When I hear the term “ballpark effect,” my mind immediately conjures images of three stadiums.
I picture the expansive outfield of Petco Park in San Diego. I imagine prodigious blasts flying out of Coors Field. And, I see fireworks over U.S. Cellular Field.
There are ballparks that have their historic features. The “Green Monster” remains part of the Red Sox mythology. Ivy still covers the outfield walls at Wrigley Field. Oakland-Alameda County Stadium remains a football field.
I’m reviewing the ballparks of the American League with the National League to follow.
AL East
Fenway Park
Dimensions: LF: 310 FT (Green Monster), CF: 390 FT, RF: 302 FT
Analysis: The 37-foot Green Monster in left field offsets the short 310-foot distance from home plate. Similarly, the short porch straight down the right-field line (302 feet) is trumped by a deep right-center field fence (approximately 380 feet). The convergence of these strange angles and the mammoth green wall holds down home-run totals.
The peculiar outfield angles and the aforementioned wall create huge power alleys that yield a huge number of doubles and triples. The Red Sox led all of Major League Baseball with 189 home doubles last season.
Yankee Stadium
Dimensions: LF: 318 FT, CF: 408 FT, RF: 314 FT (same as the former Stadium)
Analysis: “The House That Ruth Built” completed its run in 2008, and the team opened the new Yankee Stadium. As a result of its powerhouse lineup and struggles in the back-end of the New York rotation, Yankee Stadium generally ranks among the most hitter-friendly parks in the game. It rated third in home runs in 2010 and first in its inaugural season.
Rogers Centre
Dimensions: LF: 328 FT, CF: 404 FT, RF: 328 FT
Analysis: Offensive production in Rogers Centre has been plentiful in recent years given the assembly of a potent lineup for the Blue Jays and frequent visits from the other sluggers of the AL East. Rogers Centre has a classic configuration, devoid of odd angles and features to distinguish it from other parks. Its retractable roof eliminates potential weather issues in Toronto at the start and finish of the year.
The Blue Jays launched a total of 146 home runs in front of the home crowd last season. Rogers Centre ranked fourth in the home-run category overall (and rated 24th in doubles).
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Dimensions: LF: 333 FT, CF: 410 FT, RF: 318 FT
Analysis: The most storied and celebrated of “retro” ballparks, Oriole Park is now in its 20th season. It has an interesting design with one of the deepest left field fences in the game (333 feet) and a huge power alley in left-center field (410 feet). That leaves a tremendous amount of ground to be covered by outfielders.
Perennial issues in the Baltimore rotation routinely put this ballpark among the most hitter-friendly parks in baseball (ranking fifth in 2010). In fact, the home runs have flown out of Camden Yards in the past several seasons. Camden Yards has ranked inside the top five in four consecutive seasons. The revamped Baltimore offense, which includes powerhouse third baseman Mark Reynolds, will do its part this season to keep Camden Yards among the leaders in all offensive categories. And, though we love Brian Matusz, the rotation is still going to serve up gopher balls in the rough-and-tumble AL East.
Tropicana Field
Dimensions: LF: 315 FT, CF: 404 FT, RF: 322 FT
Analysis: Tropicana has ranked in the bottom half of Major League Baseball in terms of run production in the past four seasons. Fans and fantasy owners become immersed in the annual love affair with the youthful Rays and their quest to unseat the Red Sox and Yankees. It has not translated into huge offensive output. In fact, Tropicana was dead last in runs in 2010 (and ranked 17th in home runs). The losses of Carl Crawford and Carlos Pena won’t help matters in 2011.
AL Central
U.S. Cellular Field
Dimensions: LF: 335 FT, CF: 400 FT, RF: 330 FT
Analysis: Load up the fireworks. There isn’t much more to say about U.S. Cellular Field, which annually ranks among the league’s most hitter-friendly ballparks. Just look at the home-run production from the White Sox in their home park from the past three seasons. Chicago cranked out 111 home runs last season, 143 in 2009 and 103 in 2008.
The “small ball” experiment lasted one season. Sure, Juan Pierre is back to lead the American League in stolen bases, but the team brought Adam Dunn to slam balls into the Chicago night alongside re-signed first baseman Paul Konerko.
Comerica Park
Dimensions: LF: 345 FT, CF: 420 FT, RF: 330 FT
Analysis: Comerica Park has played neutral and even hitter-friendly after several seasons as a pitcher-friendly ballpark. The arrival of Miguel Cabrera certainly changed the park’s fortunes (ranked sixth in 2008, 13th in 2009 and 17th in 2010), and let’s face it. The Detroit pitching rotation has been suspect behind Justin Verlander (although Max Scherzer has “ace” potential).
