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Detroit Tigers Announce Major Changes and Adjusted Outfield Dimensions

kalinecountry

kalinecountry

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https://ilitchnewshub.com/2023/01/detroit-tigers-announce-adjusted-outfield-dimensions/
Detroit Tigers Announce Adjusted Outfield Dimensions.
IlitchNewsHub

https://www.mlb.com/tigers/news/tigers-changing-outfield-dimensions-at-comerica-park
Tigers changing OF dimensions at Comerica Park.
Tigers official site

https://www.blessyouboys.com/2023/1...rica-park-ilitch-dimensions-center-field-wall
Tigers announce major changes to Comerica Park?s dimensions.
The much maligned center field wall is coming in a bit, among other changes.
BYBTB

https://motorcitybengals.com/posts/...es-to-comerica-park-s-dimensions-01gpgtxv789s
Detroit Tigers announce changes to Comerica Park's dimensions.
MCBTB

https://motorcitybengals.com/posts/...es-to-comerica-park-s-dimensions-01gpgxsk08ja
Tigers: Miguel Cabrera has hilarious reaction to changes to Comerica Park's dimensions.
MCBTB

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/s...at-comerica-park-for-2023-season/69798856007/
Tigers to alter dimensions at Comerica Park for 2023 season.
Detnews

https://www.freep.com/story/sports/...ield-dimensions-at-comerica-park/69718778007/
Detroit Tigers to move in CF wall, change outfield dimensions at Comerica Park for 2023.
Freep

https://www.freep.com/story/sports/...ield-dimensions-at-comerica-park/11033626002/
Detroit Tigers to move in wall, change outfield dimensions at Comerica Park for 2023.
Freep

https://www.mlive.com/tigers/2023/01/tigers-are-moving-in-fences-at-comerica-park-in-2023.html
Tigers are moving in fences at Comerica Park in 2023.
Mlive

DETROIT -- The walls are coming down and closing in at Comerica Park.
On Wednesday, the Tigers announced arguably their most speculated move of the offseason, the changing of their home park?s outfield dimensions:

? The center-field wall, the symbol of Comerica Park?s deep outfield, will be moved in from 422 to 412 feet, and lowered from 8 1/2 to 7 feet.
? The massive wall in right-center field above the out-of-town scoreboard will by lowered from 13 to 7 feet in height.
? The right-field wall will be lowered to the same height, from 8 1/2 to 7 feet.

Left field will be unchanged, but after research and laser measuring, the left-field corner dimensions have been corrected from 345 to 342 feet.

?This has been a topic of conversation for quite some time within our organization,? Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris said in a statement. ?We?re confident that this plan accomplishes our goals of improving offensive conditions on the hardest hit balls, while maintaining Comerica Park?s unique dimensions and style of play. These updates come after a great deal of research and feedback from all stakeholders in and around the organization, including our fans, players and front office.

?The outfield wall changes, combined with new rules from Major League Baseball in place this season, have the potential to create even more excitement and on field action for years to come."

The changes come 20 years after the last alterations to Comerica Park?s dimensions, which brought in the fences from their original depths by putting the bullpens in front of the original left-field fence and adding seats where the bullpens originally stood behind the right-field wall. What had been a 395-foot distance in the left-field power alley was reduced to 370 feet, and the flagpole in left-center field -- which had been in the field of play as an homage to Tiger Stadium -- was instead at the back of the visitors' bullpen.

The changes before the 2003 season made Comerica Park more fair to right-handed hitters, but the stadium has maintained its reputation as a pitcher-friendly park. Park Factors, a metric that measures a park?s friendliness for offense, have shown Comerica Park to be hitter-friendly for home runs in just eight seasons since it opened in 2000, according to Statcast. Six of those seasons have been during Miguel Cabrera?s Tigers tenure. The park has been rated hitter-friendly for doubles in just seven seasons.

By contrast, Comerica Park has rated hitter-friendly for triples in every season, a reflection of the park?s deep outfield gaps.

The Tigers have been looking into ballpark changes since last season, a point referenced by team owner Christopher Ilitch. The effort represented the delicate balance between baseball competitiveness and fan entertainment.

The research was well underway before Harris took over as president of baseball operations last fall.

?My general opinion on dimensions is that I would prefer to be on one side of the aisle or the other,? Harris said during MLB?s Winter Meetings last month. ?I would prefer to have the opportunity to have some asymmetry in the environments that we?re playing. If we?re on one side of the aisle as a pitchers' park, or on the other side of the aisle as a hitters' park, we have the opportunity to build a team a certain way to take advantage of the dimensions 81 times a year, because we are the only team that plays in our environment 81 times a year. So I would prefer not to be right down the middle when it comes to that.?

The changes seem to accomplish this goal, producing more hitter outcomes on deep drives while maintaining the stadium?s reputation for extra-base hits in the gaps and producing action on basepaths. While the center-field wall is moving in, it will remain 10 feet deeper than the MLB average and the second deepest in the Majors behind Coors Field?s 415-foot center-field fence, according to the Tigers.

