Read: Move Home Plate 10 feet in Citi Field
In a report for the New York Times, Joe Ward explains why the Mets should consider moving home plate 10 feet forward, like the Dodgers and Reds once did, to help encourage more home runs in Citi Field.
According to Ward, using information from Hit Tracker Online, David Wright hit nine balls that were not home runs in Citi Field, but would have been in Shea Stadium; the same can be said for Johan Santana, though, who allowed nine balls that would have been home runs in Shea Stadium, but were not in Citi Field.
… here’s the thing, joe, the Mets hit 47 home runs in Citi Field this season… but they hit 46 home runs on the road… yes, the Mets hit MORE home runs in Citi Field than they did on the road… so, should they ask the other 15 teams in the National League to move their home plates up 10 feet too…
…what’s more, Mets pitchers allowed 81 home runs in Citi Field, just five more than the National League average; meanwhile, they allowed 77 home runs on the road, just four less than at Citi Field… four…
…so, they allowed four more home runs on the road than they hit, and they hit one more home run at home than they hit on the road, and yet people want to demolish walls and move bases…
…i have a better solution: put Carlos Beltran, Jeff Francoeur and just one other home run hitter in the lineup for 160 games, and get better pitchers, and i bet those numbers get back to where everyone wishes they would be…
The Mets told reporters last month that they have yet to make any official decisions regarding next season’s dimensions in Citi Field.
