Lou Piniella and Joe Girardi say the open design of the new Yankee Stadium makes it a wind tunnel, with breezes from the Harlem River helping balls escape the yard. Twenty pops in the first first four games — a MLB record — would seem to back them up.
The New York Yankees may not have the strongest of pitching staffs, but now they have a new reason for pitching woes: early evidence argues that the new Yankee Stadium would be quite the home-run park, with 20 batters going yard in the first four games of the regular season.
That’s a MLB record for a new ballpark.
Of course, the whole thing could be explained by circumstances: the Cleveland Indians have a pretty good team, the Yankees certainly have some pop in their lineup even with Alex Rodriguez on the DL, and the Yankees’ pitching may be overrated. And fans certainly like the long ball. So maybe things will work out — or the new Yankee Stadium will be the most awesome home-run park ever.
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