The lower fence heights, meanwhile, should encourage more leaping plays and home run robberies, which have largely been limited to left field.

Since Statcast began tracking batted-ball distances in 2015, Comerica Park has had more outs of 410 or more feet (55) than any other Major League park; Coors Field (48) is the only other park with more than 18. Comerica Park also has 13 of the 38 outs of 420-plus feet hit in that time span. That includes Riley Greene?s long out to center against the Astros last Sept. 14 -- initially measured at 424 feet, later adjusted to 422.
 
Scott Harris on Comerica Park's dimension changes:

"We wanted to strike the right balance where we were improving the offensive conditions for our hitters without fundamentally changing the profile of the park, and we felt like we could do that with these changes."

Tigers created models for dimension alterations that projected HR rates and run scoring. Also did a study looking back at batted balls.

"Those studies suggest there will be a modest impact on home runs and run-scoring without changing the profile of the park."

MLB stats support this move. Comerica led all other MLB parks in balls that were caught that would have been HRs in all the other parks.
 
Last edited:
Mitchrapp said:
They need better players not a change in wall dimensions.
Click to expand...

They need both, the outfield dimensions are huge as are the power alleys.
Smart move though it should have happened years ago like when Miggy got traded for.
 
I think having a unique park creates more of an advantage for the home team than the away team...if you create a team that can take advantage. Or, just move the walls in to make it more similar to the rest of the league and take away that advantage.
 
kalinecountry said:
They need both, the outfield dimensions are huge as are the power alleys.
Smart move though it should have happened years ago like when Miggy got traded for.
Click to expand...

More home runs by us means more home runs by them. and since Detroit isn't a home run team, I suspect other teams will benefit way more. Instead of 6-2 games, it'll be 11-5 games. Which is what MLB strives for more offense. And I agree with Tom, the uniqueness goes away.
 
Comerica was made for line drive gap to gap hitters, how has that worked out the years they have had the park? They are barely scraping by with 100 home runs a season. Part of it is due to a terrible offense. The uniqueness of the park hasn't helped the Tigers in years.

I think in 2 to 3 years the pitching, the hitting, the coaching, and player development will give them more home runs than those from visiting teams.

Meh, I agree to disagree with you guys.
 
Keeping Comerica Park unique while maintaining our home-field advantage.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1613272032392650788

Harris said the Tigers sketched out a few different options for dimensional changes. For each, team analysts built models to project home run rates and run scoring. The Tigers also conducted a backward study analyzing previous batted balls at Comerica Park.

?Those studies suggest there will be a modest impact on home runs and run scoring without changing the profile of the park,? Harris said. ?That?s what we wanted to do, and we feel very good about these dimensions moving forward.?

From September 28, 2022: Most batted ball outs, on Barrels.
The gap between Comerica and #2 is the same as between #2 and league average.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fdv0PXsXgAApDTv?format=png&name=medium

Chris Brown Woodward Tigers Podcast: My best estimate is that the new Comerica Park dimensions would add about 30-35 home runs to Miguel Cabrera?s career total. Here are the 8 balls since 2016 that probably would have been homers:
https://twitter.com/i/status/1613567498183479303
 
Last edited:
https://www.mlive.com/tigers/2023/0...rk-no-more-mind-games-for-tigers-players.html
Why move in fences at Comerica Park? No more mind games for Tigers players.
Mlive

The Detroit Tigers? decision to move in the center field fences -- and lower the heights of the wall through much of the park -- probably wasn?t as dramatic as some had hoped or envisioned.

It was a subtle tweak that will keep Comerica Park among the roomier parks in Major League Baseball.

The Tigers aren?t really ?moving the fences in? as so many headlines -- ours included -- would suggest. They?re moving in a single fence, covering a relatively small portion of the outfield, which will have a fairly negligible impact on offensive production in the park.

The park?s notoriously deep center field, listed at 420 feet but actually laser-measured at 422 feet, will now be 412 feet from home plate. The walls in center and right field will now be a uniform seven feet tall.

It?s more difficult to determine the impact of the lowered fence, but data suggest that the change in center field will only affect a handful of batted balls.

In 2022, there were eight batted balls that went 412 feet or greater without leaving the park. Three of them became doubles, one a triple and four were caught for outs.

Those outs -- including one each by Riley Greene, Spencer Torkelson and Daz Cameron -- were the most vexing for players and fans. It seemed fundamentally unfair that a player could drill a ball 415 feet without anything to show for it.

When Miguel Cabrera heard the news about the dimension changes, he replied on the Tigers? Instagram account: ?Por finnnn? or ?Finally!?

?Now I want to play more years,? he wrote, adding a laughing emoji.

