Left field at OPACY going through a big change

[deward]

1 hour ago, OriolesMagic83 said:

From what I call determine about the O's, they aren't likely to meet the demands of many high profile right handed hitters (or left handed hitters).  I like the bigger ballpark for the advantage it gives our pitchers.  Camden Yards seems like it will be closer to average than an extreme pitcher's park.  In the past, posters have stated no free agent pitcher will come to the O's due to the extreme hitting environment.  The Yankees seem to have no problem attracting free agent pitchers as free agents usually sign where they are offered the most money.

They used to be (Rafael Palmeiro, Albert Belle, Miguel Tejada). Those days may be gone though. Back in the 90s and early 2000s, the big obstacle to signing a free agent pitcher was Angelos. He didn't like giving out the type of long term contracts to pitchers that other teams were willing to do, and when he was willing to consider it, it always came with extra scrutiny of that pitcher's physical that the players tended not to appreciate. In the past 15 years or so, they've barely tried to sign one. The highest profile pitcher I can recall was Ubaldo Jiminez, or maybe Alex Cobb, who were both past their primes. You're right that pitchers will sign where they are being offered the most money, and that's never us. 

[NashLumber]

7 hours ago, Tony-OH said:

That can't be during a game. That has to be some kind of after game situation or some kind of carnival like event since the players look to be hanging out near the pitching mound relaxing. Besides, literally there are fans just behind 3B. lol

It's "Men With Hats Run The Bases" night after the game. 

[DrungoHazewood]

19 hours ago, deward said:

Not exactly to your point, but the mention of a trial run reminded me about an article I was reading yesterday - couple of months old but I missed it when it first came out. The author made an interesting observation that other teams in recent years that went with pitcher friendly dimensions (Tigers, Mets) ended up deciding to move their fences back in after a few years to keep players and fans happy. I'll be curious to see how long this change sticks, or if getting snubbed by enough high-profile right-handed power hitters will generate pressure to recalibrate.

https://www.thescore.com/mlb/news/2280317/amp

Now that there are as many or more pitchers on the roster as hitters shouldn't their vote more?  Who cares if we can't get a stat-obsessed right-handed slugger to sign here if we have a better chance at the next Tom Glavine or Sandy Koufax?

It was Nick Castellanos who was whining about the distant fences in Detroit, right?  If it means we can't sign players like that, fine by me.  Could you imagine Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio whining about how it's 461 to LC at old Yankee Stadium?  Or Willie Mays crying about the 480' distant, 60' tall clubhouse in play in CF of the Polo Grounds?  No, they just played ball.

[deward]

21 minutes ago, DrungoHazewood said:

Now that there are as many or more pitchers on the roster as hitters shouldn't their vote more?  Who cares if we can't get a stat-obsessed right-handed slugger to sign here if we have a better chance at the next Tom Glavine or Sandy Koufax?

It was Nick Castellanos who was whining about the distant fences in Detroit, right?  If it means we can't sign players like that, fine by me.  Could you imagine Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio whining about how it's 461 to LC at old Yankee Stadium?  Or Willie Mays crying about the 480' distant, 60' tall clubhouse in play in CF of the Polo Grounds?  No, they just played ball.

Nah, it was Juan Gonzalez who threw a fit about Comerica Park after he signed there and then only hit 22 home runs. They didn't move the fences until he'd been gone for 3 years, so I don't know how much that actually played into the decision. Mays and DiMaggio didn't really have the option of leaving, so I don't know that complaining would have done them much good. Although, you raise an interesting point, no one ever really complains about the CF dimensions, no matter how deep they are. I could almost get on board if this got prime Sandy Koufax to sign here, but he'd need Scherzer money. Probably a little rich for the Orioles blood.

[jabba72]

58 minutes ago, DrungoHazewood said:

Now that there are as many or more pitchers on the roster as hitters shouldn't their vote more?  Who cares if we can't get a stat-obsessed right-handed slugger to sign here if we have a better chance at the next Tom Glavine or Sandy Koufax?

It was Nick Castellanos who was whining about the distant fences in Detroit, right?  If it means we can't sign players like that, fine by me.  Could you imagine Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio whining about how it's 461 to LC at old Yankee Stadium?  Or Willie Mays crying about the 480' distant, 60' tall clubhouse in play in CF of the Polo Grounds?  No, they just played ball.

 

I read if a ball went through one of the windows in play it was a ground rule double. Never happened though. 

[DrungoHazewood]

42 minutes ago, jabba72 said:

 

I read if a ball went through one of the windows in play it was a ground rule double. Never happened though. 

I've read that in the 50-odd years they played in the Polo Grounds in that configuration no one ever so much as hit the CF wall on the fly. Much less through a window 15-20' up on said wall.

[yark14]

4 hours ago, DrungoHazewood said:

I've read that in the 50-odd years they played in the Polo Grounds in that configuration no one ever so much as hit the CF wall on the fly. Much less through a window 15-20' up on said wall.

Imagine Mays or some other CFer running into the stone memorial just below the 483 numbers. Could be career (or even life) ending.

[Snutchy]

It's just about finished. Padding going up. 

[rm5678]

46 minutes ago, Snutchy said:

It's just about finished. Padding going up. 

From this picture it appears that the front rows of sections 74 & 76 will be lower than the top of the wall, making it impossible for fans sitting there to see anything.

[DrungoHazewood]

14 hours ago, Snutchy said:

It's just about finished. Padding going up. 

Looks good.  I'm curious about how the notches at the aisles are going to work with balls in play.

[Sports Guy]

59 minutes ago, DrungoHazewood said:

Looks good.  I'm curious about how the notches at the aisles are going to work with balls in play.

Im guessing more padding has to go up and they will be blocked.

[Moose Milligan]

Looks alright.  Will take some getting used to.  I think how it plays will be pretty straightforward, more doubles and triples.  Looking forward to it.

No one's said it yet but I'm already exhausted by the astute observation of "That would have been a home run last year!  But now that the wall has moved back it's now a long out/extra base hit, etc."

Thank Christ Jim Hunter isn't around for this.  As I was typing that, I could hear him explaining it.

[Sports Guy]

10 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

Looks alright.  Will take some getting used to.  I think how it plays will be pretty straightforward, more doubles and triples.  Looking forward to it.

No one's said it yet but I'm already exhausted by the astute observation of "That would have been a home run last year!  But now that the wall has moved back it's now a long out/extra base hit, etc."

Thank Christ Jim Hunter isn't around for this.  As I was typing that, I could hear him explaining it.

Palmer will be saying that all the damn time.

[Moose Milligan]

3 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

Palmer will be saying that all the damn time.

Can't be all the damn time if he's not doing a lot of games! 

[SteveA]

10 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

Can't be all the damn time if he's not doing a lot of games! 

I hadn't heard he was doing any kind of reduced schedule?   I heard it was primarily him or Ben as color guys all season just like last year, with someone like Dave Johnson doing some fill-in work here and there but not much.