Well, it should be a word. Park factors for minor-league ballparks aren't exactly a new science. You can find a ton of good information at the excellent MinorLeagueCentral.com, for example.
The most bookmarkable link of the week
But Matt Eddy from Baseball America digs even deeper, and he’s come up with the most thorough article on minor-league park factors that I think I’ve ever seen, including explanations from select team officials as to why their parks play the way they do:
Round Rock manager of baseball outreach (and former Express player) Matt Kata:
“(The higher-than-average rate of home runs) has a lot to do with the wind. The land is pretty flat around the stadium without many structures around, so there’s not much to deter the wind. Also, our playing surface is sunk into the ground, so our concourse level is above the field and the wind blows right off the concourse—which is about 20-25 feet above the field. Interestingly enough, the ball typically blows out to left-center where the home run porch sits.”
So bookmark the link, and the next time you read about someone hitting .400/.600/.900 in Albuquerque, don’t forget to look the park up.
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