I Have A Question For All You Baseball Guru's:

[Mad Scientist]

Why aren't all MLB field dimensions the same?

Yeah, the distance from pitcher rubber to home plate is the same at all stadiums. The distance between bases at all stadiums is the same.

But that's where it ends.

Fence distance and height is different at all stadiums! Even the foul ball territory is not consistent. Boston has a short fence in right at the foul poll. Houston has that stupid "hump" in center field. Who the hell ok'd that shit?

The NFL has the same dimensions for ALL of it's fields. The only thing you can change is the playing surface. You can have grass or turf. That's it! You can't move the goals posts back further, you can't make the field shorter.

The NBA is the same as well. Probably every other sport in the world has rigidly regulated field dimensions. But not Baseball for some reason.

Yeah, I've heard the argument that short fences help a hitting team, and long fences help a pitching team. But it seems grossly unfair to the player, especially the outfielder, to have to adjust his game to the field he's playing on. Which would be every field.

Can anyone explain why this is, how it started and why it continues?

 

[Anachronism]

As to how it came to be.... Very simple. Look at the location of most of the OLD ballparks. They're in downtown, metropolitan areas. They were situated in the middle of existing neighborhoods where land was at a premium and the ballparks had to be built to fit the available space. Fenway Park is the best example of that. Especially the Green Monster. Landsdown Street is actually about halfway up the wall, literally right outside it. The ballpark had to be configured to fit into the available space. That has led to some STRANGE field dimensions.

MLB is a much more traditional sport than most others in the US. The "quaintness" of these old ballparks is part of the charm of the game. If you standardized the field dimensions, every park in the entire league would have to be rebuilt, at massive expense.

 

[Paulie]

People complain enough about baseball being boring. At least this makes the game more interesting. The only dimensions that vary are fence distances and heights. Otherwise the playing field is standard.

I never really understood the hill in Houston. Seems to me thats just dangerous.

 

[Defiant1]

In MLB there are two different games being played and people are concerned about field sizes?

 

[Mad Scientist]

In MLB there are two different games being played and people are concerned about field sizes?

You mean the DH in the American League? I actually LIKE that. I've been hearing rumblings about getting rid of the DH, but the Players Unions probably wouldn't go for it. It allows older players to extend their careers.

Anachronism explained it very well why ball parks have been different through history, I was just wondering why MLB hasn't standardized the fields since then.

 

[Anachronism]

Anachronism explained it very well why ball parks have been different through history, I was just wondering why MLB hasn't standardized the fields since then.

Because MLB does not have the money to pay for 30 teams to purchase land and build new stadiums, which is what would be required to standardize the overall field dimensions. If they were to force that standardization, the teams would say.... "Then YOU pay to build us a new stadium!"

 

[rightwinger]

They tried to make all ballparks look the same in the 70s........pretty boring

The new ballparks have character, kind of like how each golf course is different. Allows the home team to tailor their team to their ballpark.

What else does baseball have to offer?

 

[Anachronism]

What else does baseball have to offer?

Two things that the average, moronic American has no use for.... History and Tradition.

Beyond that it's a thinking-man's game much more than most of what today's young people prefer in their sports.

 

[rightwinger]

What else does baseball have to offer?

Two things that the average, moronic American has no use for.... History and Tradition.

Beyond that it's a thinking-man's game much more than most of what today's young people prefer in their sports.

Not many young people have a passion for baseball. Most could recite a better history of video games than baseball

 

[Anachronism]

Not many young people have a passion for baseball. Most could recite a better history of video games than baseball

You're exactly right; and that's a problem. Baseball is tied into American history. It's an integral part of what America was and what America should still be today. The fact that you don't see kids out playing ball and that they would rather play basketball or lacross (not that there's anything wrong with lacross) shows a continuing trend away from Traditional American life in my mind.