Petco Park; wikipedia
The San Diego Padres built Petco Park at a time when home runs were happening at record rates. And yet, every time I tuned into a Petco Park game, the Padres seemed to be playing in a low scoring, one run game. I started thinking Petco was the truest form of baseball communism with the synthetic advantages of one team over another neutralized by the Petco’s supposedly huge dimensions.
All the Padres had to do was get some decent starting pitching and then hand the ball over to a dynamic relief duo like Mike Adams and Heath Bell. Throw in some old school batters who could bunt, sacrifice, hit behind runners, steal bases-a gang of Ichiro clones and they could manufacture runs like pre Babe Ruth days. They could then begin drafting and developing Ichiros with Petco Park dimensions in mind.
Enjoy some legalized performance enhancing stadium effects like Oakland’s foul territory for pitchers and then draft and trade and sign free agents accordingly. The Padres could win 100 games and take the NL West and then lose in the playoffs, just like Oakland. It could be so easy and so much fun.
Petco was built in 2000 and it was supposed to be tailor-made for pitchers and it is according to home runs per game and runs scored per game since 2000. Petco is usually near the bottom in both categories except for 2006 when the home runs spiked to 0.982; good for 15th in the majors.
But it’s not like Petco Park is the Polo Grounds and even if it was, bigger dimensions can work to a team’s advantage with more triples and doubles and theoretically, more runs scored because there will be more ground for outfielders to cover and more room for balls to drop.
But it’s true about fewer runs scoring at Petco than other parks so I know nothing. Maybe it has to do with the Padres being crappy hitters. The Padres said the hell with it last year. They moved the fences in 10 feet just when home runs were no longer really in style. I think they’re confused; maybe too much southern California sun.
It’s not like they suddenly hit more home runs because of 10 feet. Good luck Evereth Cabrera, but home runs were up last season, still not as much as that 2006 spike.
This entire park effects metric seems blown out of proportion. A team needs hitters who can hit. It doesn’t matter if they play inside a racquetball court or an expansive catholic church. And the Padres? Hitters they ain’t, especially when facing the Brewer’s Kyle Lohse, but Miller Park is supposedly “hitter friendly.” Achhh. It’s hogwash. Even the Brewers offense has been stinking up Miller Park so far this year.
Miller Park; wikipedia
Wednesday night was the final game of Brewers/Padres series. Tyson Ross was on the mound at Miller Park and he apparently fixed a glitch in his delivery a few weeks ago and found pitcher’s heaven.
Over Ross’s previous two starts; 15 innings, 10 hits and 2 walks allowed, 1 earned run, 16 strikeouts and 2 wins. Coulda fooled me. Ross got shelled Wednesday night. So much for miracle solutions. Jean Segura clubbed a three run homer and Khris Davis hit an astral projection bomb of a home run. Nine hits and five runs for the Brewers; all credited to Ross. Enjoy the shower.
And Lohse was his typical control freak self; 7 innings and 0 walks, 5 k’s Final score: Brewers 5, Padres 2.
The Brewers are 16-6.
brewers baseball and things 
April 24, 2014 at 1:19 pm
I love small ball. I wish it would work better for the Royals, but they have too many inconsistencies lately. I’m hoping they’ll solidify as the season progresses. I haven’t been keeping up with the Brewers — glad to see they’re doing well.
April 24, 2014 at 1:30 pm
The Royals and Brewers been scratching each other’s backs the last couple of years; maybe since Yost got fired by the Brewers and shortly after got hired by the Royals. Greinke to the Brewers. Escobar and Cain to the Royals. And more recently, Aoki to the Royals and Will Smith to the Brewers.
Anyway, I hope the Royals do it this year because isn’t Shields a free agent after this season? Here’s to the Moose rising some more all the way to .300 and 30 home runs, not exactly small ball, but the Moose isn’t paid to bunt or steal bases. Alcides can do that.
April 24, 2014 at 1:41 pm
There’s Ruthian Ball, where homers fly out of the park in bushels. There’s Small Ball, which you described quite well. Then there’s Mets Ball, where the boys in blue and orange are inoculated against scoring runs in any way, shape or form just before each game begins. Terry Collins gives each player a six-inch bat to wave around in the on-deck circle like a coffee stirrer, then the players are taught to stand at home plate as long as possible with their eyes closed and just wait to see what happens. In that way, they accurately mimic the Mets “brain-trust,” who are absolutely immune to innovation or imagination when it comes to finding and obtaining MLB-caliber ballplayers.
