Mets GM Sandy Alderson visited Manhattan’s VA Hospital Monday and aside from noting the absence of Carlos Beltran jerseys on hand, told his hosts the ballclub are considering addressing Jeff Wilpon’s folly — ie. a ballpark that’s greatly handicapped what few power threats the home team has trotted out. From the New York Post’s Howie Kussoy :
Unprompted, Alderson told the group of veterans there have been discussions within the organization about reducing the distance to right-center field. At the new, unspecified distance, he said, Granderson would have seven additional home runs this season.
“It’s something that we had talked about the possibility in the past and we continue to look at it,” said Alderson. “We brought the fences in a couple years ago. It’s not about tailoring the ballpark to a particular player or a particular composition of team, it’s about making Citi Field as fan-friendly and as exciting as we can make it.”
Alderson’s 90-win goal in spring training was his way of creating excitement, serving a reminder that what has been the norm doesn’t need to remain the norm.
He is approaching next season no differently.“It really wasn’t a prediction, it was about thinking differently,” Alderson said. “If you’re going to set a goal, you need to set a goal not that you can just achieve easily. You have to set a goal that’s aspirational.”
Prior to the Mets’ 2-0 dispatch of the Rockies — a result that improved the former’s post-All Star Break mark to a heady .500 —- Terry Collins was quoted by MetsBlog as being in favor of bringing the fences in (““I think it’s going to help us a little bit, confidence-wise…I think it would be great for us.”) So if this decision was such a no-brainer, when are we graced with an admission from ownership that they tore down a perfectly functioning stadium to make way for an overpriced beer garden that’s actually played a role in killing the Mets’ offense?