Detroit has been regarded as an extreme pitchers' park, as the spot where homers go to die, thanks to a 420-foot-deep center-field fence. The park used to have a larger fence (472 feet), but it was taken down in 2009 after it was discovered that heat from ball games caused the steel to expand and buckle.
The final blow to any hopes of home runs being hit here came when Hank Aaron broke the record held by Babe Ruth for most home runs in a career during the first game of the 1974 season. The fence was still there, so nobody can say it isn't true, but even with its current dimensions, this is not the park for power hitters.
In addition to Aaron's record, other notable hits include those by Willie Mays, Barry Bonds, and Alex Rodriguez.
Comerica Park is known for its small size. It is one of only two Major League Baseball stadiums under 4 million square feet (Dodger Stadium is the other). The Lions' stadium has 27,000 seats, including 17,000 club seats. Capacity is around 39,000, but that number includes about 9,500 general admission tickets and another 9,500 standing room only tickets.
The Tigers' largest crowd ever was on July 30, 1977.
For a variety of reasons, Dodger Stadium formerly had a well-deserved reputation as a pitcher's park. Initially, the unusually deep outfield dimensions were a consideration, with power alleys of around 385 feet (117 m). However, in terms of home runs, Dodger Stadium has recently been neutral. The stadium now offers both right- and left-handed hitters equal opportunity to hit long balls.
The main reason Dodgers fans used to enjoy seeing so many home runs was because the ballpark was not air-conditioned. In fact, when it was first built, there were no lights at all at night! So, having no artificial lighting meant that players could see how far their pitches were traveling before they struck out the batter. This gave pitchers an advantage over hitters who might be able to see the ball better with light behind it.
However, the Dodgers have recently started using air conditioning in some game situations. There are now lights at night for nighttime batting practices and pregame ceremonies. This may help hitters by keeping them cool during hot summer games. It also helps pitchers by reducing the number of walks they get from mistake pitches.
Another factor contributing to Dodger Stadium's former reputation as a homer factory is its location in Los Angeles. While this city is known for its sunny weather, which favors hitters, there are still nights when temperatures drop below 50 degrees F (10 degrees C).
Coors Field has developed a reputation as a hitter's park due to the influence of Denver's high elevation and semi-arid environment on batted ball distances. To remedy this, the outfield fences were moved further away from home plate, and the baseballs used in the park were kept in humidors prior to use. These practices helped produce a more defensive-minded game at Coors Field.
The stadium itself was built for the Colorado Rockies major league team by Miller Brewing Company. When it opened in 1995, Coors Field was the largest privately owned ballpark in the United States. Though it has been replaced by Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which opened the same year, it remains among the most popular venues in baseball with over 40 million visitors since its opening day.
As part of their agreement to build the stadium, the Rockies were allowed to choose the location of their home plate. This was done so that they could place it in a low-elevation area of the field where there was less risk of injury to right-handed hitters. The decision proved to be successful when Coors Field began drawing huge crowds of left-handed hitters looking for a challenge from the best offense in baseball during that time period. In addition, the stadium's altitude (4,440 feet above sea level) causes balls hit into the air to travel farther than expected, which helps pitchers score many runs and hitters drive the ball into the atmosphere.
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