Maybe we should measure the distances from the penalty spots, just to be sure. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/21/AR2005072102417.html The results confirmed what the players had suspected -- the marks in the areas midway between the foul poles and center field were incorrect. According to club officials, the actual distance -- measured with a laser -- to the mark that said "380" in left-center field was 394.74 feet; the actual distance to the "380" mark in right-center was 395 feet.
Maybe all baseball team should do this. It make it exciting. they could have fans guess that actual distance to wall. It would also keep opposing batters off balance. Moving walls could be the National's trademark, like Boston's Green monster.
I love it -- or I would love it even better if DCSEC hadn't messed up the dimensions to our soccer field for the first couple of games. Typical.
It's not unheard of. There's been talk that the distances posted in some parts of Fenway were a bit off, and in some of the old-time stadia there were marking of 315 or so down the line, when it was really like 298. Doesn't really excuse them being wrong, but it's not necessarily and isolated case. If baseball really wanted to mess with people, they'd put all the distances up in meters.
By employing stoopid people. "Welcome to Washington DC. Home of the Nationals and some really stupid people. Come visit - you'll feel smarter."
In lieu of making fun of RFK for this again, I'm thinking about 395 to both power alleys. Damn! I'm amazed that anyone hits homers in that park.
I believe what they're claiming is that they measured right, but just put the 380 ft. signs in the wrong location. From the article: It's been something that's been in people's minds," said Andy Dunn, the Nationals' vice president of ballpark operations. "The dimensions were on pads that make up the outfield fence, but the pads with the 380-feet marks were in the wrong locations."
Re: Cursed by the Casual Fan http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/21/AR2005072101804.html It was just a matter of time. The same thing happened in Baltimore. Memorial Stadium was an interesting place with interesting fans. O's Park. It's been years since i've found a reason to go there.
Re: Cursed by the Casual Fan The common thread in both cases was the presence Washington baseball fans! I kid, I kid. But, seriously. It's true.
It's 1347 feet from the Barra tailgate to Section 135. I can never figure out why the walk back is twice as long.
It can be twice as fast when we win by 3 and you can't wait to get back to the car to let off some pyro