Comments on: Matt Holliday and the ghosts of Citi Field http://www.tedquarters.net/2009/10/18/matt-holliday-and-the-ghosts-of-citi-field/ Sat, 31 Jul 2010 01:51:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Ted Berg http://www.tedquarters.net/2009/10/18/matt-holliday-and-the-ghosts-of-citi-field/comment-page-1/#comment-116 Ted Berg Mon, 19 Oct 2009 03:40:10 +0000 http://www.tedquarters.net/?p=355#comment-116 This is taking two directions, and looking back over my original post I can see why. Are we discussing whether Citi Field is a pitcher's park or whether Citi Field saps home runs? The Holliday rumor just said he was averse to playing in Citi because of its rep as a pitcher's park, so maybe I took it the wrong way by incorporating home runs. Regardless, I would guess that vision has a lot to do with a hitter's success in any park. There was always talk that the light stanchions at Shea were particularly rough on hitters. I'm a bit skeptical, of course, just like I'm a bit skeptical of the HitTracker data as definitive proof. I used Wright's 2008 as a point of comparison because I was assuming -- probably wishfully -- that he was on a bit of a growth curve, being 26 and all. I'm open to the possibility that Citi Field really did eat up Wright's power at home and his lack of power on the road was just a random fluctuation, but that seems like a pretty big coincidence to me. This is taking two directions, and looking back over my original post I can see why. Are we discussing whether Citi Field is a pitcher’s park or whether Citi Field saps home runs? The Holliday rumor just said he was averse to playing in Citi because of its rep as a pitcher’s park, so maybe I took it the wrong way by incorporating home runs.

Regardless, I would guess that vision has a lot to do with a hitter’s success in any park. There was always talk that the light stanchions at Shea were particularly rough on hitters. I’m a bit skeptical, of course, just like I’m a bit skeptical of the HitTracker data as definitive proof.

I used Wright’s 2008 as a point of comparison because I was assuming — probably wishfully — that he was on a bit of a growth curve, being 26 and all. I’m open to the possibility that Citi Field really did eat up Wright’s power at home and his lack of power on the road was just a random fluctuation, but that seems like a pretty big coincidence to me.

]]> By: sam http://www.tedquarters.net/2009/10/18/matt-holliday-and-the-ghosts-of-citi-field/comment-page-1/#comment-114 sam Mon, 19 Oct 2009 02:42:27 +0000 http://www.tedquarters.net/?p=355#comment-114 Hittracker does not account absolutely for all park factors, true, but is that really relevant to the issue of homeruns? If you're going to measure whether Citi is a hitters park based on homers, that wouldn't reflect foul ground and only partially reflect vision. Also, the comparison to his 2008 numbers doesn't seem particularly relevant. If we have this technology that allows a more direct comparison between Shea/Citi than just 2 years of numbers, who include the comparison of the 2 years? Hittracker does not account absolutely for all park factors, true, but is that really relevant to the issue of homeruns? If you’re going to measure whether Citi is a hitters park based on homers, that wouldn’t reflect foul ground and only partially reflect vision. Also, the comparison to his 2008 numbers doesn’t seem particularly relevant. If we have this technology that allows a more direct comparison between Shea/Citi than just 2 years of numbers, who include the comparison of the 2 years?

]]> By: Ted Berg http://www.tedquarters.net/2009/10/18/matt-holliday-and-the-ghosts-of-citi-field/comment-page-1/#comment-111 Ted Berg Sun, 18 Oct 2009 22:23:38 +0000 http://www.tedquarters.net/?p=355#comment-111 It's true that everyone hits more home runs at home, but then it should also be true that Mets' opponents would hit more home runs off Mets pitchers while the Mets are on the road. And that wasn't the case. I think HitTracker is an amazing site, but I'm not sure it's a good indicator of how a park plays. It seems like it might put a little too much stock in dimensions and not enough in the myriad other factors that might affect a park, like the amount of foul territory and its impact on the batter's vision. It does seem like the right-center field depth is particularly crippling to Wright, but even if it cost him 10 home runs, he still would have hit 13 fewer than he did in 2008. It’s true that everyone hits more home runs at home, but then it should also be true that Mets’ opponents would hit more home runs off Mets pitchers while the Mets are on the road. And that wasn’t the case.

I think HitTracker is an amazing site, but I’m not sure it’s a good indicator of how a park plays. It seems like it might put a little too much stock in dimensions and not enough in the myriad other factors that might affect a park, like the amount of foul territory and its impact on the batter’s vision. It does seem like the right-center field depth is particularly crippling to Wright, but even if it cost him 10 home runs, he still would have hit 13 fewer than he did in 2008.

]]> By: sam http://www.tedquarters.net/2009/10/18/matt-holliday-and-the-ghosts-of-citi-field/comment-page-1/#comment-110 sam Sun, 18 Oct 2009 21:17:43 +0000 http://www.tedquarters.net/?p=355#comment-110 Everyone hits more homeruns at home. I'm not sure why people cite that like it proves anything. More importantly, hittracker found ~10 balls Wright hit that would have been homeruns at Shea, which seems much more conclusive to me. Everyone hits more homeruns at home. I’m not sure why people cite that like it proves anything. More importantly, hittracker found ~10 balls Wright hit that would have been homeruns at Shea, which seems much more conclusive to me.

]]> By: firejerrynow http://www.tedquarters.net/2009/10/18/matt-holliday-and-the-ghosts-of-citi-field/comment-page-1/#comment-109 firejerrynow Sun, 18 Oct 2009 18:16:16 +0000 http://www.tedquarters.net/?p=355#comment-109 Yeah, and Busch Stadium was .919. Also, in the HR park factor, Citi Field was 12th at 1.057, and Busch Stadium was at 28th, at .736 Yeah, and Busch Stadium was .919. Also, in the HR park factor, Citi Field was 12th at 1.057, and Busch Stadium was at 28th, at .736

]]> By: tjk http://www.tedquarters.net/2009/10/18/matt-holliday-and-the-ghosts-of-citi-field/comment-page-1/#comment-105 tjk Sun, 18 Oct 2009 16:39:21 +0000 http://www.tedquarters.net/?p=355#comment-105 pretty sure wright will come back to hit 25-30 HR next season. holliday could be a big star here, but he doesnt seem like the type that would take well to the new york spotlight pretty sure wright will come back to hit 25-30 HR next season. holliday could be a big star here, but he doesnt seem like the type that would take well to the new york spotlight

]]> By: Ceetar http://www.tedquarters.net/2009/10/18/matt-holliday-and-the-ghosts-of-citi-field/comment-page-1/#comment-104 Ceetar Sun, 18 Oct 2009 15:40:18 +0000 http://www.tedquarters.net/?p=355#comment-104 Wright said early on that he wasn't adjusting to the park, that he would just hit how he hits and so be it. I think the adjusting his game rhetoric came from above. I wonder how Manuel's 80pitch drill with trying to shoot singles to the opposite field affected mindset too. Hard to adjust to looking to slap one to RF one pitch and pull it over the fence the next. Wright said early on that he wasn’t adjusting to the park, that he would just hit how he hits and so be it. I think the adjusting his game rhetoric came from above.

I wonder how Manuel’s 80pitch drill with trying to shoot singles to the opposite field affected mindset too. Hard to adjust to looking to slap one to RF one pitch and pull it over the fence the next.

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