Progressive Field
Dimensions: LF: 325 FT, CF: 405 FT, RF: 325 FT
Analysis: The recently renamed jewel of Cleveland has fairly standard distances down each line (325 feet) and angles off in right and left-center field, much to the chagrin of inexperienced outfielders. The biggest tweak to the traditional dimensions is the 17-foot wall in left field. While it pales in comparison to the Green Monster in Fenway, that height keeps a fair number of balls in play and portends to more doubles (rating seventh in 2010). In the past three seasons, Progressive Field has ranked seventh, 13th and 12th in that category for the past three years.
The field plays neutral overall. The Indians haven’t piled up numbers, but the home pitching has been dismal.
Kauffman Stadium
Dimensions: LF: 330 FT, CF: 410 FT, RF: 330 FT
Analysis: The Royals changed the dimensions of Kauffman Stadium several years ago and accelerated offensive production. Unfortunately, the base of the acceleration was the high number of runs scored by opponents. The Royals have averaged just 57.8 home runs at Kauffman Stadium in the past five seasons. The stadium has ranked in the upper-half of run production during this period. Again, that’s despite the continual rebuilding and shuffling of the Kansas City lineup.
Help is coming in the form of Mike Moustakas in short order.
Target Field
Dimensions: LF: 339 FT, CF: 404 FT, RF: 329 FT
Analysis: Most players and fans were not sorry to see the Metrodome imploded. Sure, there was some history made in that ballpark during the Kirby Puckett era, but it proved a nightmare for outfielders.
The new Target Field was unpopular with hitters, particularly Twins star catcher Joe Mauer. He helped to spearhead a movement to improve the hitting backdrop for the park’s second year (he hit one home run in the new park). The trees will be removed from center field and a new batter’s eye installed. Target Field ranked last in home runs last season and rated 19th in runs (and rated second in doubles).
AL West
Angel Stadium
Dimensions: LF: 330 FT, CF: 400 FT, RF: 330 FT
Analysis: The power alleys in Angel Stadium are fairly standard, exhibiting traditional rounding off of the 330-foot corners. However, the left-center field wall runs 17 feet deeper than in right. Run and power production generally plays neutral at Angel Stadium. In 2010, the starting rotation performed brilliantly, and the Los Angeles offense struggled terribly following Kendry Morales’ injury. As a result, Angel Stadium rated 27th in runs and ranked 23rd in home runs.
Team composition and Mike Scoscia's base-to-base approach with contact hitters portends to more gap power, stolen bases and hit-and-run play, while the Angels perennially sport a strong pitching staff.
Oakland-Alameda County Stadium
Dimensions: LF: 330 FT, CF: 400 FT, RF: 330 FT
Analysis: Is that the name this week?
There are a few factors that easily explain the perennial offensive struggles in Oakland. First, there’s the legendary unused section in the outfield, seemingly miles removed from the playing field. It’s called “Mount Davis” and is named after Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis, whose team shares the facility. It’s a quite interesting sight, to say the least. Second, the field has huge power alleys where flyballs go to die. Finally, there is ample foul ground along the first- and third-base lines and behind the plate to hold batting averages down.
Oakland-Alameda County Stadium has ranked in the bottom-third in home-run production in the past four years. Overall run production hasn’t been much better (rating 20th, 19th and 26th in the past three seasons).
Safeco Field
Dimensions: LF: 331 FT, CF: 405 FT, RF: 326 FT
Analysis: Safeco Field has a fairly standard configuration with slightly deeper power alleys than other parks. However, that slight difference and the effects of pitching below sea level combine to keep run production low. Of course, the perennial struggles of the Seattle offense haven’t done much to boost the overall ranking. Safeco has ranked 19th or worse in the past four years in runs, and has rated 16th or worse in home runs (ranking 29th in 2010 and 24th in 2009).
Rangers Ballpark in Arlington
Dimensions: LF: 330 FT, CF: 400 FT, RF: 330 FT
Analysis: The dimensions of Rangers Ballpark in Arlington are fairly average. It boasts a standard configuration with traditional rounding in the power alleys. However, low humidity, high temperatures and a strong push from the area’s high winds conspire to make this one of the game’s more hitter-friendly parks. The fact that sluggers such as Alex Rodriguez, Rafael Palmeiro, Mark Teixeira and Josh Hamilton have called this park home certainly didn’t hurt power numbers. Those factors have kept top-notch free agent pitchers from taking up residence.
Rangers Ballpark has ranked seventh or better in home runs and runs in the past three years (including ranking first in runs in 2008).
