Left field at OPACY going through a big change

[Can_of_corn]

4 minutes ago, ExileAngelos said:

LOL oops.  I got my favorite teams forums mixed up.  Was commenting on my sad Redskins and our new name announcement.  

Did they go with the Washington Warthogs?

That'd be a sweet name.  I miss the roar of their mini-gun.

[SteveA]

I feel like Chris Hoiles hit 90% of his home home runs into the seats that are being taken away according to that one diagram on the first page.   I had a 13 game plan in the 3rd row behind the 364 sign and while I never got one hit right too me, Hoiles hit dozens of HRs in the general vicinity in my games in those seats.

[SteveA]

We will now definitely be in the subset of "imbalanced" parks where LH & RH hitters face an extremely different hitting environment.   Not as extreme as NuYankee, perhaps, but definitely one of those parks.

To me the effect on team composition is as follows:   

• Better for LH hitters
• Better for LH pitchers 
• More need for a rangy LF

I hope they make some interesting use of those 12 foot walls beyond just more advertising space.

[jabba72]

Im in favor of this. Tired of HR's and playing in a band box. Few pitchers would ever choose to play here because of it.  30 feet back and 5 feet higher wall is pretty dramatic, but probably needed when you play in the AL East. I also like that this will put the focus on developing athletes instead of masher/DH's who cant field. The article I read about this said Camden Yards by far leads the majors in HR's allowed the past 5 years and past 18 years. I think something needed to be done. 

[jabba72]

This curiously does nothing to Left Handed hitters. According to OOTPB, Camden Yards favors LH's more, with balls hit to right field. 

[DrungoHazewood]

8 minutes ago, SteveA said:

We will now definitely be in the subset of "imbalanced" parks where LH & RH hitters face an extremely different hitting environment.   Not as extreme as NuYankee, perhaps, but definitely one of those parks.

To me the effect on team composition is as follows:   

• Better for LH hitters
• Better for LH pitchers 
• More need for a rangy LF

I hope they make some interesting use of those 12 foot walls beyond just more advertising space.

Old Yankee, prior to the 1970s renovation, was 296 to the RF pole, not much more than 325 in short-medium RC, and 461 to the LC alley.  That's unbalanced.  OPACY is going to be like 378 to RC and 380-390 to LC?

League Park in Cleveland was 375-415-460-420-340-290.  Boston's old Huntington Avenue Grounds were 350-440-530-??-280, in 1901.  In '08 they pushed RF and CF out to 320 and 635.  I'd kill to see Major Leaguers play in a park with a 635 sign.

And, of course, the LA Coliseum has hosted baseball games.  When the Dodgers were there in the late 50s and early 60s it was 251-320-417-375-300.  And for a 2008 exhibition it was 201-280-380-352-300.  RFK in DC was something like that for 1980s and 1990s exhibition and old timers games.

[Can_of_corn]

2 minutes ago, jabba72 said:

Im in favor of this. Tired of HR's and playing in a band box. Few pitchers would ever choose to play here because of it.  30 feet back and 5 feet higher wall is pretty dramatic, but probably needed when you play in the AL East. I also like that this will put the focus on developing athletes instead of masher/DH's who cant field. The article I read about this said Camden Yards by far leads the majors in HR's allowed the past 5 years and past 18 years. I think something needed to be done. 

2021- 1st

2020- 15th

2019- 4th

2018- 9th

2017- 3rd.

HR allowed by team.

Baltimore:

2021- 1st

2020- 14th

2019- 1st

2018- 1st

2017- 2nd

 

Now how much of the HR issue is the ballpark and how much is the pitching?

 

 

[fansince1988]

15 minutes ago, SteveA said:

We will now definitely be in the subset of "imbalanced" parks where LH & RH hitters face an extremely different hitting environment.   Not as extreme as NuYankee, perhaps, but definitely one of those parks.

To me the effect on team composition is as follows:   

• Better for LH hitters
• Better for LH pitchers 
• More need for a rangy LF

I hope they make some interesting use of those 12 foot walls beyond just more advertising space.

Field level suites? That would be awesome, if its possible. 

