Olney: Pitchers Think Yankee Stadium Is a Joke
By Mike Silva ~ June 2nd, 2009. Filed under: Uncategorized.
Thought I would share a little tidbit from Buster Olney’s chat over at ESPN SportsNation:
Doug (NY): “I think it’s the ballpark. Every year in free agency, we generally see the elite pitchers avoid places like Colorado, Cincinnati and Baltimore, where they have smaller ballparks” I hope the Yankee brass is reading your chat, Buster
SportsNation Buster Olney: Doug: That’s exactly the point when it comes to the significance of how new Yankee Stadium is playing this year. During the ’09 season, it’s not that big of a deal — and in some ways, it might give the Yankees a competitive advantage, because they are power-laden. But in the big picture, it is a big deal — and I’ve already heard about conversations in the pitchers’ fraternity about what a joke they think the park is. So if you are (I’m riffing here) a Yovanni Gallardo in four years and you can be a free agent, and Yankee Stadium is still a homer haven, would you rather go to that place or Citi Field? Most of the time, the best FA pitchers will avoid the homer havens.
Of course money always talks when it comes to free agency (just ask Mike Hampton and Denny Neagle who took big contracts at the height of Coors Field offensive lunacy), but Olney does have a point. If the money is similar why go to the Yankees? Remember, the pressure of New York is not for everyone, when you add in a ballpark handicap you will turn off many elite pitchers. Is it crazy to compare Yankee Stadium to Coors Field when the numbers indicate that it is? I think not.
Just something to think about.
