Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Home Runs at Yankee Stadium - My Reason Why

Well yes, I too have heard all the talk about the amount of home runs at Yankee Stadium. My first point is this, two teams play a game there. So no one has an advantage over anyone else. The only exception would be a team stacked with lefties. The short porch has always been just that, and we knew what to expect.

Now the question, why?

To me it is a simple answer. I attended my 3rd Yankee game of the season on Sunday and again noticed the amount of wind in the ballpark. As much as I loved the old stadium, finding a breeze in that place was always tough. I hate the heat and finding a "cool" place at the old stadium was a tough find. On Sunday, I had tickets for section 239 in the bleachers, in the sun! It was a hot day so my and my friend Gary decided to go upstairs. We stood along the railing in section 315 and what a breeze! It felt really good. What a difference from the old stadium. And the reason why is a simple one. Just below the facade, are openings that let the air in. You can feel the breeze blow out from behind home plate to right field. The balls hit up there, get caught in that "stream" of air and carry out. It was very evident on Sunday, but I did notice it there as well the first 2 games I attended in April.

The answer?

1.) Do nothing and leave it as is. First, I say lets wait until the season is over to fully evaluate how many home runs are being hit and how many "cheap" shots there are. A ball that is hit 400 feet is still going out no matter what the wind conditions are. But a ball hit 300 feet that carries an extra 30 to clear the wall is debatable.

2.) If the home runs are "excessive" than they can block off some of the airflow under the facade by covering it with a cloth or material. Hopefully a white mesh-like substance that will not alter the appearance of the stadium.

Lets see what happens over time and then make an evaluation. For now, enjoy the games and the home runs and worry about next year when it comes....

Take care......Brad

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