[jabba72]

8 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

2021- 1st

2020- 15th

2019- 4th

2018- 9th

2017- 3rd.

HR allowed by team.

Baltimore:

2021- 1st

2020- 14th

2019- 1st

2018- 1st

2017- 2nd

 

Now how much of the HR issue is the ballpark and how much is the pitching?

 

 

Its both. The Orioles have really only had a few years of a competent pitching staff in Camden Yards history. 

[ExileAngelos]

45 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Did they go with the Washington Warthogs?

That'd be a sweet name.  I miss the roar of their mini-gun.

Looking like it is going to be Commanders (FML).  Warthogs is the only name I actually like.  Lots in the forum agree.  I don't think it was on the list of finalists.  Actually this is a great discussion here.  Not to hijack the topic.  How you old Colt fans got over the name and adopted "Ravens." 

[NCRaven]

13 minutes ago, ExileAngelos said:

How you old Colt fans got over the name and adopted "Ravens." 

GET OVER IT!  The Colts fans in my family don't get over it.  We just bury it deep down inside til we explode, spewing emotional shrapnel over Indy fans.

[interloper]

49 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

2021- 1st

2020- 15th

2019- 4th

2018- 9th

2017- 3rd.

HR allowed by team.

Baltimore:

2021- 1st

2020- 14th

2019- 1st

2018- 1st

2017- 2nd

 

Now how much of the HR issue is the ballpark and how much is the pitching?

 

 

See none of this matters all that much. Certainly cherry-picking some of the worst Orioles pitching years doesn't tell us much. 

What matters is that the perception of Oriole Park starts to change around the game. We already know we can't compete dollar for dollar for free agents. But we have the added burden of the park being an issue for pitchers. Which it is, overall in its history. Why live with that extra burden when the rules of baseball allow you to simply change the dimensions of your ballpark? So while the changes will have some minor benefits/detriments here and there, and maybe it starts to be a more middle-of-the-pack hitter's park, it's the perception change that is the big thing for me.

[DrungoHazewood]

10 minutes ago, NCRaven said:

GET OVER IT!  The Colts fans in my family don't get over it.  We just bury it deep down inside til we explode, spewing emotional shrapnel over Indy fans.

Relocation is like a nasty divorce.  Relocation while stealing the old city's team name is like a nasty divorce so your wife can marry your best friend.

If I were in charge relocation wouldn't be a thing.  If you couldn't make go of it in the current city you either sell or you donate the team to the league.  In an extreme case you could contract and then add an expansion team somewhere else.  The entire concept of stealing another city's team, name, history, colors is an abomination.

[SteveA]

15 minutes ago, NCRaven said:

GET OVER IT!  The Colts fans in my family don't get over it.  We just bury it deep down inside til we explode, spewing emotional shrapnel over Indy fans.

I became a huge Raven fans.   But I never "got over" the Colts.

The name Colts was chosen in a fan contest by a Baltimore newspaper to reflect the Maryland Horse Racing Industry.   By the letter of the law, Irsay owned the name, but there was no moral or even legitimate marketing reason for him to keep it.   He did so because he was a spiteful drunken asshole.

For the most part, for the past 38 years, I have never referred to the Indianapolis team as the Colts.   I may have slipped up once or twice by accident.   I've been in a handicapping contest for the last 15 years or so where we submit all our picks via e-mail, and a typical e-mail submission by me will look like:

Ravens -3.5 vs Browns
Rams +7 vs 49ers
Indianapolis -4 vs Bengals

[wildcard]

I have wondered how Elias was going to build a pitching staff to win the World Series.   In his first three drafts he has not drafted much  pitching.  He has traded for some but  a 4th rounder is as high as he has gotten.  The odds of hitting on good pitching get higher the further down the draft you pick.   Its hard to trade for 1st or 2nd rounders.   

I think Elias just gave us part of the answer.  He may try to sign FA to fill out the pitching staff.  To supplement Means, Grayson and Hall.      If this makes it easier to attract FA pitchers then I am all for it.   He has already clear the payroll space to sign FAs.