AboutTom Schott Expertise I will deal with the major leagues only from 19th century to present. I`m good on baseball history, records, statistics, ballparks. Try to stick to on-the-field stuff. I`m not interested in personal off-the-field stuff like spouses, girl friends, drug habits, salaries, mascots, etc. If you already know the answer to the question, please don't ask it. I don't want to play "stump the expert."
Experience I've written on the subject, and I have substantial library of resources.
Publications Numerous encyclopedia, newspaper, magazine articles. One book, several book chapters.
Question I have always heard that baseball parks in the past were always larger than today, they used polo fields and what not. However, the other day I heard that the fields use to be smaller, thereby making it easier to hit homeruns. I was wondering if you know what the true answer is.
Thanks,
Patrick
Answer Patrick,
Generally speaking, this is probably not so. But ballparks come in all shapes and sizes, and they always have. It's difficult to be definitive about this. It's safe to say a couple of things. For sure, the 19th century parks were smaller than today's fields. And second it all depends on the park you're talking about, and the time you're talking about. For example, the old Polo Grounds in NY at one time was over 500 ft to dead center, but only about 280 at the foul poles. Early in the 20th century, Philadelphia's Shibe Park was over 500 in center, too, but that changed. When the Dodgers first came to LA, they played the LA Coliseum, which was only 250 at the left field foul pole, but had a 40 foot screen running 140 feet into left center.
Here's another thing about parks: the dimensions of parks constantly change. For example, power alleys in Memorial Stadium where the Orioles used to play went from 446 when the park opened in 1954 to 376 in 1980. During the same time, center field went from 410 to 450 to 425 to 405. The same kind of thing was going on in virtually all of the parks. Also the heights of fences and location and heights of various barriers such as the "green monster" in Fenway and the Elgin clock in old Ebbets Field in Brooklyn change. Don't forget also that the amount of space in foul territory constantly shifts, too.
So, you see, the only way you can answer this is to say, "Generally speaking . . . "
