One Thing I Like

[messageboardsuperhero]

About our team in Omaha is there is a premium on putting the ball in play at TD Ameritrade. With as big as that park plays, it’s really important IMO to not strike out because the infield plays pretty big and the outfield has huge gaps. A lot of times there the team that wins just keeps hitting the baseball in play and the pitching staff is able to generate outs without having the other guys hit the ball.

We are elite at both striking people out and putting the ball in play at the plate.

Pitching K/9
MSU - 12.4 (Leads country)
Vandy - 11.8
UVA - 11.0
Arizona - 9.4
Tennessee - 9.1
NC State - 8.9
Texas - 8.6
Stanford - 8.4

Offensive K/G
MSU - 6.3
UVA - 7.1
Arizona - 7.8
NC State - 8.3
Texas - 8.3
Tennessee - 8.4
Stanford - 8.6
Vandy - 9.3

Could mean absolutely nothing but just thought it was noteworthy going into next week.

 

[VegasDawg13]

the infield plays pretty big

What is meant by this?

 

[messageboardsuperhero]

A lot of ground balls find holes because of the ballpark’s spacing. The best way to produce runs consistently in TD Ameritrade is committing to hit ground balls and line drives to all fields.

I expect there to be more HRs there than normal, but generally speaking, teams that take big cuts and hit fly balls struggle to score in Omaha.

 

[The Peeper]

The infield dimensions in TD Ameritrade are the exact same as any high school, college or pro park. Why would balls find more holes in that infield more than any other infield?

 

[bruiser.sixpack]

He may be referring to it being a really fast infield and because the outfield is so big, the outfielders are more apt to play deeper to catch fly balls and a hard hit ground ball between the infielders are going to score more runners from 2nd than in some of the on campus ball parks. Hard hit grounders down the lines past the infielders are rarely going to be cut off, resulting in more ground ball doubles. And Line drives are going to the wall more. But, the fast track infield grass and hard dirt plays in favor of guys who aren’t there trying to hit the big fly.

 

[Xenomorph]

I think you’ll find it’s the exact same measurements as our gym back in Hickory.

 

[Jeffreauxdawg]

I don't get the big infield thing either... Fast I understand, especially a dry Nebraska after it starts to heat up... But the "spacing" on the infield will be the same. I then decided to measure the infield dirt areas at Dudy Noble and TD Ameritrade, if anything, Dudy Noble has a slightly larger infield by area if you are talking about a polygon from home plate to the edge of the outfield grass inside the lines.

Now the outfield has some big gaps for sure... The overall field at TD Ameritrade is +/- 7% (7,000 sf or so) larger than Dudy Noble or Vandy's field... for reference that's equivalent to Fishwater's guest house.

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ETA: The first floor of Fishwater's guest house.

 

[bruiser.sixpack]

And that is why I referenced Faster. The size is the same, but with a faster infield, I suspect the infielders play back a little further than normal at their home parks, because the ball gets to them faster at TD, but that deeper play also opens the holes a little wider. Just a subjective observation. May be totally wet. I’ll know more after watching how deep the infielders play this coming Saturday as I watch from the grandstand.

 

[messageboardsuperhero]

I said the infield plays bigger because of the spacing of the ballpark- not from a literal dimensional standpoint. Yes, it is a fast infield and generally the infielders play more in than normal because there are fewer pop fly singles. It’s tougher to cover space on this infield than most others.

All this leads to more ground balls getting through.