The Great Wall of Flushing
Mets GM Sandy Alderson made some waves Tuesday night by suggesting any changes made to Citi Field walls would be “big.”
I’ve always had a love\hate relationship with the outfield walls at Citi Field. I remember watching that first exhibition game the weekend before Opening Day 2009. I practically dove into my laptop, logged onto Facebook, and posted the status, “I hate the outfield walls in Citi Field.” My quibble had nothing to do with their depth, but with their design. Citi Field’s walls were (and are) gimmicky. I had never seen a wall that slopes diagonally from the line to straight-away LF. I had never seen a center field wall that looked like a Tetris piece (a mistake that was corrected prior to the 2010 season), and the Mo’s Zone reminded me of the outcropping of seats in Petco Park in RF, but in reverse. I always thought that outcropping was an ugly gimmick that took away from the otherwise beautiful field in San Diego, and I reviled the Mo’s Zone for the same reasons.
During that first exhibition game, something else about the walls caught my attention. Mets utility man Fernando Tatis drilled a fly ball to left-center, and posed. The ball hit high off the LF wall (since nicknamed “The Great Wall of Flushing” by Howie Rose) Tatis pulled into second base with a look of shock. I assumed the ball didn’t carry because of the cold, gloomy weather that enveloped the Tri-State area that weekend.
But as the games went on, Mets players had trouble clearing the outfield walls of Citi Field. David Wright hit only 10 HRs in a full season in 2009 (although he hit the same amount of homers on the road - 5 – as he did at home). In 2010, Wright’s season HR total returned to normal, but he started swinging with a pronounced uppercut, and struck out more. Early in 2010, Jason Bay and Jeff Francouer both slammed drives off the 415 sign in right-centerfield. Wright had trouble getting it past the Great Wall of Flushing, and couldn’t figure out how to get the ball over the right-centerfield wall, which was his trademark at Shea Stadium.
Now, Shea was no bandbox. It consistently ranked among the best pitchers’ ballparks in the game. But the outfield wall at Shea was as gimmick-free as you can get. It was a simple arc that ran from foul line to foul line. 410 to center, 338 down the lines. 371 to LF and RF, and 396 to the gaps. It was uniform, it was boring, but the hitters knew what to expect. As a side note, the lines used to be 341, with orange lines defining the tops of high, brick walls. When Joe Torre became manager in 1977, he had the walls changed to avoid confusion on borderline home runs, hence the 338 walls in front of the brick walls. But no one could dispute the fairness of its dimensions.
Since Citi Field opened, the Mets have had trouble scoring and hitting home runs, often ranking near the bottom in both categories. This year, the Mets have hit 45 HRs at home, good for 13th in the National League, but they’ve allowed 54, the fifth fewest total in the NL. At home, they’ve allowed the sixth most runs in the league, and scored the ninth most. On the road, it’s a different story. They’ve scored 377 runs and allowed 363. This suggests that a ballpark with “average” dimensions would help the offense, but hurt the pitching staff.
For that reason, I have been against making Citi Field more homer-friendly, because it can only hurt a Mets pitching staff that already has been flat-out bad this year. But the more I see the frustration of players like Wright and Bay, and see the sarcastic smiles on the bench whenever someone barely clears the Great Wall, or has one die in the Mo’s Zone, the more I realize this isn’t about stats. It’s about psychology. Mets players have allowed Citi Field’s dimensions to get in their heads. Apart from hiring a new team psychologist, the only solution is to “normalize” the Walls of Citi. That’s right, I just did a 180. As far as the pitching is concerned, the solution is as simple as this: The Mets need better pitchers. Easier said than done, of course, but if they want to win, they will need to improve their pitching staff anyway.
But a note of caution to Sandy Alderson: Do not turn this into a bandbox. Do not turn this into Citizen’s Bank Park, where any line drive that doesn’t drop in front of an outfielder is a home run. Do not turn this in to New Yankee Stadium, where any pop-up hit beyond the infield is a home run. And whatever you do, make it look natural and classy, not like the current Rorsach test that Jeff Wilpon came up with.
16 comments
Ceetar
9/21/2011-3:01pm at 3:01 pm (UTC -4)
Hopefully they only move the wall in for the Mets.
Paul J. Festa
9/21/2011-4:20pm at 4:20 pm (UTC -4)
Maybe a hydraulic wall that rises when the visitors are at bat.
Seriously, The Mets need to improve their pitching staff one way or another. They allow too many runs on the road. This is an extreme example, but look at the Phillies pitching staff. They don’t give up many HRs in their little league field.
