Colorado Altitude

[Can_of_corn]

9 minutes ago, Fiver6565 said:

That's not at all what he said, but OK.  I'm dropping it because you are evidently the thread police.

Yes, he most certainly is.

He cites me for violations weekly.

My latest was for being an abnormal fan.

Edited August 29 by Can_of_corn

[Orioles West]

Just now, BirdinBama said:

We should handle any team, regardless of the environment, that is 50-84!

I am looking forward to the series. The Rockies have actually been playing better, but their bullpen is far worse than usual. I’d like to see the O’s offense wake up in time to take advantage of the altitude. 

[HowAboutThat]

36 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

No offense, but how could anyone possibly answer that question?

Have you been to Colorado?

we flew into Denver, and rented a minivan, and just driving through the mountains to our destination we all got altitude headaches, and a couple people were getting dizzy.

[Frobby]

The altitude favors the Rockies, who are used to playing in those conditions.  They are way better at home (31-34) than on the road (19-50).  That’s a reason not to assume our trip there will be successful.  But hopefully, it will be.  

[HowAboutThat]

32 minutes ago, Orioles West said:

As a Maryland Native who has lived in Colorado a long time — I can answer, it depends on the person and their level of health.

Some people are more affected by the thinner air than others.

The O’s have done fine in their previous visits to Coors Field.

They’ll get the same advantages and disadvantages as the host Rox. The ball will travel about 10 percent farther on average and breaking balls will not break as well as they do at sea level.

I’ve seen a couple NFL players have difficulty adjusting and need sideline oxygen, but most do fine after being in Denver a day or two. 

Well, I was talking about the altitude and the decreased amount of oxygen in the air, all the Rockies, because they played there all the time and live there most of the year will have adjusted so they will have whatever advantage exists so in that sense, any visiting team would be at a disadvantage.

[Fiver6565]

8 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

 

He said it depends on the individual and it’s impossible to say how it might affect any one individual player on the Orioles.   The thread police request that you continue to drop this.

OK since you're baiting me, one more response.  What he actually said was this:

it depends on the person and their level of health.

Now, I would say that a professional ballplayer's health is probably better than the average person - in general, but also certainly when it comes to toleration of thinner air.  That's already a better answer than you initially implied could be given.

You were wrong to call out this post the way you did, but you'll never admit it.

[Orioles West]

1 minute ago, RZNJ said:

 

He said it depends on the individual and it’s impossible to say how it might affect any one individual player on the Orioles.   The thread police request that you continue to drop this.

I did say it depends — but I’m pretty sure I left out the word impossible.

How about this, most athletes do well at altitude, unless they have pre-existing conditions (like asthma).

I think I can safely conclude, in hopes of avoiding the aforementioned thread police, the Orioles will probably be okay out at nearly one mile above sea level. The field itself is slightly below as the mile high level is marked by the row of purple seats in the top deck of the stadium.

 

[Sports Guy]

It certainly bothers players that play the Nuggets or Broncos.

Baseball is also a completely different sport than those 2 and I wouldn’t expect baseball players to be as affected unless they have some sort of a medical condition.

Superb thread topic!

Edited August 29 by Sports Guy

[HowAboutThat]

11 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Yes, he most certainly is.

He cites me for violations weekly.

My latest was for being an abnormal fan.

I thought the term “abnormal” was considered offensive these days and has been replaced with “differently normal”

[LookitsPuck]

21 minutes ago, Spy Fox said:

The difference definitely favors the Rockies when you visit them, and you can see that in their home/away records over the years. 

In franchise history they have a .538 W% at home, and a .388 W% on the road. That's a very high home/road differential for baseball, and it happens often that they are a very bad team on the road but an average or better team at home. (This year: 19-50 away, 31-34 home.)

No way to perfectly attribute why that is, but it's generally thought that one contributor is visiting players struggling with the unfamiliar conditions. Especially pitchers struggling with the ball moving a bit differently. 

They're 31-34 at home, and 19-50 away. There is definitely some truth here, and I think folks need to stop taking them for granted. The O's play down to their competitors, it seems.

Edited August 29 by LookitsPuck

[Frobby]

1 minute ago, HowAboutThat said:

Have you been to Colorado?

we flew into Denver, and rented a minivan, and just driving through the mountains to our destination we all got altitude headaches, and a couple people were getting dizzy.

It affects some more than others.  I’ve vacationed in Colorado several times and nobody in my family had trouble just driving around and doing light activities.  But when we drove to Aspen (about 2500 feet higher than Denver) and immediately went on a 90-minute hike, my wife and I both got serious headaches that lasted the rest of the day.

i don’t think highly conditioned professional athletes will have too much trouble playing baseball for a few hours.   I’d think other sports that are more aerobic would be more challenging.  

[HowAboutThat]

Another question, for the physicist in the crowd:
How does the thinner air affect the spin on the baseball? And if there is a significant difference with that suggest that the pitching guys would need to change their repertoire?

[Orioles West]

1 minute ago, HowAboutThat said:

Well, I was talking about the altitude and the decreased amount of oxygen in the air, all the Rockies, because they played there all the time and live there most of the year will have adjusted so they will have whatever advantage exists so in that sense, any visiting team would be at a disadvantage.

Fair enough. Although there are some statisticians who have presented numbers that show the Rockies historical struggles are due to adjusting back and forth to the altitude. I think it’s more about ownership and incomplete rosters.

However, like most clubs, they generally play better at home.

I think the O’s, despite recent struggles, should be able to grab the series and win at least two game here this weekend.

 

[Orioles West]

12 minutes ago, HowAboutThat said:

Have you been to Colorado?

we flew into Denver, and rented a minivan, and just driving through the mountains to our destination we all got altitude headaches, and a couple people were getting dizzy.

Well — city of Denver versus doubling the altitude in the mountains (from 5,000 feet in Denver into the Rocky Mountains ranging 10-14,000 feet) — that is definitely a much bigger adjustment.

My aunt on a visit here got altitude sickness, but up in the mountains.

[Orioles West]

7 minutes ago, HowAboutThat said:

Another question, for the physicist in the crowd:
How does the thinner air affect the spin on the baseball? And if there is a significant difference with that suggest that the pitching guys would need to change their repertoire?

Robert K. Adair is the physicist - it was his book I was referencing regarding the ball travels about 10 percent farther than sea level and breaking balls don’t break as well.