Unlike the bandbox that is Fenway Park, there's no big wall in left field — or anywhere for that matter — to invite hitters to take aim.
Safeco's dimensions, rather, are made for pitchers. The ballpark has historically been one of the most pitcher-friendly throughout its entire existence, so when you go to Safeco as a team, you know runs are going to be hard to come by. For an example, look no further than the Sox' 1-0 loss against Felix Hernandez on Thursday night.
But are these pitcher-friendly ballparks bad for baseball? When fans go to games, they usually want to see offense. Unless someone is going to throw a no-hitter, a 1-0 game just isn't quite as exciting as a 8-7 slugfest.
Some teams have tried to built their teams to reflect their ballparks, but others teams have also tried to change their ballparks to combat the ill effects of too much space. The Mets, for example, struggled so much at hitting home runs when they built Citi Field that they later remodeled the place and moved in the fences. The Red Sox did the same thing in 1940, when they built the bullpens out from the wall so Ted Williams would have a shorter porch in right.
In both of those instances, the teams seemed to be admitting defeat and recognizing the ill effects of making a ballpark too big. Should the rest of the league take a lesson? Looking at you, Safeco.
