The New York Mets have two options for becoming a more powerful offensive team: get better players or move in the fences at spacious Citi Field.
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Since they’re having trouble with that whole finding good ball players thing, the Mets may now be moving on to plan B. GM Sandy Alderson said the Mets are currently considering shortening the dimensions at Citi Field (via newsday.com):
"It’s something that we had talked about the possibility in the past and we continue to look at it,” Alderson told reporters. “We brought the fences in a couple years ago. It’s not about tailoring the ballpark to a particular player or a particular composition of team, it’s about making Citi Field as fan-friendly and as exciting as we can make it.”"
The last time the Mets moved the fences in at Citi Field, they shortened right center from 415 to 398. Even with seventeen feet shaved off, Mets hitters are finding it a challenge to clear the fences.
Consider the case of Curtis Granderson, a one-time 40-home run man with the Yankees who will be lucky to make it to 20 in his first season playing his home games inside the less-than-cozy confines of Citi Field.
I guarantee you the Mets did not sign Granderson to a $60 million deal with the thought that he would scuffle to break the 20 home run barrier.
Since putting Granderson on some kind of steroids regimen would be against the rules, the only other option is to make it a little easier for him to clear the fence.
You’d think they would have taken the ball park dimensions into account before they gave Curtis Granderson 60 million bucks, no?
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