Inhospitable Home Teams In Baseball
By Doug Upstone
It's happened to all of us, we are invited over someone's home as a guest and the place is set up as a palace. The entire house looks like out of magazine, where everything is perfect. If you have or did have children visiting this palatial estate, your body temperature just rose about three degrees, thinking about how you are going to keep your kids in tow, without messing up beautiful setting. You know you are in conundrum when the host gives you coasters, before they ask you what you want to drink.
This happens to be how many major league baseball teams feel when they have to play at certain ballparks. Though they can spit and spill drinks, more often than not, they are ill-equipped to do their job as visitors, win in opposing parks.
Sometimes, teams are just superior and the park has nothing to do with it. Other times there are quirks, which intimidate opponents and make them feel unsettled. Whatever the rationale, it works for these teams that take the field first and have the last at bat. Here is what clubs have enjoyed the home cookin' and been downright rude to guests.
At the top of the list are the Los Angeles Dodgers at 18-5, garnering +10.8 units of profit, after record start of 13-0. Dodger Stadium has always been known as pitchers' park, with the heavy air for most evening encounters. Most of the time when the Dodgers are at their best, they are able to put together a potent offensive team. Los Angeles is tied with Tampa Bay with the most productive offense in the majors at 5.7 runs per game and they are second in the National League behind Colorado at home. The Dodgers have been lambasting teams wearing the home whites, winning by 2.5 runs per contest, thanks to balanced line-up that is not feeling the affects of Manny Ramirez's suspension. Orlando Hudson and Casey Blake have been stripen' the horsehide and Juan Pierre has made the most of his chance to play for Manny, batting almost .400 this season.
If there is one shocking team to be among the best in baseball at home, it is the San Diego Padres. The Friars were supposed to be among the worst teams in baseball, lacking talent at most positions and having to rebuild bullpen as cash-strapped club. For some reason, the people that designed ballparks in San Diego, like them to have outfield expanse similar to the Grand Canyon. This alone keeps scores down and add in the heavy marine air at Petco Park, which is situated not far from Pacific Ocean, well you get the picture. Though the offense has been as sorry as presumed in scoring 3.7 RPG at home, the pitching has looked like the 1969 Mets. The Padres are 17-6 (+10.3) at Petco, presently holding a 10-game winning streak. No team in baseball allows fewer runs at home than San Diego at 3.2 per contest and while Jake Peavy and Chris Young are the known quantities, it is a bullpen that has ERA of 2.20 (over six on the road) at home that has allowed the Pads to manufacture just enough runs to win home games.
Another team that plays to its park is Boston, who is 17-6 (+7.9) at Fenway Park this season. The Red Sox fans are right on top of the action at the venerable ball yard and create intimidation factor when the opposing batter has two strikes or pitcher is in challenging spot, if Boston has rally emerging. Talent of course is the number one factor and this team has evolved from one that used to just swing to beat the ball off Green Monster, to one that takes advantage of the deeper parts of center and right-center or left-handed hitters that jack the ball down the short right field porch. Playing the Red Sox on the run line is effective method of wagering, since they win by two runs per game and are 13-4 at home in games determined by two or more runs.
One of the early surprises in the first quarter of the MLB season has been the Toronto Blue Jays. A miserable road trip has dropped the Blue Jays out of the AL East lead, but when they return home to Rogers Centre, Toronto will try to pick up where they left off with 16-6 record (+8 units). The most notable factor about the Jays playing at home is the pitching and defense. The RC is fairly neutral ballpark, however no team in the American League surrenders fewer runs than the Jays at home (3.9). Having Roy “Doc” Halladay at the top of the rotation is a benefit to pitching staff that was riddled with injuries to start the season. With so many youngsters forced into action, like most youthful hurlers, they are more comfortable at home. The team ERA is over 1.50 lower at home and the offense picks up, scoring 5.2 RPG and ranking fifth in home park home runs among the 30 competing teams.
How will these four teams be playing by the All-Star break, nobody knows for sure, nonetheless, for the present, each club deserves our attention as possible Play On squad when playing on own diamond.