Wrigley Field, does it really help the hitter?

[ChicagoDave]

I have been baffled by the over whelming belief that Wrigley Field is a hitters park. Coors Field, Yes! Wrigley Field, I'm not convinced. If it were true, I would expect more single season records to be held be Cubs. I have been going to Cub games since the early 70's. Most of the time the wind is blowing in. The field isn't larger than other parks.

In your opinion, what makes it a hitters park? and if you think it is a hitters park, is it a huge advantage or just a few percentage points?

[pwdennis]

Until Coors, Pac-Bell and Enron/Astros were built, it was the best offensive park in baseball (unless the wind was blowing in) . Since the addition of those parks it is now just slightly better than the average

[cubfan33]

Wrigley has always been overrated as a hitters park because of the wind and the short power alleys. In the last three years, Wrigley has actually been a PITCHERS park. Its never been the biggest hitters park in the league, to my knowledge.

[Gosfgiants]

Originally posted by pwdennis
Until Coors, Pac-Bell and Enron/Astros were built, it was the best offensive park in baseball (unless the wind was blowing in) . Since the addition of those parks it is now just slightly better than the average

Since when is Pac Bell an good offensive park? The wind blows in from right field making it tough for rightys to go the opposite way, and for lefties to pull it out.

[Max Power]

Where a score of 100 is average, here's the park factor marks for Wrigley, covering the period 1999-2001:

LHB avg 101
LHB HR 78
RHB avg 99
RHB HR 108

Summing them all up, it's safe to say that it's basically a neutral park - which hurts LH power hiters.

[Ytown Tribe fan]

Smaller parks produce more home runs and fewer singles, doubles and triples -- this results in more runs total.

Larger parks used to have the opposite effect, depending on altitude. With larger, stronger players, this doesn't make as much difference anymore.

[poorme]

This is a huge myth that somehow gets perpetuated. When the wind is blowing out, balls fly out. But the wind probably blows out less than 25% of the time.

[TimmyB]

Obviously my frame of reference on hitter's parks is Fenway, where dinky fly balls to left can be homeruns. Ah... but the Wall giveth, the Wall taketh away -- monster liners bounce off the Wall for loud singles.

Barring some of the new parks, there are usually equalizers (the Wall in Boston, wind at Wrigley, etc.).

Nowadays, we can add "humidors" as equalizers...

[WiredTiger]

It does seem like Wrigley is more affected by weather than any other stadium. I agree that at one time Wrigley was considered a hitter's park. But with Coors and Enron it has fallen back towards the middle of the pack.

[KCBOOMER]

Wrigley is definitely a hitters park. It may be very deep down the lines but the power alleys are very short and the basket makes them even shorter. Only the prevailing inward breeze keeps it from being a hitter's paradise.

I attended a game there in the mid-80's and watched as six homers were hit. I compared each of those to my home ballpark, Royals Stadium (at that time it was quite large), and figured that out in Royals Stadium it was the equivalent of one homer, one extra base hit, and four fly balls.

[SmedIndy]

The wind blows in more than the wind blows out.

[TimmyB]

Obviously my frame of reference on hitter's parks is Fenway, where dinky fly balls to left can be homeruns. Ah... but the Wall giveth, the Wall taketh away -- monster liners bounce off the Wall for loud singles.

Barring some of the new parks, there are usually equalizers (the Wall in Boston, wind at Wrigley, etc.).

Nowadays, we can add "humidors" as equalizers...

[Fuzzy Bear]

Back in the day, Ron Santo hit 216 career HRs at home, and 126 on the road.

Of course Wrigley is a hitters'. park. It's just not the biggest hitters park around anymore.

I get a chuckle out of people trying to make Wrigley sound like Candlestick Park or Forbes Field. C'mon, now. Soon, we'll be saying Dodger Stadium is a hitters' park

[moose]

Originally posted by TimmyB
Obviously my frame of reference on hitter's parks is Fenway, where dinky fly balls to left can be homeruns. Ah... but the Wall giveth, the Wall taketh away -- monster liners bounce off the Wall for loud singles.

I don't want to swing too far off topic, but a minor point re: the monster: Yes, it makes some HRs/2Bs into singles, but it turns NONE of them into outs (and takes away the barry bonds popouts [ie, long fly balls that fall just before the wall]).

[TimmyB]

Originally posted by moose

I don't want to swing too far off topic, but a minor point re: the monster: Yes, it makes some HRs/2Bs into singles, but it turns NONE of them into outs (and takes away the barry bonds popouts [ie, long fly balls that fall just before the wall]).

Point taken. (and a good one, too)

As for creating outs, the "600 Club" monstrosity behind home plate has been rumored to have screwed up the wind currents in Fenway. Some MIT guys did a wind-tunnel study to "prove" it. Lots of Sox complained about it right after they built it. They said it knocked down balls that would have gone out. (maybe being on 'roids will balance it out...)

All that said, if I were a hitter, I'd take Fenway/Wrigley over the Astrodome.