Yankees Planning More Research On Wind Effect At New Ballpark
 |
Twenty Home Runs Have Been Hit In First
Four Games At Yankee Stadium |
The Yankees before building their new ballpark "commissioned engineering studies to gauge the possible effect of wind on batted balls," and though the tests "showed nothing alarming, ... more research is planned now that 20 home runs have been hit in the first four games," according to Tyler Kepner of the N.Y. TIMES. One "explanation for the home runs jetting out to right-center field" is that the wall "may be closer to home plate than it used to be" at the old Yankee Stadium, where the wall "curved from the right-field corner to straightaway center." At the new ballpark the wall is "almost entirely straight" because of a "scoreboard embedded in the wall in right-center." The team has "maintained that the field is oriented in the same direction, and that the dimensions and height of the fence are exactly the same." But there are "no dimensions listed near the scoreboards" (N.Y. TIMES, 4/21). CNBC.com's Darren Rovell noted "thanks to the right field wind tunnel theory" at the new ballpark, meteorologists "are getting involved." Accuweather.com meteorologists issued a press release on their Web site yesterday estimating that the "angle of the seating in the new stadium could have an effect on wind speed across the field." Accuweather.com said if it is the seat angle that is causing the issue, the only games that will be affected will be during time when "the winds are from a westerly direction and above 10 mph. This typically occurs during the spring and the middle to late fall." Accuweather believes that the "calmer weather in the summer will lead to fewer home runs" (CNBC.com, 4/20).
HOME RUN POWER: Yes’ Mike Francesa said, "You cannot get to a point where the ballpark becomes a dominant force, where it becomes an overriding feature about who you are, and that's about to happen at this Yankee Stadium. … It is a joke, and it cannot continue” (“Mike Francesa,” Yes, 4/20). FanHouse.com’s Jay Mariotti said the new Yankee Stadium "is Coors Field east all of a sudden." FanHouse.com’s Kevin Blackistone said what free agents are “going to want to come to pitch in a place with the balls flying out like that?” ESPN’s J.A. Adande: “Who’s going to want to come? The fans! This is a perk. If the fans are going to spend all this money to go to that ballpark, they ought to get some free baseballs” (“Around The Horn,” ESPN, 4/20). Sirius XM Radio’s Bruce Murray said, “It’s a little early to call it a bandbox, isn’t it? ... We are four games into the history of the stadium! If it is a bandbox, why is that a disadvantage to the Yankees who can build their team around it being a bandbox?” (“Wheelhouse,” SNY, 4/20).
 |
Writer Says Real Yankees Fans, Who Perfected
Heckling, Have Been Priced Out Of Ballpark |
PAYING THE PRICE: In S.F., Bruce Jenkins writes with the "intent of reproducing the original Yankee Stadium, before the major renovation project of the mid-70s," the Yankees made their new ballpark "so blatantly enormous, they dispatched the atmosphere described as 'claustrophobic' by so many visiting players." The "real Yankees fans, the ones who perfected the art of sophisticated heckling, have been priced out of the yard" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 4/21). SportsNet N.Y.’s Bill Pidto said, “The middle class is totally out of the mix right now. You are going to totally lower your fan base unless you lower the prices” (“Loudmouths,” SNY, 4/20). SI’s Jon Heyman said when the Yankees "thought of this idea (for a ballpark) we were a lot richer country it seems. Now $1.5(B) sounds like a lot of money to me. I mean, it’s beautiful. It’s much nicer than the old place. (But) I would have spent $200-300(M) and spruced up the old place.” KLAA-AM host Roger Lodge: “That’s not a ballpark. That’s a shopping mall with some grass in it. It reeks of, ‘Hey, we are the Yankees. Look how much jack we have laying around.’” (Jim Rome Is Burning,” ESPN, 4/20).
IN THE CITI: SI.com's Peter King wrote of Citi Field, "Really, really beautiful, roomy ballpark, with comfortable seats and, at least in the lower bowl, good sightlines. I did note that, from my seat down the left-field line in the lower bowl, that I could see 79 ads around the stadium. It's a living, breathing billboard. The other thing I found very weird was the rotunda as you enter -- a tribute to the Brooklyn Dodgers, Ebbets Field and Jackie Robinson. Just weird. There's more Dodger stuff, prominently, than Mets stuff" (SI.com, 4/20).
|
Related Stories By Company
|
Related Stories By Sport
|
MasterCard Present At WS DVD Premiere
November 20, 2009 :
SportsBusiness Daily
MLB Free Agent Market Expected To Be Slow
November 19, 2009 :
SportsBusiness Daily
SMT Conference: MLB In-Market Streaming
November 13, 2009 :
SportsBusiness Daily
MLB Hot Market On Pace To Be Second Largest
November 10, 2009 :
SportsBusiness Daily
Bob DuPuy Touts MLB Competitive Balance
November 10, 2009 :
SportsBusiness Daily
|
Boras, Manfred Talk About Finances Escalate
November 20, 2009 :
SportsBusiness Daily
Selig: Concerns Around Economy Still Exist
November 20, 2009 :
SportsBusiness Daily
MasterCard Present At WS DVD Premiere
November 20, 2009 :
SportsBusiness Daily
Hicks Hopes To Remain Rangers Majority Owner
November 19, 2009 :
SportsBusiness Daily
Selig Committed To Condensing Playoffs
November 19, 2009 :
SportsBusiness Daily
|
|
