Safeco Field’s Dimensions

I know, I’m not exactly getting to this story while it’s fresh. I still feel that I need to vent about the proposed reduced dimensions of Safeco Field.

Homeruns are all about what’s on paper. The game itself takes a hit when homeruns become too commonplace. The rise of all-or-nothing hitters ensure that the ball spends less time in play. Defense becomes irrelevant. Base running is viewed as overly risky. Strategy disappears.

What’s worse is that baseball has gone overboard in recent years. Almost all new ballparks are designed to increase the number of these game-destroying hits. We also had to go through the steroid era. During this time, stats were inflated and the excitement decreased. While I still pay attention to scores, homeruns are the primary reason that I have pretty much given up on watching.

This brings up another issue. Identity. Should the Mariners become more like everyone else? I say no. They should not move the fences in. Going a little further, I would support them moving the fences out. This would be better for both entertainment and identity.

What is the park’s identity? Safeco Field is a neutral ballpark. Due to the increase in sardine-can ballparks, we can now classify such a field as a pitcher’s park. Who knows, maybe the Kingdome would be considered a pitcher’s park by today’s standards.

There are some people worried that players avoid Seattle due to stats. I have two problems with this. For starters, lower defensive stats means that pitchers, a valuable position in baseball, would have better stats. The other problem is the type of players who care about stats. When the Mariners were at their peak, it was because they had a good team. I don’t want the Mariners to become the Yankees. I don’t want them to try to grab players who are only concerned about themselves and their numbers. Those arrogant @#! (fill in nasty insult here) are the people who are worried about stats. They are also nearly impossible to root for.

How about the impact that the stadium has on the team’s ability to win? It shouldn’t be much since both teams have to play by the same rules. The biggest impact that I would expect a stadium to have is if it is unique. If you play in a stadium like everyone else’s, any other team should be able to adapt without much effort. If your stadium stands out, your team should have a legitimate advantage over everyone who comes into town. Keep in mind that the Mariners were at Safeco field for the 2001 season when they tied the Major League record for wins in a season. For the Mariner’s current problems, the stadium is definitely not to blame.