Poll: Citi Field Outfield Fences

[Edgy MD]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Edgy DC wrote: David Wright is so busy trying to be the type of guy he thinks he's supposed to be, he doesn't know if he's coming or going. I blame it on Citi Field's' dimensions. And the stupid Dodgers' rotunda. Not necessarily in that order.

I blame it on David Wright.

[Ceetar]

Edgy DC wrote: Edgy DC wrote: David Wright is so busy trying to be the type of guy he thinks he's supposed to be, he doesn't know if he's coming or going. I blame it on Citi Field's' dimensions. And the stupid Dodgers' rotunda. Not necessarily in that order. I blame it on David Wright.

I'll blame Adam Rubin, as long as we're blaming guys. Or should I go Phil Mushnick?

[HahnSolo]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Edgy DC wrote: David Wright is so busy trying to be the type of guy he thinks he's supposed to be, he doesn't know if he's coming or going. I blame it on Citi Field's' dimensions. And the stupid Dodgers' rotunda. Not necessarily in that order.

I thought for sure you'd blame Jeff first.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Edgy DC wrote: David Wright is so busy trying to be the type of guy he thinks he's supposed to be, he doesn't know if he's coming or going.

This is so right and true that David Wright is trying to find a more positive version of this to trot out at postgame interviews when asked how he feels.

[Benjamin Grimm]

He really tries hard to be Cal Ripken, doesn't he?

[Centerfield]

If the biggest criticism of our homegrown superstar is that he's an all around swell guy, give me that any day of the week.

He could sulk. He could openly complain. He could hint to ownership that if the fences aren't brought in and some protection in the lineup isn't provided he's bolting when his contract is up.

Instead, he stays out of trouble and wants to be a Met for life.

[Edgy MD]

The Thing wrote: He really tries hard to be Cal Ripken, doesn't he?

More like Derek Jeter, I'm afraid.

But really... �I think that when I got to Citi Field, and I don�t know if it was just the park or wanting to become a better all-around hitter, but I focused more on trying to become a better pull hitter.�

You don't know why you consciously changed your approach after a pair of top-ten-MVP-voting season? Come on.

[Ceetar]

Edgy DC wrote: The Thing wrote: He really tries hard to be Cal Ripken, doesn't he? More like Derek Jeter, I'm afraid. But really... �I think that when I got to Citi Field, and I don�t know if it was just the park or wanting to become a better all-around hitter, but I focused more on trying to become a better pull hitter.� You don't know why you consciously changed your approach after a pair of top-ten-MVP-voting season? Come on.

Especially since he repeatedly made claims that he wasn't changing his approach throughout most of 2009 and 2010. Also, most of his home runs were to the pull field anyway.

[Vic Sage]

Centerfield wrote: If the biggest criticism of our homegrown superstar is that he's an all around swell guy, give me that any day of the week. He could sulk. He could openly complain. He could hint to ownership that if the fences aren't brought in and some protection in the lineup isn't provided he's bolting when his contract is up. Instead, he stays out of trouble and wants to be a Met for life.

this. exactly this.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I agree.

I also think it's okay to gently mock him for this, but with affection, not derision.

[Edgy MD]

I don't think anyone said anything to suggest we don't want him given to us.

(Although maybe Ashie has in another thread.)

[G-Fafif]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: He really tries hard to be Cal Ripken, doesn't he?

I'm pretty sure David stays in the same hotel as his teammates.

[ashie62]

Edgy DC wrote: I don't think anyone said anything to suggest we don't want him given to us. (Although maybe Ashie has in another thread.)

What you talkin about Willis?

[Edgy MD]

Just thought maybe.

You've called on many a tenure to end.

[ashie62]

I don't remember but that sounds like me..

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

G-Fafif wrote: Benjamin Grimm wrote: He really tries hard to be Cal Ripken, doesn't he? I'm pretty sure David stays in the same hotel as his teammates.

Hey! I humorlessly resemble that remark!

