Two weeks
ago, during the Twins’ Winter Caravan stop in Mason City, Iowa, pitcher Glen
Perkins addressed the crowd on his thoughts about Target Field. Said the left-hander:
“I would say it’s leaning toward a pitcher’s park, but you never know. Yankee Stadium the first year was a hitter’s park and then it swung the other way last year.”
Yesterday,
during his lunchtime live chat at StarTribune.com beat writer Joe
Christensen also alluded to this phenomenon in response to an inquisition regarding
the team’s chances of hitting more home runs in 2011 at Target Field:
“I have my doubts, but the Twins believe it's important to give it another year before going overboard with any changes. They correctly point to Yankee Stadium, which wasn't as much of a hitter's park in 2010 as it was in 2009.”
Christensen’s use of the word “they” suggests that members of the front
office are the ones circulating that tidbit. After all, Perkins spent very
little time at the major league level in 2010 and did not pitch a single inning
in New York. He couldn’t have been privy to this first-hand. With all of the
criticism emerging from the clubhouse, including calls for the walls to be
moved in (ostensibly, an expensive task), the organization had to communicate
something to the team. Regardless of the source or background, the fact is that
the statement is almost patently false.
Superficially, there was some decline in the numbers at home in New
York. For instance, in 2010 hitters posted an OPS of 783 at the new Yankee
Stadium, the second-highest in baseball and the highest in the American League,
but experienced a ten-point drop in OPS from the previous year (793) when it
was regarded as an offensive Mecca. Yet, ten points is hardly a resounding
affirmation of a transition from a hitter-friendly park to a pitcher-friendly
one.
Similarly, while the ballpark paced the majors in home runs hit in
’09 with 237, when the season ended this past year 14 fewer home runs had been
hit. Still, that 223 in 2010 was the second-highest total in baseball.
Based on those two facts alone, I’d hardly be inclined to calling
Yankee Stadium anything but a hitter’s paradise. What’s more is that according
to ESPN.com’s Park Factors,
despite the decrease in total bombs launched in its confines all things
considered, Yankee Stadium actually became a place that was easier to hit home
runs over the previous season. In 2009, the Bronx ballpark posted a HR Park
Factor of 1.201, the highest in baseball. Although it lost the long ball title
to USCellular Field and surpassed by Coors Field in Denver, the Yankees’ home
field had a HR Park Factor of 1.420.
Likewise, in terms of total offense, Yankee Stadium’s 1.177 Runs Park
Factor was far superior in comparison to ‘09’s 0.965 Runs Park Factor it listed
after the stadium’s inaugural season. To summarize, it was found to be easier
to score runs and hit home runs at Yankee Stadium in 2010 versus its first
year.
Simply put, despite the Twins' claims to the contrary, Yankee Stadium did not revert towards a pitcher's park.
In the end, there is no need to repeat a misleading message in
hopes of enticing players or fans to think of Target Field somehow emerging as
a Yankee Stadium-like venue in 2011. Rather, focus on the number of home runs
that aren’t leaving the park courtesy
of the visiting team as opposed to the number of home runs you are missing out
on. Target Field may not do anyone any favors in the home run department but
it served the team extremely well in 2010 and some members of the offense should
embrace that concept.
