Thursday, April 08, 2004 |
Minor League Park Factors
| Angels | Dodgers | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level | Team | Factor | Team | Factor |
| A | Cedar Rapid Kernels | 1027 | Vero Beach Dodgers | 1102 |
| A | Rancho Cucamonga Quakes | 946 | Columbus Catfish | 1038 |
| AA | Arkansas Travelers | 1097 | Jacksonville Suns | 912 |
| AAA | Salt Lake Stingers | 1145 | Las Vegas 51's | 1012 |
What's surprising is how the majority of parks in both systems are hitter's parks, though the big surprise is that the so-called hitter's park of Cashman Field -- home of the 51's -- ain't all that. But Jacksonville's home field is a pronounced pitcher's park. Could that be the reason why the Dodgers weren't initially interested in seeing Edwin Jackson go to AAA, in that the lessons he might learn there would be next to useless in the very pitcher-friendly confines of Chavez Ravine? On the other hand, if you can pitch your way out of Salt Lake, you're just about ready for Coors Field. What's interesting to note is that virtually all of the A's minor league parks are pitcher's parks. The question I'd like answered: Is it an advantage or a disadvantage to have your minors' parks play similarly to your home park? The accompanying article seems to indicate that a number of clubs have decided it's an advantage and are moving in that direction, with the Rockies and Braves among them. If the trend continues, it could be very bad news for many of the clubs in the Pacific Coast and California Leagues, as many of those parks are far more extreme than most major league parks.
Factoids:
- Highest park factor: lucky 1313, for the Albuquerque Isotopes.
- Lowest park factor: 859, for the Tacoma Raniers.
- Best hitter's league: California League
- Best pitcher's league: Florida State League
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