[batmagadanleadoff]

Stuffing the Mets� Suggestion Box By JIM LUTTRELL The New York Mets After Mets General Manager Sandy Alderson made it clear there would be changes to Citi Field this off-season, readers had plenty of ideas when the Bats blog asked for suggested alterations to the ballpark that could put the Mets back on the winning path. Somewhat surprisingly, a good number of readers did not want to make any changes to three-year-old Citi Field. �Don�t change the park to suit the team � change the team to suit the park!� wrote JTA from Brookline, Mass. �The Mets have a crop of talented young arms on their way up. Leave the dimensions alone and rebuild the rest of the team around pitching, speed and defense.� While some readers wanted the changes to start with ownership, the current players drew the ire of just as many fans. �Mets have the 23rd worst ERA in M.L.B. this year � in a pitcher�s ballpark!!!� wrote MH from New Jersey. �If they shrink the field, I can�t wait to see what their E.R.A. will be next year. (Hunch: They probably will topple a M.L.B. record!) Most M.L.B. organizations design a team to fit a stadium, not vice-versa.� Chrispy from Brooklyn said: �Can I draw some better players onto this new field? Or maybe a tee that our existing subpar players can hit the ball off of? Citi Field is the only thing that�s NOT wrong with this organization.� Of course, those who were inspired to try their hand at a new-look ballpark varied in the seriousness of their approaches. Randy Medina put his brain to work for his Web site readtheapple.com and shared with Bats readers the rendering below. On the left, Medina prescribes an eight-foot wall be erected in front of the Great Wall of Flushing, creating a small new section. �The seats in this section are bar stool seats modeled after Fenway�s first row of monster seats,� he wrote. �The seating ends just before the hangar door so that it can still function. This also leaves outfielders a nice amount of space in the left-center-field gap where they can take an unobstructed shot at bringing back a homer.� On the right, Medina designed a fence for the Mo�s Zone that creates a picnic pavilion for Mo Zone guests �with either picnic tables or some kind of bleacher seating.� GD definitely thought outside the box for his design, below. Let�s let him tell it: �This design, seemingly controversial, will allow the Mets to greatly increase the number of home runs since they are the most exciting aspect of the game. Fifteen-foot-tall walls 200 feet from home plate will radically change Citi Field�s perception as a pitcher�s park. Ground balls and bunts will likely become nonfactors since the infield can now play in on the grass rather than all the way out by the bags. Additionally, pitchers can greatly lower their B.A.B.I.P.s while perhaps sacrificing their HR/9. It all evens out, however, because of dingers! The grass seating will also greatly increase capacity at no increase in cost.� Alexander Putelo looked for compromise: �My objective was not to remove all of the quirkiness that is Citi Field plus keeping it fair for both pitchers and hitters,� he wrote. �In left field, down the line the dimensions do not change, but as you move from the power alley toward center field, I have moved the fence 10 feet closer and lowered it to 10� 10?. This will be a clear fence so that behind this new area, S.R.O. or picnic-type tickets can be sold. �Moving along the wall toward right field, I have not changed the dimensions until you get to the Mo Zone. At this point, after jutting out a couple feet, I straighten out the fence to be even with the wall down the right-field line. This new fence will also be clear to allow the Mo Zone patrons to move out onto the old playing surface.� A reader who called himself Trogdor wanted to give to the Mets owner Fred Wilpon what some fans think he wanted all along [below]. Jeff H. wanted to bring a little Euro flair to Citi Field while solving on-field and off-field problems (below). He wrote, �A significant percentage of the left-field seats presently feature an obstructed view of left field. Simply lowering the height of the fence will only exacerbate the problem, so it affects all of the left field seats. �I have extended the left-field stands further onto the field by two rows. This will move the distance of the wall by 6 to 8 feet and lower the height of the fence by at least 2 feet. This solves two problems at once: It renders a pitcher�s park more neutral and it will also cause a greater portion of the playing field to be visible from the seats. �While we have the tools out, I have also changed the color of the fence, as well of the seats, to Mets blue. I have spelled out �Mets� across the seats in a design prevalent in European soccer stadiums but rare in baseball. Millions of people fly over Citi Field every year. Why not advertise something other than Citicorp?� Of course, a number of readers all agreed on the �if it�s not broke, don�t fix it� model. It seems that�s a little late, though:

http://bats.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/23/stuffing-the-mets-suggestion-box/

[ashie62]

The changes will not be subtle and meant to appeal to fans and potential free agents.

http://www.nj.com/mets/index.ssf/2011/09/mets_likely_to_move_citi_field.html

[Edgy MD]

A submission from Trogdor?

