UTICA, N.Y.—Their plans to co-occupy Citi Field this summer rebuffed, the Mohawk Valley Crimson Lions did the next best thing: they reconfigured Van Slyke Field to play just like the Mets' ballpark.
That means that singles will be scarce—a two factor for both righties and lefties—but that home runs will be somewhat common with a Spinal Tap-ian factor of 11 for both sides. The change in dimensions won't affect longball output at Van Slyke Field too much because the old yard played at 12 for lefties and nine for righties.
The frequency of singles, however, will be reduced dramatically, seeing as the previous dimensions played as a nine for lefties and a six for righties. For point of reference, the real-life Mets and their opponents hit .241 at Citi Field last year, compared with .258 away. That will be a harsh new reality for Lions batters, though club pitchers don't seem to mind the change.
"I prefer to be on the receiving end of one decisive death blow rather than succumb to one thousand paper cuts," Lions righty Yu Darvish said through an interpreter.
With the Lions' renovated ballpark in downtown Utica and "$100,000 rotation" featuring Cy Young Award winners David Price, Zack Greinke and C.C. Sabathia—along with Darvish and Stephen Strasburg in supporting roles—Mohawk Valley is exploring the possibility of starting its own regional sports network.
Mohawk Valley's deal to host games at Citi Field this year while the Mets are on the road fell through when Mets owner Fred Wilpon insisted that the Lions assume the contracts of Jason Bay and Johan Santana as part of the arrangement.
Ballpark Dimensions Around The MMDA
View 2013 singles and home runs factors for all 20 teams either here or at the MMDA site.
| Team | SI-L | SI-R | HR-L | HR-R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brooklyn | 10 | 10 | 8 | 12 |
| California | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| Cape Cod | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Columbus | 2 | 8 | 2 | 7 |
| Death Valley | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| Elysian Fields | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 |
| Fighting | 10 | 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Goldenrod | 2 | 12 | 2 | 12 |
| Jersey | 7 | 5 | 2 | 5 |
| Lake County | 7 | 7 | 9 | 9 |
| Miami | 7 | 7 | 9 | 9 |
| Mohawk Valley | 2 | 2 | 11 | 11 |
| Northeast | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 |
| Northwest | 8 | 6 | 7 | 5 |
| Rochester | 6 | 6 | 4 | 4 |
| Rosehill | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Spokane | 10 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| St. Louis | 7 | 7 | 7 | 9 |
| West Side | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 |
| Wilmington | 10 | 10 | 16 | 16 |
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