Baseball Chat

[Linchuck]

This is a new article on the Accuweather website about the stadium. Pretty much says conditions are ripe.

UPDATE: 7 HOME RUNS HIT DURING FRIDAY NIGHT'S GAME

PHILLIES/YANKEES GAMES THIS WEEKEND CRITICAL TO HOME RUN THEORY

AccuWeather.com has done extensive research into whether the weather is playing a role in the number of home runs at the new Yankee Stadium. We have determined that this weekend's games with the Phillies will help determine the outcome of this summer's home run derby at Yankee Stadium because the forecast is for warm and a little more humid weather, typical summer weather for New York city.

Our findings show that the weather conditions at Yankee Stadium oppose the number of home runs being hit at the stadium. Winds really have not been a factor, given that in most games, winds were not all that strong. In most games, winds were under 10 mph, and the direction of the wind was not consistent with the right field home run theory. UPDATE: Friday night's game featured 4 home runs by the Phillies and 3 for the Yankees.

In respect to the temperature and humidity, and the laws of baseball flight, the number of home runs should be down. The laws of baseball flight say that a baseball will fly a longer distance in air that is warm and humid. Air that is warm and humid is considerably less dense than air that is cool and dry. The resistance on a baseball is greater in dense air than less-dense air. For example, a typical warm and humid New York evening would generally mean a better chance for home runs than, say, the cool evenings of April.
Our findings have shown that the majority of games where home runs where hit, the temperatures were between 54 and 69 degrees. The few games where the temperatures were in the 70s, the air was dry in those games. In all games, the air overall was dense compared to the warm, humid air that is yet to come. UPDATE: Friday night's game featured temperatures in the low 80's falling to the upper 70's. Humidity levels were moderate.


We can only conclude from the weather data that the number of home runs should only go up this summer. AccuWeather.com is already predicting higher-than-normal humidity in the New York City area this summer, which means the home run derby should continue at Yankee Stadium.


The reason for the number of home runs at the new Yankee Stadium is still out for debate, but one thing is sure, the weather may not be the entire factor. Maybe it has to due to the dimensions of the field, the height of the fences in the outfield, the quality of hitters, or the quality of the pitching (or lack thereof).