BTW, Lohse is the most underrated pitcher in the N.L.
April 24, 2014 at 1:58 pm
Yeh, alot of experts said Lohse benefited from being a Cardinal and that he was a fluke and wouldn’t do jack crap with the Brewers. We’ve come to expect the Cardinal/national media bias.
About those Mets, you guys can whine with the best of them. “immune to finding and obtaining MLB caliber players????” Trading RA Dickey at his peak value for a top prospect catcher and top prospect pitcher was freaking smart. Maybe it’s not all sweet right now, but give Arnaud a chance.
And trading Carlos Beltran for Zach Wheeler was smart and so was drafting Matt Harvey and so was finding Juan Lagares. At least there’s something to build on there.
April 24, 2014 at 8:08 pm
All true, my friend, and I plead guilty to your charges. However, what drives many Mets fans like myself nuts is that Alderson will publicly identify a hole on the team, publicly denigrate said player, then leave that player to continue in that role far too long. It’s been clear that we’ve needed a shortstop for about two years now. Instead of doing something about it, Alderson criticized Tejeda, implied that a change was in the works, then after an off-season of doing nothing, we find Tejeda back at short.
The same thing happened at first base with the “platoon” of Duda / Davis and Satin. It took far too long to resolve that situation. Almost nothing Alderson says can ever be taken at face value. Meanwhile, the young talented players he’s been hoarding remain down on the farm longer than necessary just so they can save a few bucks in the long run because, you know, New York is now a small-market town.
Never thought I’d miss Omar Minaya, but he’s looking better and better.
April 24, 2014 at 8:20 pm
I hope what a GM says can never be taken at face value. Gotta have that poker face and double standard if you want to do that job. Otherwise, the mighty will gobble up the weak. Branch Rickey was a master at it. Melvin is the same in Milwaukee. He says one thing and then does the other. I prefer it that way. That’s what got us an Aoki surprise and now that has turned into Will Smith.
I think the Mets did a great job dangling Ike Davis, but no one would bite on that. I know he tried to get Tyler Thornburg. I don’t know how close Melvin came to accepting that deal, but that woulda been a nice one for the Mets. I tip my hat to Alderson for trying. He was preying on Milwaukee’s desperate need for a first baseman. Fortunately, Melvin went the dollar store Mark Reynolds-Lyle Overbay route and so far it’s working out
And as for shortstop, sorry man, I don’t buy the complaining. We were stuck with Yuni Betancourt on two separate occasions.
April 24, 2014 at 2:04 pm
And they’re playing good baseball according to their record of 11-10. I haven’t seen a Mets game yet this year other than the spring training game here in Montreal, but I will when the Brewer game doesn’t conflict or definitely when the two teams play each other in June.
April 24, 2014 at 8:02 pm
Well, 21 games is a pretty small sample size, but their starting pitching has been very decent so far, and they’ve had a bit of timely hitting. Still, like a Paul Ryan budget plan, the more you examine the numbers, the less they add up.
April 24, 2014 at 8:11 pm
All that matters is wins and losses and like no one in particular says, the rest is filler for 4 AM.
April 24, 2014 at 11:05 pm
I agree, and this is a 76-win team.
April 24, 2014 at 11:07 pm
yes sir.
April 24, 2014 at 11:13 pm
You were stuck with Betancourt (past tense.) We are stuck with Tejada (present and perhaps future tense.) We had Jose Reyes, then let him walk away without getting anything in return for him. Davis was a classic case of selling low after doing everything possible to devalue your asset.
Despite my comments, I am cautiously optimistic about the Mets future, with several excellent young arms lining up.
April 24, 2014 at 11:30 pm
There was very little value in Ike Davis to begin with. His injury reputation ruined his tradeability, if that’s a word.
I also think you undervalue Tejada and my opinion is based not on me actually seeing him play over any extended period of time. It’s based strictly on numbers.
