Size, apparently, does matter

SPORTING GOODS

I know this story has been around for a couple days, but it's worthy of noting:

AccuWeather.com [has reported] that slight differences in the new [Yankee Stadium] are mainly responsible for the record number of home runs.

The weather Web site says, "Taking into account the dimensions of the field and wall height, AccuWeather.com has calculated that 19 percent (20 out of 105) home runs would not have flown out of the old stadium."

... a "gentle curve" in the fence as it extends from right field to center field, caused by a new scoreboard, has the ballpark playing up to 9 feet shorter in spots.

In these days of GPS and advanced engineering technology, you'd think the builders could've figured out that they were nine feet off in their plans. There doesn't seem to be anything that can be done; the plutocratic Yankees certainly aren't going to lose seats by moving the affected fences back. Nevertheless, the number of homers going out of The House That YES Built is really kind of ridiculous: 293 balls will leave the yard in 2009 if the current pace holds up.

Meanwhile, the Sox are visiting another bandbox this weekend. Coincidentally, I'll be in the Keystone State Saturday and Sunday and so will have a chance to hear the weeping and gnashing of teeth from the Phils' announcers as the Olde Towne Team smacks balls all around and out of Citizens Bank Park.

UPDATE — Speaking of the upcoming series at CBP, the highest paid player in the series will be the Phils' Ryan Howard at $15 million per annum. While it may not be a surprise to various readers of this blog, I was quite surprised to discover who the series' second highest paid player will be.