A couple of years ago, former THT writer Dan Turkenkopf tabulated an index of single-season (2009) and four-year home run per fly ball (HR/FB) park factors. I have griped plenty about using HR/FB rates over home run per outfield fly ball (HR/OFFB) rates in tabulating xFIP many times in the past, most recently last week, because HR/FB rates include pop-ups (IFFB), which can never be home runs. The data, over large samples, may be insignificant in difference overall, but why use bad data and skew the margins? It’s like Fangraphs’ incomprehensible decision to use strikeouts per at-bat (K/AB) instead of strikeouts per plate appearance (K/PA) to calculate strikeout percentage*. (Dave Cameron has indicated that recalibrating Fangraphs’ database would likely be a cumbersome process.)… Without further adieu, here is the goldmine of data you’ve probably always wanted, but never had (at least not that I was aware of) until now:
Team Park 4-Year HR/OFFB 4-Year HR/FB Indians Jacobs Field 87 72 Royals Kaufman Stadium 86 84 Tigers Comerica Park 96 86 Twins (old) Metrodome 88 101 White Sox US Cellular Field 113 108 … Or, alternatively, the parks ranked from most-to-least home run inflating per outfield fly:
Team Park LG 4-Year HR/OFFB Yankees New Yankee Stadium AL 120 Reds Great American Ballpark NL 116 Rays Tropicana Field AL 114 Orioles Oriole Park at Camden Yards AL 113 White Sox US Cellular Field AL 113
Data for all MLB parks at the link.
Other White Sox links: J.J. looks at Paul Konerko’s Hall of Fame chances, James looks at John Danks’ 2011 pitch values and recaps the past week, colin looks at Paul Konerko’s HRs, Mike has more music suggestions, the 3 Sox draft picks from the University of California helped the Golden Bears advance to the College World Series (boxscore), and Phil Rogers says Bud Selig’s re-alignment ideas won’t be going anywhere (good, I don’t want more interleague play).
