The Mets have decided not to alter the dimensions at Citi Field for the 2010 season after GM Omar Minaya and Manager Jerry Manuel recommended no new changes to the brand new ballpark. The move isn’t completely surprising, it costs money to do these kinds of things and rumor has it, the Mets don’t have a lot of that these days.
The notion that Citi Field is a pitcher’s park because it is averaging just 1.67 homeruns per game – ranking it 11th out of 16 NL parks – isn’t completely valid. Two weeks ago I witnessed Brian McCann hit a shot to right that landed in the Pepsi Porch. The real issue is the oversized outfield fence that is over 15 feet in certain areas, decreasing its size could allow the park to remain pitcher friendly, but also allow a few more homeruns. In my mind, there is nothing wrong with a ballpark that leans towards pitchers.
The other problem is the Mets make-up. When the team was winning, they were doing it with slugging offense from Carlos Beltran, David Wright and Carlos Delgado not as much from pitching. But leave it to manager Jerry Manuel to find a solution for that:
“[The Mets] need to build a team whose style of play will fit their home park.”
Actually I think the Mets need to build a team that does not feature the handiwork of Jerry Manuel and Omar Minaya. Otherwise that other solution could work.
(Photo: Getty Images; source)
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