His line drive rate is way off the charts since 2010 and he was pretty damn decent in 2011 and he’s only 24. And I keep reading rave reviews about spectacular defensive plays he’s made. I’ll put the link to Line Drive Rate at the bottom of this reply.
Now about being stuck with players. The Brewers are stuck with Rickie Weeks. Luckily Scooter Gennett has emerged as a very legitimate MLB second baseman and tough at the plate as well. But Weeks? That’s what I call being stuck with dead weight. Tejada has a much higher ceiling than I think you give him credit for and he’s still young.
http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=np&stats=bat&lg=all&qual=1000&type=2&season=2013&month=0&season1=2010&ind=0&team=0&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&sort=5,d
April 25, 2014 at 12:51 am
Well, I’m not sure who thinks Tejada is a good defensive shortstop, because he’s one of the worst defenders I’ve ever seen. No one can take a double-play ball and find a way to turn it into a single out like he can. He has below average range, and poor instincts. Yes, he’s made a nice play or two in the field lately, but he’s never been an above-average shortstop in his life, even in the minors. Between him and Danny Murphy at second-base, there’s a good chance the Mets will finish at the bottom in double-plays turned this year.
He did show promise as a hitter through 2012, but he came to camp out of shape last year, and never got back on track. He has no power, no speed, seldom draws walks, and his career OPS+ is 79, and only 50 over since the beginning of last season. While the line-drive rate is fine, he’s striking out about once every four at bats, which is ridiculous rate for a “contact” hitter.
Tejada may yet turn things around, but he wasn’t even much of a prospect in the minors. More to the point, if the Mets brass really cared about wins, they could have signed someone like Stephen Drew in the off-season. They could also have tried to swing a deal for the Cubs Starlin Castro, who seems to have fallen out of favor in Chicago a bit, and the Cubs need pitching, which is the one thing the Mets have to trade.
Rumor is the Mets have some interest in the Mariners recently demoted Nick Franklin. Depending on who the Mets would have to give up, it’s a move I’d like to see them make.
April 25, 2014 at 10:25 am
I think saying “he did show promise as a hitter” is an understatement. Two consecutive years with an ob% above .330 and a batting average over .280 is more than promise. You’re forgetting that he was hurt last year and had limited playing time.
No doubt he has no eye at the plate, but Starlin Castro is way worse when it comes to working a walk and Castro makes ridiculous errors. Of course, he also was a doubles machine and hit over .300 two years in a row.
In terms of defense, I think 2012 is the only year to judge Tejada. He played 112 games at shortstop and made only 12 errors. Castro had double the amount and Tejada’s UZR in 2012 ranks 1.3 which puts him 15th in the league among shortstops for 2012 anyway.
I think the Mets are focusing on 2012 and thinking let’s give him another chance. If anything, it explains the indecision on the part of management whether to cut him lose or not.
Drew turned down 14.1 million from the Red Sox and now is begging for a multi year deal. He missed his chance. The Mets should definitely go after him now that he screwed up, but then again so should many other teams.
April 25, 2014 at 11:36 am
Also, going back to another point. The Mets getting nothing for Reyes..same thing happened with Fielder and the Brewers. It is frustrating and almost a waste of a trading chip, but in the Brewers case, having Fielder for his peak years at minimal cost right up till the last season was worth it because he helped the team almost reach the world series.
April 25, 2014 at 5:53 am
In other news, yesterday’s IPL match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore went to a thrilling last-ball finish. There was a stunningly acrobatic catch by A B de Villiers, which took a wicket and saved six runs.
April 25, 2014 at 10:28 am
Maybe a stupid question, but why was the fielder squatting? Seems like his initial positioning made the catch more difficult than it needed to be, but still how bout that flexibility!!
April 25, 2014 at 1:36 pm
Initially he misjudged the incoming flight of the ball, so he had to take off from a squatting position – good recovery! The real,skill was in avoiding touching the boundary rope – if he had, the batsman would have been Not Out, and six runs would have been added to the score.
April 25, 2014 at 4:46 pm
interesting…can’t touch the boundary rope. I like that, a kind of barbed wire Auschwitz effect. I remember hearing a kid complaining to his dad that he hated baseball; that it looked like a prison from behind the fence where he was sitting.