Borden: Stop Whining About Homers at NYS

From Sam Borden:

There has been so much talk and so much hand-wringing from fans over the number of home runs hit at the new Yankee Stadium that it sometimes feels like one more broken-bat homer might spark a particularly passionate group to stage a full-blown intervention in Lonn Trost's office. With a grand total of 25 home games completed during its entire existence, the level of concern and, frankly, anger, over the way the new Stadium has played so far is truly mind-boggling.

It's also silly.

First of all, it's presumptuous to label a park a "hitters' haven" or any other term after such a limited sample. While a park can't necessarily "get better" the way a struggling (but talented) rookie might, there are any number of factors - starting with weather, wind patterns and surrounding buildings - that may or may not affect the way a ballpark plays as its history grows. At the very least, the new Stadium deserves a full season before it's excoriated as a joke.

Beyond that, though, is this: Even if the park does turn out to be more homer-prone than its predecessor, even if it does yield more home runs than expected, there is nothing particularly wrong with that. It's not better or worse than the old Stadium. It's just different. It's just the way it is. Consider: Home runs are a part of baseball. Baseball games are played at Yankee Stadium. So home runs are hit at Yankee Stadium. Where is the crime in that?

The Yankees made an effort to incorporate as many elements of the old Stadium into the new design as possible, and it was a noble - and appropriate - thing to do. But those who say a new stadium should play like the old one are having a very selective memory: If that's true, why did no one scream and shout about the lack of a 450-foot center-field wall at the old place? Why did no one shriek about Monument Park being behind the fence? Where was the outrage then?

The winning is what matters. Those who believe the Yankees have somehow screwed up their new stadium are rashly calling for changes: Push the fences back, raise the height of the walls, take out seats. Of course, there's no guarantee any of those things would really make a difference. The Phillies moved back their fences after the 2005 season and home runs went up in 2006.

In other words, the obvious solution isn't necessarily much of one, which makes sense when you think about it, since the truth is that there really isn't much of a problem.

There have been a lot of home runs at the new Yankee Stadium, some given up by Yankees pitchers, some hit out by Yankees hitters. The Yankees themselves are dealing with it. Everyone else should quiet down and do the same.

I've said before that the increased numbers of homers is the least significant of the problems at the new place. At least to me they are. I'm much more upset about the Mohegan Sun Bar blocking a few hundred fans from seeing half the field, and the field level moat, than I am about a few extra homers. It's also worth mentioning that homers are up all over baseball.

Are you bothered by the homers?