[Benjamin Grimm]

Source: Citi Field changes on tap By Adam Rubin ESPNNewYork.com Substantial dimension changes to Citi Field will be announced after the World Series, in an effort to make the 3-year-old ballpark more hitter-friendly, a team official confirmed. Citi Field allowed 1.33 homers per game last season, which ranked 14th among 16 National League ballparks, ahead of only San Francisco's AT&T Park (1.00) and San Diego's Petco Park (1.23). New York Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said last month that the intention was to make Citi Field more neutral -- not to tilt the balance in favor of hitters. Alderson added at the time that offense sells. And the Mets need to fill seats, having experienced three straight seasons of declining attendance. "We're not looking for an advantage with respect to home runs versus visitors' home runs," Alderson said last month. "At the same time, I think there is some sense that the park is a little more overwhelming to a team that spends half its time there as opposed to a team that comes in for three games and doesn't really have to alter an approach or think about it too much and leaves." The 16-foot wall in left field will remain because it is structural, but a new 8-foot wall will be erected in front of it, a team source said. The new left-field wall will not be constructed exactly parallel to the old wall. That would make it too close down the left-field line. Instead, a more modest reduction in depth will occur at the left-field foul pole, with a wider gap between the new and old walls in left-center. Additional seating is expected to be added between the new and old walls, although there cannot be the same number of rows added throughout that area because of the different space between the walls in the corner versus in left-center. In right field, where the "Mo's Zone" nook currently exists, the fencing will be moved closer to eradicate that crevice. A dramatic change will occur in right-center, which had measured 415 feet from home plate. The new depth is expected to be 390 feet -- a 25-foot reduction. That should particularly benefit third baseman David Wright, whose natural power is to right-center.

[Edgy MD]

David Wright better be thankful. Like, sign him to an extension the same day as the announcement.

[Ceetar]

good job by Rubin, repeating the exact same information that was rumored a month ago, and misrepresenting where Wright hits his home runs.

[ashie62]

Who want seats in the crevice?

[Edgy MD]

Wright has shown plenty of power to right center in past years. I don't see how that's misrepresentation.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Also, last month was "may happen," and this announcement is "will happen."

Also also... BEHIND YOU! ADAM RUBIN IS LOBBY TO STAB YOU!

[Benjamin Grimm]

I think this is new info:

The new left-field wall will not be constructed exactly parallel to the old wall. That would make it too close down the left-field line. Instead, a more modest reduction in depth will occur at the left-field foul pole, with a wider gap between the new and old walls in left-center.

And the specific measurement of 390 feet is also new.

[Frayed Knot]

Ceetar wrote: good job by Rubin, repeating the exact same information that was rumored a month ago, and misrepresenting where Wright hits his home runs.

Yeah, you're right. He should have ignored this info entirely and not said anything.

[Ceetar]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I think this is new info: The new left-field wall will not be constructed exactly parallel to the old wall. That would make it too close down the left-field line. Instead, a more modest reduction in depth will occur at the left-field foul pole, with a wider gap between the new and old walls in left-center. And the specific measurement of 390 feet is also new.

not new. Sandy said that in the original interview, that they wouldn't bring in LF corner 8feet by the poles.

the 'most power' to right center is the misrepresentation. most of his power is to left. all _people_'s power is mostly to pull.

[Edgy MD]

I don't know why you're putting that in quotes. He didn't write "most power."

[Ceetar]

Edgy DC wrote: I don't know why you're putting that in quotes. He didn't write "most power."

sorry, in a hurry. he wrote "Natural" power, which is even more of a misrepresentation of how power hitters/hits work.

Also, he's merely repeating what Lennon/others tweeted/posted the day before, with an air of "Well, I confirmed it with MY guy, so now we really know it's true"