McTaggart's Inbox

[juliogotay]

some good stuff here. https://www.mlb.com/astros/news/inbox-focuses-on-astros-recent-play/c-290148346

[AstroFrog]

I am sure it has appeared elsewhere, but this is the first mention I have seen of grumblings about the new CF batter's eye.

Can anyone provide a primer on this issue?

[Astros Fan in Big D]

The batter's eye functioning perfectly.

Now I must go to Camper World and buy multiple recreational vehicles.

Join me fellow baseball fans of the Houston team.

[Waldo]

I am sure it has appeared elsewhere, but this is the first mention I have seen of grumblings about the new CF batter's eye.

Can anyone provide a primer on this issue?

There was a discussion here earlier this year about it.  Basically, in 2016 they replaced the MMP field lighting with LED, and Springer (IIRC) at the time said that the different glare was messing with his reads of fly balls in the outfield.  So it may have already been harder to see the ball, and then they got the new batter's eye in 2017 which may have exacerbated the problem.  Since MMP opened the Astros have scored fewer runs at home vs. on the road only four times, and three of them have been 2016, 2017, and 2018.  It's hard to find a convincing correlation with road team scoring, though.

[Lefty]

Yes, this has been an ongoing discussion. The new Torchy's Taco section and that stuff took away from the backdrop when they removed the hill and renovated.

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

I am sure it has appeared elsewhere, but this is the first mention I have seen of grumblings about the new CF batter's eye.

Can anyone provide a primer on this issue?

If they can outscore teams on the road most of the time, they should be able to outscore teams at home most of the time. The opposition has to look at it too. I say it's a bullshit excuse to blame it on losing at home. They're just in a prolonged slump and are plagued by injuries. They still have the same record as last year give or take a game.

[MRaup]

If they can outscore teams on the road most of the time, they should be able to outscore teams at home most of the time. The opposition has to look at it too. I say it's a bullshit excuse to blame it on losing at home. They're just in a prolonged slump and are plagued by injuries. They still have the same record as last year give or take a game.

Or it actually is different/irritating, and having to look at it for half the games sucks.

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

Or it actually is different/irritating, and having to look at it for half the games sucks.

All I'm saying is the other teams sees it for half the game too and it's no excuse for losing.

[JimR]

If they can outscore teams on the road most of the time, they should be able to outscore teams at home most of the time. The opposition has to look at it too. I say it's a bullshit excuse to blame it on losing at home. They're just in a prolonged slump and are plagued by injuries. They still have the same record as last year give or take a game.

How do you know it is “bullshit” without hearing what the hitters say about it? A batting eye problem is not insignificant.

[Jacksonian]

How do you know it is “bullshit” without hearing what the hitters say about it? A batting eye problem is not insignificant.

I think what he's saying is that if it's a problem for the Astros then it should be an equal problem for the opposition.  In which case neither side should have an advantage or disadvantage because of it.  If this is true then the Astros problems winning games at home as compared to the road has to have some other reason(s).

[MRaup]

I think what he's saying is that if it's a problem for the Astros then it should be an equal problem for the opposition.  In which case neither side should have an advantage or disadvantage because of it.  If this is true then the Astros problems winning games at home as compared to the road has to have some other reason(s).

Unless it's a long term thing that gets worse the more you see it.

I don't think anyone is saying the batter's eye is an excuse for losing, but it is an understandable thing to complain about if there is an issue with it for the players.

[Bench]

If it bothers them, then it bothers them.  I guess you can argue about whether it should bother them, but that seems pretty pointless. 

[Jacksonian]

Unless it's a long term thing that gets worse the more you see it.

I don't think anyone is saying the batter's eye is an excuse for losing, but it is an understandable thing to complain about if there is an issue with it for the players.

Can't argue that.  They were the #1 offense at home and on the road last year.  The home offense was a little down from the road offense.  Perhaps a batter eye effect?

But this year they're #1 on the road and near the bottom at home.  I think they were trying to go game 5 with every at-bat for the home crowd through the all-star break.  Now I think being at home is just in their heads, and they're trying to homer their way out of the slump.  I hope yesterday was an indication that they've changed their approach.

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

Unless it's a long term thing that gets worse the more you see it.

