September 25, 2006
Road Record
David Ortiz tied Babe Ruth's AL record for road home runs with his 32nd yesterday. The Red Sox play their last road game tonight, giving Big Papi a chance to break that mark.
This is an impressive record. Road statistics eliminate much of the noise of home parks. Fenway this year is a poor home run park. In the Fens, we've seen 150 home runs. Away, Red Sox games produced 214. I don't think they'll catch up over the final six games.
So this is an achievement that should not be dismissed. Fenway Park knocked a few homers off David's total. And remember, he missed a number of road games with his heart scare, so I would guess the number of road games he's played (76) is comparable to the number Ruth played in the shorter 1927 season. This really should go down as one of the great home runs seasons in the history of the league.
Posted by David Pinto at
12:24 PM
|
Sluggers
|
TrackBack (0)
I'm not as impresed. Take a look at the HR totals compared to league average. There are so many more HRs being hit today then there were back in Ruth's day. Not that Ortiz's HR total is anything to sneeze at, but it still doesn't compare to Ruth's.
how long is it gonna be before all the accusations of steroids REALLY start?
I don't understand the 2nd paragraph of this post. What is the "noise of home parks." I don't think of Fenway as being a pitcher's park. How has it diminished Ortiz' HR total?? Has it been bad for oposing teams or have the Red Sox just lacked pop at home this year?
Phil - by the "noise of home parks" Pinto means that looking at road homeruns to a large degree eliminates the park effect that comes from playing at a particular home park -- whether it helps or harms the batter. (It doesn't eliminate "noise" vis a vis other eras of baseball history, but it does to a rough degree level the park effect vis a vis other players in the league.)
Sorry, forgot the second point. Fenway is notorious for creating homeruns out of some easy flies in other parks, and turning what would be homeruns in other parks into singles.
This study of park effects found that Fenway was a slightly poor park for homeruns between 2003 and 2005, even while being a good offensive park otherwise. Fenway obviously is a very different park for a typical lefty and a typical righty, as well.
http://www.baseballthinkfactory.org/files/oracle/discussion/weighted_park_factors_2003_2005
Out of curiosity, does anyone remember reading an article about development around Fenway park that some predicted would stunt homerun production? I can't find it, but definately remember reading something about some new buildings around the park that would either reverse air flow high above Fenway, or else stunt it...and watching some of the balls die just in front of the monster or short porch in right, it certainly looked that way to me.