Left field at OPACY going through a big change

[NashLumber]

I'm ok with it for now. As others have said, let's see how it plays out. I do think it would not be terribly hard to modify it in the way I highlighted below in red (bottom photo)  if they find the hard sharp angle more dangerous than envisioned. The way I drew it in the lower image, the wall would be similar to the Fenway right-center field angle. I counted the seats from the O's ticket page and it would span 34 seats to get from the corner to the end of section 84. The upper photo shows that it could join about where the workers are applying the padding. Curiously the O's ticket page still shows the old dimensions, but the seats that are gone are grayed out (unavailable).

If they went this route, I'm guessing the wall would be about 390 where the guy on the ladder is and it decreases until it reached the 376 of the bullpen angle. It's 398 with the current reconfiguration in that last section before the bullpen.  

 

[Sports Guy]

But if they did that, the power alleys would be shorter than they wanted.  

[NashLumber]

46 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

But if they did that, the power alleys would be shorter than they wanted.  

Agreed. It's a trade-off. But as I say, it tapers from the 376 bullpen angle or so to aboout 390 where the guy is on the ladder. I believe it was 364 in dead LF previously.  It's a roughly 40 feet or so length of fence where it's less than the severe drop back per the new configuration. 

[NCRaven]

I'm sure they considered a number of different configurations before they made the final decision on this one.  There were probably pros and cons on each of them.

[NashLumber]

3 minutes ago, NCRaven said:

I'm sure they considered a number of different configurations before they made the final decision on this one.  There were probably pros and cons on each of them.

Agreed. And as I say, I'm ok with it and excited to see it for myself.  Clearly getting the fences as far back as feasible won out over softening the bullpen angle. 

[Sports Guy]

1 minute ago, NashLumber said:

Agreed. And as I say, I'm ok with it and excited to see it for myself.  Clearly getting the fences as far back as feasible won out over softening the bullpen angle. 

And I personally think thats the right decision.

I am looking forward to seeing it in person on Monday.

[byrdz]

Any idea which of our pitchers will be benefit the most from this change? 

[SteveA]

5 minutes ago, byrdz said:

Any idea which of our pitchers will be benefit the most from this change? 

Since it hurts righty hitters the most, it stands to reason lefty pitchers would benefit the most, because righties hit them better, and they see more of them.

So John Means, Bruce Zimmerman, Fry, Akin, Lopez, DL Hall.

[NCRaven]

12 minutes ago, SteveA said:

Since it hurts righty hitters the most, it stands to reason lefty pitchers would benefit the most, because righties hit them better, and they see more of them.

So John Means, Bruce Zimmerman, Fry, Akin, Lopez, DL Hall.

Means is HR prone, although he limits the damage by not putting a lot of guys on base in from of the home runs.  So, I would certainly think that this could benefit him.

[Frobby]

17 minutes ago, byrdz said:

Any idea which of our pitchers will be benefit the most from this change? 

This was addressed at length in an excellent mlb.com article posted in this thread a few pages back.   Here’s the highlights from the pitcher side:

“[W]hen it comes to the names currently on the team, there are two that stand out.

John Means (12)

A dozen! Baltimore's undisputed ace has allowed 12 home runs at home that wouldn't have gone out under the new dimensions. Interestingly, though, he does not have notable home road splits, with a 3.94 career ERA in Baltimore and a 3.69 ERA on the road. He's allowed exactly 33 home runs both home and away, in nearly the same number of innings. If Camden has been hurting him, you don't see it there.

* * *

Dean Kremer (5)

Unlike Means, Kremer had all five of his come last year. It doesn't excuse his 7.55 ERA, to be clear. It's at least worth noting that he allowed 13 homers at home, and just four on the road. (Where he still allowed a 7.33 ERA. It just was not a good year in general.) .”

Also commentaries on the hitters, and lots of other good stuff in the article.  

https://www.mlb.com/news/how-2022-camden-yards-changes-will-affect-hitters

[emmett16]

Talk about a wild way to raise someone’s trade values. Means -12 HR a year could be enticing.  

[Frobby]

2 hours ago, emmett16 said:

Talk about a wild way to raise someone’s trade values. Means -12 HR a year could be enticing.  

It was 12 in his career, not in one season.  Still, considering that the 2020 season was only 60 games, it’s about 5 extra homers per season.   

[OriolesMagic83]

Is left center deeper than center now?  I wish they had moved center back too.  I think it would have looked better.   

 

[deward]

4 hours ago, emmett16 said:

Talk about a wild way to raise someone’s trade values. Means -12 HR a year could be enticing.  

I imagine other teams are generally smart enough to work out if Means is getting a boost from the park that he wouldn't get elsewhere.

[DrungoHazewood]

19 hours ago, NCRaven said:

I'm sure they considered a number of different configurations before they made the final decision on this one.  There were probably pros and cons on each of them.

It's not really an internet forum if you don't assume that the people in charge threw this together in about 15 minutes without any careful consideration or analysis, and that any dude sitting in his living room in his boxers with a bag of Doritos would have done better with an online CAD program and three beers.