Some kind of cumulative physiological effect seems counter intuitive to me. It would have to be psychological. A hitter is not focusing on an object 400 feet away. So if the batter's eye is a problem it has to do with the background color. I'm pretty sure blue or green are better background colors than red or yellow as far as the ability to pick up a white ball against colored background.

[JimR]

Some kind of cumulative physiological effect seems counter intuitive to me. It would have to be psychological. A hitter is not focusing on an object 400 feet away. So if the batter's eye is a problem it has to do with the background color. I'm pretty sure blue or green are better background colors than red or yellow as far as the ability to pick up a white ball against colored background.

Duh.

Who said psychological?

[Astros Fan in Big D]

Approach,  approach,  approach.

Bregman has yanked how many off speed pitches far but foul?   Last night he is patient with one ("let the ball travel" as Blummer says) and gets a double to right center which could have been a triple if the diving defender didn't slow ball as it bounced past him.

The short porches are fool's gold sometimes.

(As for the batter's eye,  the hitters either like it or they don't.  Who knows what percentage it contributes to home woes?  But just because you can prove something with math doesn't mean hitters will believe it.   Personally,  I think it's ugly. )

[JimR]

I have not read a hitter’s complaint so I am clueless about any problem. It seems dark enough.

[jbm]

For some reason, I thought I heard it was dark enough, just not large enough.  There was a greater chance that certain combos of release points and hitter's eyes produced a line of sight outside the batter's eye.  I could have dreamed this though.

[Reuben]

For some reason, I thought I heard it was dark enough, just not large enough.  There was a greater chance that certain combos of release points and hitter's eyes produced a line of sight outside the batter's eye.  I could have dreamed this though.

Shit, Altuve’s probably looking at sky behind a lot of pitchers’ release points.

[subnuclear]

After some lunchtime research, the differences between players is interesting.

Bregman, Gurriel and Reddick have basically no difference.

Springer away stats are a little better.

Altuve, Correa, Gattis and Marwin are way better on the road than at home.

Fangraphs wrote an article that said Altuve is hurt by the left field wall because he likes to hit line drives to left field and there is less ground for the outfielder to cover. Don't know if that's true for the others (or really if that is true for Altuve).

[Knoxbanedoodle]

Bring back Tal's Hill!

[Knoxbanedoodle]

After some lunchtime research, the differences between players is interesting.

Bregman, Gurriel and Reddick have basically no difference.

Springer away stats are a little better.

Altuve, Correa, Gattis and Marwin are way better on the road than at home.

Fangraphs wrote an article that said Altuve is hurt by the left field wall because he likes to hit line drives to left field and there is less ground for the outfielder to cover. Don't know if that's true for the others (or really if that is true for Altuve).

Actually this is interesting... The strugglers spent much more time playing in Houston prior to the outfield changes than the non-strugglers. Which makes sense.

[subnuclear]

Interesting theory.

To add to the data, McCann and Stassi both hit much better on the road, while Kemp is the only player who hits somewhat better at home.

[Waldo]

For you Athletic subscribers:

https://theathletic.com/481086/2018/08/20/whats-behind-the-astros-home-park-problem/?source=dailyemail&redirected=1

[moriartp]

For you Athletic subscribers:

https://theathletic.com/481086/2018/08/20/whats-behind-the-astros-home-park-problem/?source=dailyemail&redirected=1

Very interesting, thanks for sharing.

[jbm]

What's the gist of it for non-subscribers?

[juliogotay]

What's the gist of it for non-subscribers?

Calling twice?

[Ty in Tampa]

What's the gist of it for non-subscribers?

66 less runs at home than on the road this year. Since CF was reconfigured, defenders are playing LF and CF differently, yielding to the Crawford boxes and playing the gaps tighter resulting in less XBHs. Speculation about the ball not carrying as far to CF. Batter's eye is mentioned as another reason but without any real data other than it's different now with spectators milling about.

[juliogotay]

66 less runs at home than on the road this year. Since CF was reconfigured, defenders are playing LF and CF differently, yielding to the Crawford boxes and playing the gaps tighter resulting in less XBHs. Speculation about the ball not carrying as far to CF. Batter's eye is mentioned as another reason but without any real data other than it's different now with spectators milling about.

Thanks, Ty. I think some of this was mentioned on a broadcast the other day. I think the part about LF and CFers playing differently.