The LF wall tracker

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, Oriole1940 said:

I am surprised that MLB does not set parameters for distances for outfield fences.    All my life I have wondered why dimensions can be set willy nilly rather than one standard dimension for all of the teams to all of the three fields. They meddle in far less important things, but I have not heard of parameters being standardized by MLB.    

https://www.mlb.com/glossary/rules/field-dimensions

Quote

The rulebook states that parks constructed by professional teams after June 1, 1958, must have a minimum distance of 325 feet between home plate and the nearest fence, stand or other obstruction on the right- and left-field foul lines, and 400 feet between home plate and the nearest fence, stand or other obstruction in center field. However, some clubs have been permitted to construct parks after that date with dimensions shorter than those specified.

 

[TommyPickles]

I like that different parks have different dimensions. It is one of the idiosyncrasies of MLB that help spice up a 162-game season.

That being said, they should probably move the wall in a little...

[webbrick2010]

10 hours ago, Oriole1940 said:

I am surprised that MLB does not set parameters for distances for outfield fences.    All my life I have wondered why dimensions can be set willy nilly rather than one standard dimension for all of the teams to all of the three fields. They meddle in far less important things, but I have not heard of parameters being standardized by MLB.    

Maybe because baseball is touted as the American pastime it allowed for individual (team) freedom in designing the outfield dimensions as well as positioning of the defensive players. Big brother is now regulating where the defenders can play, how many times the pitcher can attempt a pickoff, how long the batter and pitcher have to exchange a pitch, so sure why not regulate the exact dimensions of outfields to represent the new America where freedom is just a lazy memory like only day baseball in Wrigley Field (ivy on walls should definitely be banned as well).

[InsideCoroner]

Serious question... would a home team be allowed to change the dimensions of their park between each game or series? Like, if the LF wall was on a sliding adjustable track, would it be legal to move it in pre-game when we're scheduled to face three lefties, and move them back again when Means is due to face a RHP? 

[deward]

3 minutes ago, InsideCoroner said:

Serious question... would a home team be allowed to change the dimensions of their park between each game or series? Like, if the LF wall was on a sliding adjustable track, would it be legal to move it in pre-game when we're scheduled to face three lefties, and move them back again when Means is due to face a RHP? 

There's probably no rule on the books about it, but they would add one in a hurry if some team was actually audacious enough to try that.

[InsideCoroner]

2 minutes ago, deward said:

There's probably no rule on the books about it, but they would add one in a hurry if some team was actually audacious enough to try that.

The game could always use a little more Charley Finley-styled pot stirring, if you ask me. 

[deward]

2 minutes ago, InsideCoroner said:

The game could always use a little more Charley Finley-styled pot stirring, if you ask me. 

A little, maybe. I'm sure MLB would argue that changing the dimensions from game to game is more than a little.

[spiritof66]

10 minutes ago, InsideCoroner said:

Serious question... would a home team be allowed to change the dimensions of their park between each game or series? Like, if the LF wall was on a sliding adjustable track, would it be legal to move it in pre-game when we're scheduled to face three lefties, and move them back again when Means is due to face a RHP? 

In the early '60s Charlie Finley proposed putting the right field fence in Kansas City. I can't find a reference to it, but I spent parts of my summers in KC then (my only chance to see America Leaguers live or on TV), and I remember some aspects of the controversy. Putting the fence on rollers may have been a joke, or a ruse designed to make moving in the fences without the rollers seem more reasonable.

In any event, Finley seriously pursued reconfiguring Municipal Stadium so its dimensions would track those of Yankee Stadium, including installing a "Pennant Porch" in RF that would shrink right field. MLB stopped him, invoking the 325-foot minimum, and the A's ended up with what Finley called a One-Half Pennant Porch, but no pennants (or .500 seasons) and no serious LHed power hitters to take advantage of the neew dimensions, until after they moved to Oakland after the '67 season.

https://vault.si.com/vault/1965/07/19/a-man-and-a-mule-in-missouri

The new Yankee Stadium's distances down the LF and RF lines fall short of the 325-foot rule, but you know, they're the Yankees.

[NCRaven]

2 hours ago, webbrick2010 said:

Maybe because baseball is touted as the American pastime it allowed for individual (team) freedom in designing the outfield dimensions as well as positioning of the defensive players. Big brother is now regulating where the defenders can play, how many times the pitcher can attempt a pickoff, how long the batter and pitcher have to exchange a pitch, so sure why not regulate the exact dimensions of outfields to represent the new America where freedom is just a lazy memory like only day baseball in Wrigley Field (ivy on walls should definitely be banned as well).

It has nothing to do with freedom, truth, justice or the American way.  It has to do with where ballparks were constructed, especially in the early days of the game when they were squeezed into available city blocks.  Camden Yards looks the way it does because of the decision to keep the warehouse.  Go to Fenway and walk around the outside of the ballpark and it becomes pretty obvious.  Once teams moved their parks to more suburban areas outside the city centers, you began to get the cookie cutter stadiums of the 60's and 70's.

[Bahama O's Fan]

2 hours ago, deward said:

There's probably no rule on the books about it, but they would add one in a hurry if some team was actually audacious enough to try that.

Maybe it falls under the same principles of the dome open or closed game by game?

[eddie83]

When we are fortunate to host playoff games at Camden the dimensions will play a big role. Cool night playoff game going to be hard to hit a pull side HR for a RHB.  
 

Irvin should take advantage pitching at home this year. 

[sportsfan8703]

I’d imagine balls even hit to LF are significantly down. Of course homers, but in year 2 of Walltimore, it seems like everyone has adjusted and doesn’t try to hit the ball to LF.