New Yankee Stadium mystery solved?

[DeltaOne81]

AccuWeather (I guess because of the reports of 'wind tunnels') confirmed previous evidence that the dimensions are smaller (and points out the fence is shorter to boot).
http://www.nypost.com/seven/06092009/sports/yankees/report__new_size_of_yankee_stadium_causi_173393.htm

With a nice graphical representation someone did a month and a half ago:
http://mapscroll.blogspot.com/2009/04/more-homers-will-be-hit-at-new-yankee.html

[KenP]

[quote DeltaOne81]AccuWeather (I guess because of the reports of 'wind tunnels') confirmed previous evidence that the dimensions are smaller (and points out the fence is shorter to boot).[/quote]
Actually, they blame it exclusively on the smaller dimensions.

AccuWeather says, "no consistent pattern [has been] observed in the wind speed and direction that would lead to an increase in home runs so far this year."

[Killer]

They should have gone back to the original dimensons: 461 to dead-center, 457 to the power alley in left-center.  Now those took some serious shots to get out.  And what the hell, put the monuments back on the field for a little extra excitement.

[DeltaOne81]

[quote KenP][quote DeltaOne81]AccuWeather (I guess because of the reports of 'wind tunnels') confirmed previous evidence that the dimensions are smaller (and points out the fence is shorter to boot).[/quote]
Actually, they blame it exclusively on the smaller dimensions.

AccuWeather says, "no consistent pattern [has been] observed in the wind speed and direction that would lead to an increase in home runs so far this year."

[/quote]

I don't see how that disagrees with what I said. I just was guessing that AccuWeather got involved in the first place because of the 'wind tunnel' theory. Which they then debunked. Perhaps I mangled my point

[KeithK]

[quote Killer]They should have gone back to the original dimensons: 461 to dead-center, 457 to the power alley in left-center.  Now those took some serious shots to get out.  And what the hell, put the monuments back on the field for a little extra excitement.[/quote]
Amen!

It'snot like it wasn't easy to hit the ball out in the old days if you pulled the ball.  It was less than '300 to both poles.

[Killer]

[quote KeithK][quote Killer]They should have gone back to the original dimensons: 461 to dead-center, 457 to the power alley in left-center.  Now those took some serious shots to get out.  And what the hell, put the monuments back on the field for a little extra excitement.[/quote]
Amen!

It's not like it wasn't easy to hit the ball out in the old days if you pulled the ball.  It was less than '300 to both poles.[/quote]

That's right.  I seem to recall it was something like 298 down the right field line.  And the "pennant porch" in right wasn't a whole lot farther for a good ways.  That's why everyone used to speculate about how many more HRs Joe D and Ted Williams would have each hit if they'd been traded for one another.  But wouldn't you know it that the one time I was there as a kid, sitting in the lower right field stands when both Mantle and Maris homered, both shots went into the upper deck over our heads.

One of the coolest memories I have of those days was that you could actually walk out on the field after the game (though they wouldn't let you onto the infield) and wander around.  There was no Monument Park, you just walked up to the monuments out in center.  That was back in '60, '61.  Was that common practice at all the parks 40+ years ago?

[RichH]

[quote Killer][quote KeithK]It's not like it wasn't easy to hit the ball out in the old days if you pulled the ball.  It was less than '300 to both poles.[/quote]

That's right.  I seem to recall it was something like 298 down the right field line.  And the "pennant porch" in right wasn't a whole lot farther for a good ways.[/quote]

Not only that, but I'm pretty sure the top of the wall in the corners was about waist-high.  Similar to the height of the RF fence at Fenway today.

[Al DeFlorio]

[quote Killer]
One of the coolest memories I have of those days was that you could actually walk out on the field after the game (though they wouldn't let you onto the infield) and wander around.  There was no Monument Park, you just walked up to the monuments out in center.  That was back in '60, '61.  Was that common practice at all the parks 40+ years ago?[/quote]
At the Polo Grounds, home of New York's greatest centerfielder of the 1950s, I'd always walk on the field to the exit under the centerfield clubhouse after games.

[Killer]

[quote Al DeFlorio][quote Killer]
One of the coolest memories I have of those days was that you could actually walk out on the field after the game (though they wouldn't let you onto the infield) and wander around.  There was no Monument Park, you just walked up to the monuments out in center.  That was back in '60, '61.  Was that common practice at all the parks 40+ years ago?[/quote]
At the Polo Grounds, home of New York's greatest centerfielder of the 1950s, I'd always walk on the field to the exit under the centerfield clubhouse after games.[/quote]

Which, IIRC, was the deepest dead-center of that era, because of that place where it jutted straight back.  It was some ridiculous distance like 475 or 481.  But when I looked up deep centerfields online, I was amazed to find that Huntington Avenue Grounds, where the Red Sox played from 1901 to 1911, measured (OMG) 635 to center.  Let's see the juiced guys hit one out there.

