November 11th, 2019 at 8:00 am 
by Ron Cervenka Just as it has at 57-year-old Dodger Stadium, construction has begun at 19-year-old Oracle Park (formerly AT&T Park, formerly SBC Park, formerly Pacific Bell Park) in San Francisco. The big difference – and it is significant – is that the changes underway at the home of the Giants could – and probably will – help increase the home run numbers for Dodgers All-Star, Gold Glove and Silver Slugger (and hopefully soon-to-be NL MVP) Cody Bellinger and company.
Whereas the modifications currently underway at Dodger Stadium under the watchful and experienced eye of senior vice president of planning and development Janet Marie Smith will have no effect whatsoever on the actual field of play, the long-overdue and much-needed modifications currently underway at Oracle Park most likely will.
According to longtime Giants beat writer Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle, the Giants are finally moving the home and visitors bullpens (and their treacherous mounds) that have been on the actual field of play in foul territory for nearly two decades to the area behind the center field and right-center field walls. As a result, the area that runs across center field and into (appropriately-named) “Triples Alley” will be “lowered by about a foot and moved four-to-six feet closer to home plate.” Schulman adds that the apex of the triangle will also be a bit shorter to home plate than its current 421-foot distance.
(Photo courtesy of KNBR)
(Image courtesy of FanGraphs)
As you can see from the above two images, a significant number of Belly’s home runs would have been in ‘Triples Alley’ at Oracle Park. Ironically, however, of his MLB fourth-best 47 home runs in 2019, only one was at Oracle Park; a solo shot to deep right field off of veteran right-hander Johnny Cueto on September 27, 2019 – the third-to-last game of the Dodgers 2019 regular season. That being said, he quite possibly might have (and probably now will) hit more home runs there with the wall in RCF “lowered by about a foot and moved four-to-six feet closer to home plate.”
As for Dodgers utility infielder Max Muncy, Giants right-hander (as of this writing, that is) Madison Bumgarner will probably still have to go get Muncy’s home runs “out of the ocean.”
Play Ball!
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I can’t wait to see these new modifications at Oracle Park.
@Dodgers @SmithJanetmarie Finally! Their bullpen placement is a safety hazard!
Great, now when will they clean the poop and needles on the sidewalks outside the stadium?
We were regulars for several years going over to S.F. to watch the Dodgers play. No more, the walk from our hotel on Sutter Street to the stadium ruined it.
It won’t be the same without Bummer.