Granted, it might well be ugly next year, but the Mets are at least 2 years away from being a serious contender, unless the Wilpons find some cash.
Anonymous
9/21/2011-4:42pm at 4:42 pm (UTC -4)
Make the wall Blue please.
MetsFan4Decades
9/21/2011-7:45pm at 7:45 pm (UTC -4)
The Star Ledger has a full transcript of what Sandy discussed regarding making changes to the OF walls, etc. After reading this, I think they’re doing their homework on this:
http://www.nj.com/mets/index.ssf/2011/09/mets_general_manager_sandy_ald_5.html
Citi Field is certainly quirky, and not all in a good way either.
But IMO, Houston takes the cake. Who in their right mind thought it a good idea to build a hill going up to the CF wall?
MetsFan4Decades
9/21/2011-7:47pm at 7:47 pm (UTC -4)
Let me try that link again. Can’t like the entire thing on one line so you’ll have to put it together if you want to go there.
http://www.nj.com/mets/index.ssf/2011/09/
mets_general_manager_sandy_ald_5.html
MetsFan4Decades
9/21/2011-7:49pm at 7:49 pm (UTC -4)
Well, I give up. Apparently, it’s not going to let me link to it.
It’s over on NJ.com
Andy McCullough Star Ledger
Dated today.
Mets general manager Sandy Alderson indicates change likely coming to Citi Field dimensions
Paul J. Festa
9/21/2011-8:53pm at 8:53 pm (UTC -4)
I was able to link to it (at least from the Dashboard). Very informative.
MetsFan4Decades
9/22/2011-12:27am at 12:27 am (UTC -4)
Well glad to hear you could get to it.
Mr North Jersey
9/21/2011-8:58pm at 8:58 pm (UTC -4)
If anyone is interested in the article 4D is referencing here is the url.
http://www.nj.com/mets/index.ssf/2011/09/mets_general_manager_sandy_ald_5.html
Ahh I see what you was referring to now 4d. The link is click able for me at least.
MetsFan4Decades
9/22/2011-12:28am at 12:28 am (UTC -4)
Thanks for trying, anyway.
Paul J. Festa
9/22/2011-1:10am at 1:10 am (UTC -4)
Tal’s Hill and the chain link fence in left center are dangerous for outfielders.
Anonymous
9/22/2011-3:49am at 3:49 am (UTC -4)
The Reds old ballpark, Crosley Field(before Riverfront Stadium), had a flag pole in play in left center and a pronounced incline in left field. There was no warning track and the incline gave warning to the outfielders that they were near the fence.
Anonymous
9/21/2011-10:44pm at 10:44 pm (UTC -4)
From a Dave Lennon article this past June:
“It was Tony Bernazard’s vision for Citi Field, the cavernous ballpark he helped design as a top lieutenant to chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon. On Opening Day 2009, the Mets would have Carlos Beltran, the $119-million franchise player, positioned in centerfield, with youngsters Fernando Martinez and Carlos Gomez flanking him.
That’s a big reason why Citi Field looks as it…”
Having to hear the Citi Field dimensions were in some part large or small the “brain child” of the brainless Bernazard goes a long way in understanding the completely misguided direction at the design phase of the Mets digs. The man was clueless and our real estate ex-mogul owners were taking his advice. This alone is enough basis to get the walls changed. My preference has always been to shift the infield out towards CF as part of shrinking the dimensions. I’d like more room behind the plate and in foul territory down the lines to help the pitching if we’re going to bring the dimensions in. But, they’ve already said they won’t do this.
As for the interview last night my favorite part was when asked what he would be doing in October he said, “that’s Jose’s month, the month of Reyes and getting him signed”. Sweet music to my ears, make it so, hopefully at a reasonable price.
MetsFan4Decades
9/22/2011-12:29am at 12:29 am (UTC -4)
Just wow….nothing like building a stadium that’s likely to stand for 40 years, just for the current crop of projected talent.
Here’s hoping the current FO has weeded out the rest of the old regime that was part of the problem.
Anonymous
9/22/2011-12:52am at 12:52 am (UTC -4)
Yeah, they sure had the knack for decision making in theatre of the absurd mode.
Oh another stellar play in front of the plate tonight….oy.
MetsFan4Decades
9/22/2011-2:49am at 2:49 am (UTC -4)
This game just had too much LOL.
Duda with the injury non catch.
Paulino standing there doing not much of anything.
Defense spotty
BP with it’s normal meltdown.
19 games lost with the lead going into the 7th now.
But hey, how about that Willie Harris?
Looking like a star in the field and at the plate.