Is Harbor Park (Norfolk AAA) a problem?

[LookinUp]

Am I the only person here who thinks it might be counter-productive for this organization to play its games in Harbor Park? Everything I've heard about the park from the prevailing winds, to the dimensions to the heavy air make it seem like a polar opposite venue from pretty much every other place in the organization. Camden Yards, Bowie, Frederick, Delmarva and maybe even Aberdeen are all pretty neutral or very hitter friendly. 

I'll be the first to admit that our bigger problem is likely the players we send to AAA. Most are marginal at best prospects, so what can we really expect? Machado and Markakis would likely have hit ok there if they hadn't skipped it altogether. However, it seems counter productive to play in a stadium where your hitting and pitching approaches really are so different from where you came and where you hope to go. 

Am I making a mountain out of a mole hill or should changing our AAA stadium be one item on Elias' long list of needed organizational improvements?

 

[NCRaven]

It's a molehill for me.  Talent plays.

[Aglets]

Bring back Ottawa!

Rochester?

I think this is probably priority #376 for them to look at but sure I think it's something worth looking into.

[Diehard_O's_Fan]

I personally think the Orioles are lucky to have a team in Norfolk. Would you rather have a team in Rochester or 2,000 miles away?

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

Fix the quality of the prospects coming through the system and you don't need to worry about Norfolk. 

[wildcard]

Harbor Park is hard on hitters.   I value the away hitting stats for the Tides more than the home stats.    It is a question of where else the team would play if they moved from Norfolk.   There is a AA team in Richmond.  That park needs to be upgraded to be a AAA park if a move was made there.   

[LookinUp]

11 minutes ago, Diehard_O's_Fan said:

I personally think the Orioles are lucky to have a team in Norfolk. Would you rather have a team in Rochester or 2,000 miles away?

Definitely true, and the Nationals/Braves have taken several locations that might be better. My problem isn't with Norfolk, it's with the location of the stadium. I also don't love that it's our AAA park. I'd rather any of Delmarva, Bowie or Frederick to get that designation. 

I get it...low priority, but still a priority IMO. What I'm seeing so far is that people don't fear that the park actually changes our players' approaches to the game. That's my fear, but it's conceptual; not proven by any data.

[VaBird1]

20 minutes ago, LookinUp said:

Definitely true, and the Nationals/Braves have taken several locations that might be better. My problem isn't with Norfolk, it's with the location of the stadium. I also don't love that it's our AAA park. I'd rather any of Delmarva, Bowie or Frederick to get that designation. 

I get it...low priority, but still a priority IMO. What I'm seeing so far is that people don't fear that the park actually changes our players' approaches to the game. That's my fear, but it's conceptual; not proven by any data.

The stadium has to be approved in order to place a AAA team there.  That’s why Richmond doesn’t have one any more.  I bet the Nationals would kill to have Harbor Park for their AAA team instead of Fresno.

[Frobby]

To me, Harbor Park impacts the statistics but it doesn’t hamper the development of the players IMO.   I don’t consider it a high priority to relocate the Tides and I doubt the city would fund a move of the ballpark.   

[wildcard]

3 minutes ago, VaBird1 said:

The stadium has to be approved in order to place a AAA team there.  That’s why Richmond doesn’t have one any more.  I bet the Nationals would kill to have Harbor Park for their AAA team instead of Fresno.

The Giants AA team is in Richmond.

[DrungoHazewood]

42 minutes ago, Diehard_O's_Fan said:

I personally think the Orioles are lucky to have a team in Norfolk. Would you rather have a team in Rochester or 2,000 miles away?

Having the AAA team close by is vastly more important than the park factors.  The park is mainly a problem with fans who see a 3.75 ERA in Norfolk and think the guy is major league ready, not realizing that is about the equivalent of a 5.50 or a 6.00 in Baltimore.

[LookinUp]

3 minutes ago, Frobby said:

To me, Harbor Park impacts the statistics but it doesn’t hamper the development of the players IMO.   I don’t consider it a high priority to relocate the Tides and I doubt the city would fund a move of the ballpark.   

I can only imagine trying to hit into a 15 mph wind every at bat. I imagine myself swinging harder. I imagine my mechanics breaking down a bit, my front side pulling out, my shoulder and hands dropping. I imagine my pitch selection allowing for more fly balls. More letter high 4-seamers that don't get punished as much if they're not properly elevated.

I have an active imagination, lol, but I do think psychology matters and the ball park most definitely can affect psychology. 

[DrungoHazewood]

4 minutes ago, Frobby said:

To me, Harbor Park impacts the statistics but it doesn’t hamper the development of the players IMO.   I don’t consider it a high priority to relocate the Tides and I doubt the city would fund a move of the ballpark.   

Harbor Park is a modern, high-quality stadium.  Asking Norfolk to move the park is patently ridiculous.  What would be the justification?  "Hey, we're a little displeased with the 85 park factor, so would you mind kicking in $250M in taxpayer money to build us a newer, more hitter-friendly park and tear down the perfectly good one you built a couple decades ago?"

On the organizational priorty list I would put relocation of the Tides just below making the grass area beyond CF at OPACY in play, and just above putting a foam dancing party deck on the roof of the warehouse.

[LookinUp]

4 minutes ago, DrungoHazewood said:

Having the AAA team close by is vastly more important than the park factors.  The park is mainly a problem with fans who see a 3.75 ERA in Norfolk and think the guy is major league ready, not realizing that is about the equivalent of a 5.50 or a 6.00 in Baltimore.

We have 3 or 4 parks even closer by that could likely support a AAA team.

[DrungoHazewood]

Just now, LookinUp said:

I can only imagine trying to hit into a 15 mph wind every at bat. I imagine myself swinging harder. I imagine my mechanics breaking down a bit, my front side pulling out, my shoulder and hands dropping. I imagine my pitch selection allowing for more fly balls. More letter high 4-seamers that don't get punished as much if they're not properly elevated.

I have an active imagination, lol, but I do think psychology matters and the ball park most definitely can affect psychology. 

If that's a big impact on development I think the Orioles need to do a better job drafting and signing players with a better mental outlook.