World Series: The Dodgers have a major advantage, but not how you might think
By @RyanGrosman
Laced
October 20, 2020
After a very bumpy start to this oddity of a season that saw COVID-19 bulldoze its way through two clubhouses, the MLB has done a fantastic job with the playoffs.
Yes, setting up hub cities to host the division and conference rounds was a no-brainer. And it was probably something the league should’ve done from the very start. But still, it has been a well-executed plan.
MLB even added a few interesting wrinkles that have heightened the entertainment. With no off-days for both the DS and CS, managers were required to be a lot more strategic with how they deployed their pitchers. No longer could teams get away with leaning on just 3 starters and 3 bullpen arms.
However, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred and his crew made one glaring mistake. The World Series should not be held in Globe Life Field.
Why? Because the Los Angeles Dodgers have just been handed a huge home field advantage over the Tampa Bay Rays.
People are going to talk about the Dodgers’ star-studded roster and colossal payroll disparity as the main advantages over the plucky Rays. Though, in the end, neither of these things seemed to help the New York Yankees or Houston Astros. What’s being overlooked is how familiar the Dodgers are with the Texas Rangers’ new stadium.
Yes, Globe Life Field is not Dodger Stadium. But it’s the next best thing.
Dating back to the NLDS vs. the San Diego Padres, the Dodgers have now played 10 straight games in the giant metal tackle box that is Globe Life Field. Plus, they had a few regular season games there just for good measure.
Conversely, with this being a brand spanking new stadium and the Rays only playing AL and NL East Division teams this year, the team has yet to set cleats on the field. In case you’re scoring at home, that’s a grand total of zero games played at Globe Life Field for the Rays. And now they’re expected to play in these new surroundings for the most important series of their baseball lives?
At most, the Rays have had a practice or two in the ballpark to prepare. But nothing substitutes real game action.
But no biggy, right? These are professional baseball players. They can easily adapt to a new field.
Okay. So imagine you’re playing a deadly game of hide and seek in a forest, Hunger Games-style. Except the guy you’re up against has already been there for 10 days. Scoping out the turf. Getting the lay of the land. Finding the best places to set ambushes or pick someone off with a crossbow. So in this scenario, who has the advantage?
I know, I know. This is the extreme of extreme examples. But it still applies. The Dodgers have had a chance to settle in. To get used to the ballpark. The dimensions of the outfield — something Mookie Betts and Cody Bellinger have clearly gotten accustomed to. Weird caroms off the wall. And especially how the artificial grass plays. Even additional elements like the sun and wind. The wind, in fact, was so bad at Globe Life Field that Freddie Freeman couldn’t even see.
And the Dodgers are the last team in the league that needs any help. They’re already stacked top to bottom with MVPs, Cy Young winners and perennial all-stars like Bets, Bellinger, Corey Seager and Clayton Kershaw.
There’s a reason home field advantage is a big thing in baseball. And it’s not just because of the fans and last at-bats. It’s knowing the park inside and out. Forwards and backwards. All the obstructions, nooks and crannies and weird angles.
You can argue that the Dodgers have the better record, so they deserve to have home field advantage. But for every single game of the series? It’s supposed to be a neutral site. But having played their last 10 games in Globe Life Field, the Dodgers have neutralized the neutrality.
That’s why the World Series should be held in a different ballpark. One that both the Dodgers and the Rays have yet to play a single 2020 postseason game in. A warm climate site that has already been used to host the NLDS. The World Series should’ve been held at Minute Maid Park.
In case you think I’m exaggerating the importance of players being familiar with their surroundings, here are just a few things you might not have fully considered.
For infielders
· Does the infield play fast, slow or average?
· How does the ball come off the grass and dirt?
· How much room is there in foul territory?
· What are the bounces/short hops like at first base?
For outfielders
· What are the dimensions like?
· How high are the fences?
· How hard is the wall?
· Do the walls bend or have any weird angles?
· How does the ball come off of the fences?
· What does the warning track feel like?
· How many steps is it to the fence?
· How much room is there in foul territory?
· Does the ball die or take off when it hits the grass?
· How high does the ball bounce?
· What does the wind do to the ball?
· Is there a sun field?
· Where are the lights and are they a factor for line drives?
Pitchers
· What’s the slope of the mound like?
· How high is the mound?
· Is the dirt soft or hard?
· What’s the landing area like?
For catchers
· Does the ball die in front of the plate?
· How far is the backstop?
· How does the ball bounce off of the backstop?
· How does the ball bounce on short pitches in the dirt?
For hitters
· What are the dimensions of the park?
· What’s the batter’s eye like?
· Does the sun cause any shadows that’ll make it hard to pick up the ball?
· Does the infield play fast, slow or average?
· How fast does the ball get to the outfielders when it hits the grass?
· How does the ball come off of the fences?
For managers/coaches
· What are the dimensions of the park and where should the outfielders be positioned?
· How fast does the infield play and where should the infielders be positioned?
For all the marbles
This is it. The World Series. The thing that teams play their entire careers for — even if Manfred believes it’s just a piece of metal.
That’s why the Rays and Dodgers should be facing off on the most neutral ground possible — at Minute Maid Park.
Up until this point, MLB has gotten the playoffs right. But they got this one very wrong.
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