Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Distance of Home Runs in 2013.

The longest 2013 Yankee Stadium home run was hit by a Yankee suspended for using performance enhancing drugs (PED), possibly including steroids: Francisco Cervelli, 444 feet.  This link points to a list of homers with their estimated distance computed by the ESPN Hit Tracker:

http://www.hittrackeronline.com/top_true_distance.php

Check the "Park Overlays" feature.  You can put diagrams of two parks, such as Fenway Park and  Yankee Stadium, on screen simultaneously and compare the different dimensions.

Dustin Pedroia in Fenway Park 24 September 2008
By Eric Kilby from USA via Wikimedia Commons
The two shortest homers were under 300 feet but both were inside the park homers (IPHR).  The shortest non-IPHR were in Fenway Park:
Brandon Snyder: 312 right field line
Jason Kipnis of Cleveland 319 right field line
Dustin Pedroia: 324 right field line
Dustin Pedroia: 330 left field off light tower.














The ten longest:

HitterTeamDateTrue
Distance
Video
Gattis, EvanATL09/08/13486Video
Pence, HunterSF08/27/13476Video
Trumbo, MarkLAA04/29/13475Video
Rizzo, AnthonyCHC04/18/13475Video
Bruce, JayCIN06/22/13472Video
Napoli, MikeBOS05/01/13472Video
Trumbo, MarkLAA09/07/13471Video
Frazier, ToddCIN04/24/13470Video
Rasmus, ColbyTOR04/06/13468Video
Morrison, LoganMIA09/06/13467Video

Minimum distance for a home run: 380 feet.  Sunday, February 16, 2014

How about we bring back that 1926 rule but with a minimum distance for a home run of 380 feet?

I would add to that a line 380 feet from home plate behind a short fence.  If a fly ball lands beyond 380 feet it is a home run, benefit of the doubt going to the batter.  In some parks an upper deck shot may also qualify.  Hey, I didn't approve these silly buildings.
_______________________________________________

Non-uniform playing areas are absurd and unique to baseball among the three American team sports.  They would not be tolerated in the newer sports of football and basketball.

No comments: