1
2011
Bringing In Walls Is Like Adding a 30-HR Hitter, But Reyes’ Game Could Suffer
An article by Craig Lerner
I’m very glad to see that the Wilpons finally agreed to change the color of the outfield walls to blue. I still can’t for the life of me understand what the logic was behind black and orange, but thankfully that chapter of Citi Field is now behind us.
While I’m quite pleased with the aesthetic and cosmetic changes, the more important thing will be the new slimmed down version of the playing field itself, which has the walls coming in 25 feet and also being lowered to 8 feet from the left field foul pole all the way to the right field foul pole.
From what Sandy Alderson said yesterday, the Mets would have hit about 81 more homers over three years with these new dimensions. The changes will have a significant impact and in my opinion it should have a similar effect to adding a 30 home run hitter to the line-up and doing it without even spending a dime for it in free agency.
Consider full and healthy seasons from Lucas Duda and Ike Davis from the left side, and David Wright and Jason Bay from the right. It’s very conceivable that Wright and Bay could return to their 35-HR forms, while Davis and Duda chip in with 30 home runs each as well. Regardless of whether or not you believe their power numbers all suffered because of Citi Field – particularly Bay and Wright – there can be no denying the park messed with their heads and swings.
Wright and Bay are both relieved and ecstatic with the planned renovations. Here is what the Mets third baseman had to say about it:
“You’d be lying if you said you enjoyed hitting at Citi Field,” Wright said. “I don’t think anybody would say they enjoyed hitting in such a pitchers’ ballpark. Any time you talk to a hitter about making a park more hitter-friendly, it’s a thing that we’re all for. I very briefly looked at the pictures and those dimensions and everything. It just looks, obviously, fair. I don’t think we ever looked at the field and it intimidated us. But obviously it’s frustrating at times when you hit a ball good and you don’t see the results that you want to see.”
Incidentally, yesterday Sandy Alderson also reported some good news on both Duda and Davis. He assures us that both are doing well and will be ready when Spring Training begins.
Also, for those still up in arms over the Jose Reyes situation, keep in mind that of all the hitting styles on the Mets, the changes would probably effect Reyes more adversely than any other of the other starting players. The gaps just got smaller and the odd angles have been eliminated which could mean less triples, and with defenders now playing 20 to 25 feet shallower, many of those bloop hits and doubles Reyes racked up, may be reduced as well. So in addition to the injury risk that is ALWAYS THERE with Reyes, keep in mind that with dimensions that mimic Shea Stadium, you should expect numbers like he used to post from 2005-2008, but with half the stolen bases? Good seasons, yes, but probably not worth $20 million dollars a year. Sorry to some of my MMO brethren, but I just can’t see paying that kind of money for a leadoff hitter.
About the Author: Craig Lerner
I'm a data analyst and researcher for a leading news agency who loves life and is hooked on the Mets. I love following the Amateur Draft and have a particular fondness for the Mets Minor Leagues who I follow each day. Give me a cold beer, a summer day, and a Mets game, and I'm good to go.
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| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Phillies | 20 | 23 | .465 | 4.5 |
| Mets | 16 | 24 | .400 | 7.0 |
| Marlins | 11 | 32 | .256 | 13.5 |
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I doubt Reyes’s game wuill suffer one bit. What about more home runs? You didn’t mention it but Jose hit 19 home runs with 81 RBI in 2006, 16 more HR in 2008! How many leadofff hitters can do that? Reyes is a great player in the same mold of Rickey Henderson in his prime.
Well I won’t go as far as Henderson but the dimensions have no bearing on Jose in fact Citi is still bigger than Shea Stadium where Jose has had some of his best seasons.
So it’s a non issue and time to move on.
I doubt the alterations to Citifield will have a great affect on Reyes’ game…considering he will only be playing there a couple times per season after he signs with a contender.
Moving the walls in will increase home runs by the guys hitting behind Reyes in the lineup. That will help Reyes score more runs. Yeah I guess those might have been sac flies with the walls in their current configuration but unless Reyes was going to hit another hundred triples it wouldn’t have helped the team to keep the walls where they were. If Reyes ends up with a few more doubles and a few less triples he will still score more runs if the Mets hit more home runs from the guys they need to hit the long ball.
i doubt if reyes will be back next year which kind of makes this post unnecessary.If he does come back, he still will get double digits in triples as he did at shea.Plus if he takes the double over stretching out and going for a triple when it is not necessary (big leads) that could help prevent hamstring strains or injury.
a bunch of pablum for the unitiated. jose is not taking citi field with him when he leaves. quess what, jose will be jose on a little league field.that is to say he will be one exciting playa.this despite the pablum geniusalderson and the met ownership will spin when they don’t sign him.get ready for the bs people…be smart enough to understand it!
Every person I know tells me that Jose is very exciting. Without Jose, look for a drop in attendance. No doubt about it, the Mets are walking on a tightrope to financial success. They are doing the same on the ballfield.
ok, so, now is time to stop with the excuses and deliver right?? forget about jose reyes for a minute, the guy who makes the most excuses about the dimensions of citi has gotten his wishes, now mets fans at least should expect 35+ hr’s and 120 rbi’s from wright.
“I still can’t for the life of me understand what the logic was behind black and orange”
What was the color of our Uni’s back in 2000 – 2009?
Black and Orange wasn’t it? There is your explanation!
As for Sandy’s research on the restored HRs, I think he has forgotten one major drawback to his work.
He does not have Beltran, Rod Barajas, Jeff Francouer, and Gary Sheffield anymore!
But the away teams will still have all those guys coming to town who will make the same hits he counted as GOING OUT under the new fence structure!
In the end, Davis, Wright, Duda, Bay and Murphy (if he plays everyday) might get 10 more HRs each.
Thats 50 Plus HRs for our side and the same 60-70 his RESEARCH showed would be incrreased on the other side!
Lets even suppose the rest of the team adds another 10 dingers now, Still shows he didn’t help at all just added more seats that no one will go to because we have no stars!
Especially once he trades the player he moved the fences in for because he is up for renewal!