throw pitches that induce more ground balls.

[scOtt]

I've said this before. Moving back the fences involves major destruction/construction in LF in removing rows of seats. Spending major dollars to have less fans in the stands. Not. Happening.

[Dark Helmet]

That won't help the pitchers throw more strikes and be more efficient. Also, if you alter the stadium, you need to alter the team also. This team is built for the stadium as its constructed. This team has very little speed.

[bpilktree]

I could care less about the dimensions. It may or may not help the pitching but why change something when over the last few years we are much better at home then the road record wise.