[Al DeFlorio]

[quote Killer][quote Al DeFlorio][quote Killer]
One of the coolest memories I have of those days was that you could actually walk out on the field after the game (though they wouldn't let you onto the infield) and wander around.  There was no Monument Park, you just walked up to the monuments out in center.  That was back in '60, '61.  Was that common practice at all the parks 40+ years ago?[/quote]
At the Polo Grounds, home of New York's greatest centerfielder of the 1950s, I'd always walk on the field to the exit under the centerfield clubhouse after games.[/quote]

Which, IIRC, was the deepest dead-center of that era, because of that place where it jutted straight back.  It was some ridiculous distance like 475 or 481.  But when I looked up deep centerfields online, I was amazed to find that Huntington Avenue Grounds, where the Red Sox played from 1901 to 1911, measured (OMG) 635 to center.  Let's see the juiced guys hit one out there.[/quote]
Geez, you'd need oxygen to chase down a ball hit over your head.

[RichH]

[quote Al DeFlorio][quote Killer]
One of the coolest memories I have of those days was that you could actually walk out on the field after the game (though they wouldn't let you onto the infield) and wander around.  There was no Monument Park, you just walked up to the monuments out in center.  That was back in '60, '61.  Was that common practice at all the parks 40+ years ago?[/quote]
At the Polo Grounds, home of New York's MLB's greatest centerfielder of the 1950s all time, I'd always walk on the field to the exit under the centerfield clubhouse after games.[/quote]

FYP.

[Al DeFlorio]

[quote RichH][quote Al DeFlorio][quote Killer]
One of the coolest memories I have of those days was that you could actually walk out on the field after the game (though they wouldn't let you onto the infield) and wander around.  There was no Monument Park, you just walked up to the monuments out in center.  That was back in '60, '61.  Was that common practice at all the parks 40+ years ago?[/quote]
At the Polo Grounds, home of New York's MLB's greatest centerfielder of the 1950s all time, I'd always walk on the field to the exit under the centerfield clubhouse after games.[/quote]

FYP.[/quote]
No argument from me, Rich.

[French Rage]

[quote Killer][quote Al DeFlorio][quote Killer]
One of the coolest memories I have of those days was that you could actually walk out on the field after the game (though they wouldn't let you onto the infield) and wander around.  There was no Monument Park, you just walked up to the monuments out in center.  That was back in '60, '61.  Was that common practice at all the parks 40+ years ago?[/quote]
At the Polo Grounds, home of New York's greatest centerfielder of the 1950s, I'd always walk on the field to the exit under the centerfield clubhouse after games.[/quote]

Which, IIRC, was the deepest dead-center of that era, because of that place where it jutted straight back.  It was some ridiculous distance like 475 or 481.  But when I looked up deep centerfields online, I was amazed to find that Huntington Avenue Grounds, where the Red Sox played from 1901 to 1911, measured (OMG) 635 to center.  Let's see the juiced guys hit one out there.[/quote]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huntington_Avenue_Grounds

I like this:

It had many quirks not seen in modern baseball stadiums, including patches of sand in the outfield where grass would not grow, and a tool shed in deep center field that was actually in play.

[Josh '99]

[quote Killer][quote Al DeFlorio][quote Killer]
One of the coolest memories I have of those days was that you could actually walk out on the field after the game (though they wouldn't let you onto the infield) and wander around.  There was no Monument Park, you just walked up to the monuments out in center.  That was back in '60, '61.  Was that common practice at all the parks 40+ years ago?[/quote]
At the Polo Grounds, home of New York's greatest centerfielder of the 1950s, I'd always walk on the field to the exit under the centerfield clubhouse after games.[/quote]

Which, IIRC, was the deepest dead-center of that era, because of that place where it jutted straight back.  It was some ridiculous distance like 475 or 481.  But when I looked up deep centerfields online, I was amazed to find that Huntington Avenue Grounds, where the Red Sox played from 1901 to 1911, measured (OMG) 635 to center.  Let's see the juiced guys hit one out there.[/quote]If this isn't where you found it, then FYI ballparks.com is a great source for this kind of trivia for baseball, football, basketball, hockey, soccer and even auto racing.

The depth in center field at the Polo Grounds seems to have changed every couple of years, but seems to have generally been between 480 and 490.

[KeithK]

[quote Killer]I was amazed to find that Huntington Avenue Grounds, where the Red Sox played from 1901 to 1911, measured (OMG) 635 to center.  Let's see the juiced guys hit one out there.[/quote]
Keep in mind that in those days overflow fans were routinely put in the outfield.  They would stand (sit?) in the back tof the field separated from the players by a rope.  So on a busy Saturday a homerun to center might've been a bunch less than 635'.  Not that it mattered.  There's no way even the most juiced up moden player could hit a deadball era baseball anywhere near that far when it was new, let alone after the pitcher had properly scuffed it up (perfectly legal until the twneties).