Homerun Factory?

$1.5 billion apparently doesn’t buy you as much as it used to. Like only a few cheap homeruns and a couple of sections of bleacher seats, which have such an obstructed view, you literally cannot see the entire left or right side of the field. But at least you can enjoy prime aged steaks or 800 calorie milkshakes to drown your sorrows. Such is the new Yankee Stadium.

After watching Saturday’s game (I've called it my Mt. Everest because I sat and watched the whole thing), which saw the Indians score 14 runs in the second inning alone, it became clear the Yankees have created a band box in line with Citizen’s Bank Park in Philadelphia, the Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati and Coors Field in Denver (before the humidor lessened the effects of the thin mountain air). Fine for a team built around power hitting, maybe not so great for a team that invested $243.5 million on pitching in the off-season.

However this may not be as big a problem as the media has made it out to be. Doesn’t ever chick dig the long ball? And didn’t homeruns get fans back into the seats after the 1994 strike? While watching the Yankee game on Saturday, you couldn’t help but notice all the empty seats on the lower level. It was a Saturday afternoon game and the weather couldn’t have been any better to sit and enjoy a baseball game yet almost entire sections were missing. Sure part of that is based on the $2,625 price tag for just one of those cushy seats, something the Yankees will most likely have to adjust next season, but part of that is making such high priced seats justifiable with great action on the field.

As the season progresses, the new launching pad may not be as horrible as one might think. When you go to a game at Citizens Bank Park for example, the threat of the homerun makes no lead safe and creates more exciting games. Sure I’d prefer a low scoring thriller to the 45 minutes it took the Indians to complete their half of the second inning, but I could be in the minority here. I am sure most people like to see the ball clear the fences more so than a 15 strike out performance by a pitcher.

I am sure the Yankees will make adjustments so pop-ups don’t turn into cheap homeruns, but in the meantime I’d run to your computer and adjust your fantasy team accordingly, because if Derek Jeter’s got three homeruns in the first two weeks of the season, any other Yankee could be racking up the power offensive numbers as well. And if you haven't already, it may be a good time to drop Chien-Ming Wang.
(Photos: Getty Images)