Wind Not a Factor in New Yankee Stadium

BBTF channeling SNY:

Dr. Alan Nathan’s study used the precise and consistent measurements of hitf/x data courtesy of Sportsvision, which has equipment at Major League parks, to track the initial batted-ball trajectory. From there, initial batted-ball velocity, vertical launch angle and horizontal spray angle was determined. Greg Rybarczyk’s hittracker data also was used. The result, says Nathan, was “an excellent approximation of the full trajectory” of a batted ball. “The analysis begins by recognizing that in a vacuum, all balls hit with the same initial velocity and launch angle will travel the same distance,” Nathan says. “In reality, the ball will travel more or less than that, depending on the influence of the aerodynamic effects of drag and the Magnus force, including any influence of wind. One way to define the ‘carry’ is the ratio of the actual distance to the distance (the batted ball) would have traveled in a vacuum.” The results will surprise amateur Yankee Stadium Wind Tunnel theorists. “The new Yankee Stadium has a carry about two percent below average,” Nathan said in his study. “If home runs there were significantly aided by the wind, one might expect an above average carry. The fact that the carry is below average suggests that there is no evidence in the data analyzed for any significant effect of wind at the new Yankee Stadium.”

The Yankees have hit 36 more home runs at Yankee Stadium than they have on the road.  That's a lot in just three more games at home.  They've also hit 11

less

triples and 11

less

doubles.  The difference ends up being about 89 more bases at Yankee Stadium over 59 games, or roughly 1.5 more bases per game than on the road (math: 36 more home runs = 144 bases.  11 doubes (22) and 11 triples (33) total 55 less bases.  144-55 = 89 total bases). Is that something to get in a tizzy about?  Chicks dig the longball, so that's what everyone is focusing on.  The fact that the Yankees have a powerful lineup from the left side of the plate should be considered.  Teixeira has hit 17 more home runs from the left side than the right.  Matsui missed most of last season and Damon has discovered that the extra nine feet in right can be plenty useful, already surpassing last year's home run totals by 5 and hitting 8 more at home so far this season. The walls are definitely shorter, a fact that Jeter and Damon have exploited at times this season.  On balance, though, we may see that the park evens itself out a bit over time.