Cabrera is among countless Tigers past and present who have grumbled about the dimensions, even if their concerns weren?t always backed up by the numbers.

But that?s why the decision to move in the center field fences was so sensible: It may have little or no impact on the game, but it will remove a huge psychological factor for players.

?We feel like it?s very dispiriting for a hitter to barrel a ball to dead center and make a 419-foot out,? Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris told reporters on Wednesday. ?And so, if a few more of those end up being home runs or extra-base hits, we feel it?ll have a positive impact on our hitters? psyche, and ultimately a positive impact on our team.?

The real-world results won?t always benefit the Tigers.

If any player has a gripe from last year, it?s Luke Voit, then with the Padres, who doubled to deep center on July 25 and then did so again on July 26. Both would have been homers under the new configuration.

(He?s still a free agent if the Tigers want to sign him).

These changes should have little impact on pitchers, in practical or psychological terms.

As Lynn Henning of the Detroit News recently pointed out, it was folly back in 2000 and folly now to believe that pitchers would come flocking to Comerica Park because of the spacious outfield. For one, there are 81 games played away from home. Second, would you really want to sign a pitcher who routinely needs 420 feet to keep balls in the park?

For all the gripes about Comerica Park?s dimensions, there was a lot to like about the game play in the park. Triples -- perhaps the most exciting play in baseball -- are plentiful. The big gaps provide plenty of doubles, too, even for lumbering power hitters. The park has a great batter?s eye in center field, which also helps hitters. The park is far more neutral than most believe.

Everyone -- MLB and its fans -- wants more action: Fewer walks, strikeouts and homers; more doubles, triples and stolen bases. Comerica Park, in both its old and new configurations, can provide that.

The Tigers, mindful of the renewed emphasis on exciting, athletic plays, highlighted their decision to lower the fence height by noting that it would lead to more home-run-robbing catches. (Not to mention, this renovation gives them an opportunity to install new fencing with better padding).

With the changes, the Tigers will do away with 90 percent of the griping from fans and players, easing the mind games this park can play on those who spend the most time here. But they?ll do so without significant real-world impact.

?We did a backwards-looking study at all of the batted balls in this ballpark and what the marginal impact on home runs and runs scoring would be if we had these new dimensions,? Harris said. ?Those studies suggest there will be a modest impact on home runs and runs scoring without changing the profile of the park.?
 
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podca...ng-down-the-wall/id1266543495?i=1000594358321
Woodward Tigers Podcast Episode 045: Taking Down the Wall. 1 Hour 42 Minutes.

The Tigers pick up a new reliever in RHP Edwin Uceta as they continue to build bullpen depth. How the changes at Comerica Park will help the Tigers in 2023 and beyond. The strange drama surrounding Carlos Correa is over. The international free agent signing period starts on Sunday. Who are the Tigers targeting?
To watch this week's episode, subscribe to our YouTube channel.
 
https://totallytigers.wordpress.com/2023/01/14/deeper-discussions-57/
DEEPER DISCUSSIONS.
Totally Tigers

After many years of discussion, it appears that the Tigers will now be tweaking the dimensions of Comerica Park.

Discussions have been going on for awhile with no significant majority backing any one solution. Hitters obviously wanted changes but pitchers didn?t.

Comerica is very pitcher friendly which was the main reason why it was built that way at first. The Tigers were looking to give their less-than-stellar pitchers an edge.

But hitters ? those who have played for Detroit and those who have not ? have been very critical. Some have even said it was a factor in where they signed.

In a study last year, Comerica easily ranked #1 in balls that were hit and caught before going out of the stadium when they would have been HRs everywhere else.

In addition to additional padding, the following changes will be made:

The CF wall will be moved from 422? to 412?
The CF, RCF and RF walls will be lowered to 7?.
What do you think? Was this a good move? Will it help the Tigers with their offense? What about their pitching?

Today?s blog addresses this dilemma and allows readers to share their thoughts in more detail. And hopefully, to actively engage with others by responding to their posts and creating back-and-forth discussion threads. The more the merrier!

For this one blog only, you?ve got 6 sentences max to share your thoughts.
Of course, you can respond to as many other readers as you want.

TT will supply the ammunition. One thought-provoking question. Several options provided. One hard choice to be selected. One vote.
Ready?

Are you glad that Comerica's dimensions are being changed?

1. Yes

2. No

3. It won't make a difference.

VOTE
 
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podca...cody-stavenhagen/id1557916983?i=1000594669585
Turning The Corner Podcast Episode 93: Detroit Tigers Trade Soto For Bats. 63 minutes.
Turning The Corner: A show about the Detroit Tigers with Cody Stavenhagen & Kieran Steckley.

The Detroit Tigers finally made a big offseason move in trading All-Star closer Gregory Soto. The Athletic's Cody Stavenhagen and co-host Kieran Steckley discuss. Other topics include a new Comerica Park outfield and "For The Love Of The Game."
 
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