THE GREEN MONSTER in Fenway Park in Boston (Wikipedia).
Of all the depressing statistics that define the Los Angeles Angels’ too-early descent into the lower recesses of the American League, the most head-scratching number is this one: 4-12.
No, that’s not a negative number, except as concerns how badly the Halos are doing. It represents – through Thursday night’s games – the home record for the Orange County team: four wins and 12 losses.
It is received wisdom that in baseball, as in most sports, the key to a successful season is to win at home and break even on the road. Well, the Angels have reversed that equation with a 10-12 record in foreign territory.
“The road” is supposed to be where monsters be. In fact, Fenway Park in Boston has a giant left field wall called the Green Monster. At Wrigley Field in Chicago, the outfield perimeter is so covered in ivy that a double that rolls to the wall can easily turn into an inside-the-vines home run.
And it’s almost a cliche how many teams have let the infield grass either grow long or be trimmed down the nub to slow or speed grounders, all in the interest of gaining some advantage.
Some stadiums are designed so that fans have at least as good a chance of grabbing a fly or foul ball as does the fielder.
The “home” advantage, then, is supposed to offer continuity, access to the comforts of family and friends, and the cheers of adoring fans. But none of that seems to be doing the Angels much good. And – to be frank – they’ve not done much to prompt the fans to cheer.
My only theory is that the Angels have so many newbies in the lineup that Angel Stadium is just as strange and alien to them as Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg (Florida, not Russia).
So, if you’re an optimist – and which Angel fan isn’t, by necessity? – this means that as the Young Fellas get used to the Big A, they’ll start earning some W’s at home and turn a depressing season into something to build on.
OK, maybe I don’t believe it either.