SafeCo splits home/away from 2000-2021: A Story of Road Woes?

[Sibelius Hindemith]

but you have never established the length of the safeco grass in the first place. I asked you that before, seem pretty simple to me. Is it longer than other fields?

That information is not available to the public. But, wouldn't that be the best explanation for why triples are non-existent and doubles low?

what you mean its not available to the public, the infield grass, is Kentucky Bluegrass. The outfield is a blend of bluegrass and rye grass. I am going to assume that is fairly standard for the industry. Is it kept longer than other parks? All Drayer has to do is look down at it to tell you that

You referenced the length of the grass, so where is that information available? Drayer could measure it due to her job allowing her to be there but would need to measure all the other ballparks as well for the info to be useful.

I just saw your link for the groundskeeper. Maybe i will try to get in touch.

[Coeurd’Alene J]

Thanks for gathering all this information. It obviously took some time to do and I appreciate it. This little slice of marinerville is as AT suggests. Cutting edge


They could look at opposing player stats of visiting teams and adjust the grass higher to slow down the ground ball heavy teams. And or could raise the cut when our ground ball pitcher is on the mound a few quarters of an inch difference probably isn’t noticeable to anyone.

[Sibelius Hindemith]

We were 2nd to last in BsR but you can't get H/R splits on this stat so doesn't explain the disparity.

https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx? ... &sort=18,d

What do you think would be explained by knowing the BsR splits?

[Donn Beach]

You referenced the length of the grass, so where is that information available? Drayer could measure it due to her job allowing her to be there but would need to measure all the other ballparks as well for the info to be useful.

measure it?...if the grass is long enough to kill a line drive in the outfield you don't think that would be noticeable in terms of how other fields look? What, we are talking a 1/16 of an inch? If the Mariners were cutting their grass long enough to have that sort of impact on their home and away splits I would think it be common knowledge around baseball. You don't think the outfielders that play the fields would notice it?

[D-train]

We were 2nd to last in BsR but you can't get H/R splits on this stat so doesn't explain the disparity.

https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx? ... &sort=18,d

What do you think would be explained by knowing the BsR splits?

Our guys are slower at home after getting jabbed by errant heroin needles walking to the ballpark?

[Sibelius Hindemith]

but you have never established the length of the safeco grass in the first place. I asked you that before, seem pretty simple to me. Is it longer than other fields?

Longer or thicker or both, yes, absolutely. Proof is in the pudding. 4 years of results after the grass replacement with starkly different results to the previous 5 years speak for themselves at this point.

We went from 5 years of ~ equal offense at home/away to now 4 years at an average 44 OPS points lower at Home. That's a huge shift.

come on, its not proof, its a conclusion...make an effort to establish it, ask somebody, that is what I suggested before. Ask Divish, ask Drayer, ask whoever. Run your theory by somebody that has been on the field

Tim Wilson was just promoted to head grounds keeper, Bob Christofferson was the former groundskeeper, he supervised installing the new field, ask him.

https://twitter.com/bcsodfather

I don't have a Twitter account. Does he provide an email address?

[Donn Beach]

that is all I found...I would think if the Mariners were actively maintaining their field with the intention of damping offense that would be a newsworthy story. What would be the motivation, and after what they have done to attempt to make it play more neutral? They bring in the fences and then mess with the turf. I would run it by Drayer or Divish, it doesn't seem to me that difficult a thing to figure out. They could ask the players that play it. If its the inverse of artificial turf then players must have to account for it

[desbcoach]

Go roll a ball on turf, then short grass, then long grass Donn. It's not even a tough experiment. You will get 3 different results.

It's right here in black and white-

2013: .694/.696
2014: .664/.687
2015: .715/.729
2016: .761/.752
2017: .761/.738
AVG: .719/.720 (-.001)

2018: .693/.749
2019: .721/.757
2020: .655/.693
2021: .663/.710
AVG: .683/.727 (+.044)

but you have never established the length of the safeco grass in the first place. I asked you that before, seem pretty simple to me. Is it longer than other fields?

Length of grass isn’t as important as thickness, blades glass per inch and include hardness of turf(how much water absorbed) those all play into the rolling speed factor

[Donn Beach]

okay, but wouldn't you notice it as a player?...If the turf was playing that slow to turn doubles into singles, then it would impact how they played their positions wouldn't it? I have never heard anything about it being an extreme situation, that is the inverse of artificial turf

[D-train]

What is the end game here. Are one of you guys going to break in an mow the lawn in the middle of the night. Is what it is imo.