[OC] Every High School Baseball Field Used in the State of West VirginiaSubmitted by dvd5671 t3_zvtef4 in dataisbeautiful
kliuch t1_j1rbm34 wrote
One of things that has always baffled me about baseball is the lack of uniformity in sizes and shapes of baseball fields.
onowahoo t1_j1ryqo4 wrote
It also helps with home field advantage. If you have beasts behind the plate you can keep a wider outfield. If you have a slow defensive team you can let the grass grow longer.
Different parks have different personalities, Yankee stadium used to have statues in the outfield until they moved the walls in... And then built a new stadium.
Frammingatthejimjam t1_j1t071x wrote
In the NHL they can control the speed of the game by the temperature of the ice. Fast team coming to town, slow the whole game down so that your leadfoots can keep up a little better.
Quirky_Ad_8732 t1_j1tid10 wrote
It’s possible, but can you provide any evidence of this theory? I’ve been watching nhl for 30 years, and yes some rinks have shitty ice and some rinks are known for having good ice. I can’t imagine they do it on purpose to slow down another team, when every team in the league has fast players.
tlryan92 t1_j1uvc4m wrote
It's negated when I enter the rink, since I'm cool enough to harden the ice.
bostonhockey_80 t1_j1v1b1z wrote
I think is a big factor there. I've also never heard of a team manipulating ice temp for an advantage.
N0rTh3Fi5t t1_j1rhkzm wrote
Especially considering what a big deal some of the records seem to be.
OGraffe t1_j1s2j3g wrote
Was literally talking about this at Christmas with my brother and cousin. I think one of them said Aaron Judge likely wouldn’t have broken whichever record it was had he not played for the Yankees due to the short outfield in Yankee Stadium.
alwaysmyfault t1_j1sg6kh wrote
That argument goes away when you realize he hit 30 HR at home, and 32 HR on the road this year.
upvoter222 t1_j1sol9g wrote
Aaron Judge broke the American League record for home runs in a season. The previous record was set by Roger Maris, who also played for the Yankees. And he claimed the record from Babe Ruth, who also played for the Yankees. The dimensions changed a little bit over time, but it just so happens that all of the relevant people for that specific record had played in really similar stadiums with a notoriously short right field fence.
Then again, when it comes to home run records, you can make a case that a dozen different people deserve the title of Home Run King based on whatever you consider to be fair.
Dry-Gulch-Slim t1_j1rpriz wrote
It's just one of the fun quirks of baseball. Back in the day it was a function of baseball being played on fields meant for other sports (eg. the Polo Grounds) or crammed into the space available (eg. Fenway Park). Then in the mid- to late-20th century, they did build a bunch of cookie cutter ballparks with curved, symmetrical outfields, domes, astroturf, etc. Those were awful, soulless, monstrosities.
Then when Oriole Park at Camden Yards was built in '92 it brought back a "renaissance" of these ballparks that were part of the city. They used existing architecture, borrowed architectural motifs, emphasized skylines, etc. So really it's partially about nostalgia and tradition and partially about emphasizing that each park, city, and club is 'unique".
finix240 t1_j1rbts9 wrote
That’s the point
insultant_ t1_j1rf3es wrote
But why?
finix240 t1_j1rg2qu wrote
Idk it’s just one of the weird quirks of baseball. The infields are exactly the same dimensions, but the outfields are unique to the park
someguyonline00 t1_j1rsy9x wrote
So it’s not the point, it’s just a quirk :)
finix240 t1_j1rtw11 wrote
It’s a point. That’s it’s quirky
fakeaccount572 t1_j1ujzrz wrote
Doesn't that change what a home run is then?
finix240 t1_j1vedvm wrote
Kinda. A home run still scores the same but some parks are tougher to hit home runs in than others. Some park favor left handed hitters or pull hitters. Some parks like Fenway have taller walls in the outfield too which affects how the offenses score. All just part of the game
0x4A5753 t1_j1rnyg2 wrote
I'm not sure if you follow soccer, but if you do, have you heard the meme "but can they do it on a cold rainy night at Stoke City?"
take that, but make it not a meme. Make it a serious question - can they do it in some irregular unhelpful field
gormster t1_j1s49f8 wrote
Some aren’t even a fucking convex shape? What is going on here
TurloIsOK t1_j1u9rv1 wrote
They had to fit into space limited by existing structures.
fred_fotch t1_j1t82m5 wrote
It's the same for soccer. (Sizes not shapes.)
kliuch t1_j1tgh0h wrote
Yes, but as you say the shape is standard, dimensions can vary but there’s a recommendation and clear limits.
holdmymandana t1_j1u9uw2 wrote
No it’s not. There’s clear boundaries. This is just random
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