Does Size Matter?

They say no two snowflakes are the same. We can look at ballparks in a similar fashion. With field dimensions varying by significant margins, an important question arises. Should ballparks be subject to strict, standardized dimensions to regulate the size of the playing field?

Take Philadelphia for example.

In the 2008 playoffs, the Phillies finished 7-0 at home and won a World Series. Is there anyone else who thinks their custom made team did not attribute to that? The Phillies knew that when Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell hit pop-ups they would find a way out of that park.

But did the Tampa Bay Rays have anyway of planning for that last March when they set their roster?

The way the MLB is set up today allows teams to give themselves clear advantages at home. A team can give themselves a pitcher's ballpark, and then go stock up on pitchers. Or a team can give themselves a hitter's ballpark, and then go stock up on hitters.

The counter-argument would allege that a team stocked up on one side of the spectrum would be more likely to lose on the road in ballparks that do not favor them, but a team can still guarantee that 81 games will be tilted in their favor.

Imagine what would happen if a team adjusted its dimensions yearly, based on who was playing for them. What if San Francisco had said, you know what, we have Barry Bonds, let's move in right field 50 feet and get us some extra runs.

They could have done it, heck if I were in charge of the team I would have done it.

Baseball has a way of not fixing something until its broken. But in this case, I think it is already broken. The Phillies ballpark is my key example, it helped give them a 7-0 advantage in the playoffs. For those who say the Phillies had the best team, that's why they went 7-0, well you are the people who should agree with me.

I would have no basis for my argument if ballpark size were mandated; I could no longer say the Phillies may not have won the World Series without that ballpark.

Baseball needs to set a somewhat strict regulation on the dimensions of a ballpark, and how they can be changed. Obviously they can not, or should not be uniform, but there should be some guidelines which teams should have to adhere too. I, for one, am tired of seeing the Phillies pitchers go yard.