Ballparks vary in terms of ground rules
Associated Press
Sunday, October 12, 2008

Major League Baseball umpire Dan Iassogna looks at the ground rules and replay possibilities at the four ballparks in play this postseason. Here's how he sizes them up:

Tropicana Field

This place is wild and rocking, but so are the ground rules. Fan interference in the outfield is always a possibility -- nowadays that's true in so many of our parks. The biggest issues here are the catwalks. Some are in play, some are home runs, all of them have cables and/or speakers, lights attached. The baseballs also blend in with the roof so you can't take your eyes off the ball, except when you have to avoid the fielders actually trying to catch the ball, which is all of the time. There are also foul poles attached to the roof, which is a unique design feature.

Fenway Park

An incredible baseball atmosphere, but a ground rules headache. Now that there are seats atop the left field wall it's truly become a green monster. There is a red line that separates the fans from the field. If struck by a batted ball, it's a home run except if it hits the ladder (another unique design feature) first, then it's ruled a double.

Citizens Bank Park

An intense baseball experience. If Tropicana Field is a pinball machine, then this park is a video game. There are yellow lines drawn in the outfield that designate between home run and in play. The fans can also reach anything in right-center and right. What makes this park unique are the clear Plexiglas walls in the outfield. With the fans seated behind them, a ball hitting the glass looks as if it's changed direction in midair or struck the fans or the flower garden planted in left field. Not cool.

Dodger Stadium

The classic baseball package. With the exception of the short part of the outfield wall, this ballpark is pretty umpire-friendly. The fans are seated well behind in the gaps, which makes our job much easier.

Dan Iassogna: MLB umpire said Dodger Stadium is the most umpire-friendly of four ballparks in the playoffs.

From the Sunday, October 12, 2008 edition of the Augusta Chronicle
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