The Crane Pool Forum

So we're off shortly to Old Blighty. We'll be in Scotland first and then taking a train down to London, sightseeing all the way and winding up in London Stadium on June 8 & 9 to see the Mets play (and hopefully not embarrass themselves in the process) the Philadelphia Phillies. London Stadium is where West Ham United normally plays soccer and was a location for the 2012 London Olympics track & field events.

Soccer stadiums generally make for poor baseball fields. This one was a little more flexible, but not much. It'll be 385 to center, compensated for by a 16-foot mini-Green Monster. 335 down the lines and shallow alleys. There's a good chance there'll be a lot of long balls.



Look at all that foul territory. Makes Oakland look positively cozy. Also an incredible amount of room for the Phanatic to ride his ATV, alas.

Looking forward to seeing the Mets suck on two continents. You can't miss me, I'll be the one in the Alvarez jersey. Even my jerseys get injured.

Apparently still tickets available for the Bravehearts among you.

The soccer/football fields converted into baseball brings up the extreme example of when the Dodgers first played in the extreme oval
that was the LA Coliseum while awaiting the eviction of Mexican Americans out of Chavez Ravine in favor of what became Dodger Stadium.
Even with a temporary fence built, CF was so long and the lines (particularly in LF) so short that the joke had it that the building had room
for 100,000 fans but only two outfielders.






There's a make-shift screen in front of the seats in LF -- sort of a mesh monster -- to prevent pop-ups from becoming HRs and fans from
becoming decapitated by line drives. Another make-shift fence ran from CF to the RF corner or else a batter could circle the bases twice
on a gapper to RCF. Lefty swinging Dodger Wally Moon learned how to slice outside pitches over that screen (19 HRs in 1959 for the
170 lb OF/1B) in what naturally became known as 'Moon-shots'.

Yeah, soccer stadiums don't really work. Cricket grounds would work better but I think they're in use this time of year. Anyway, we shall see. They're also doing a big MLB hoo-hah in Trafalgar Square featuring Daniel Murphy and Chase Utley (boo). Maybe I'll take a whack at his leg.

This seems to be less of a 'let's introduce the Brits to baseball' thing and more of a 'let's get die-hard fans of their teams to travel thousands of miles to a foreign country' thing. I think the Brits could care less.

Have a great time! I would have loved to have been there, but it just wasn't practical for several reasons.

We'd have totally gone were we not saving for kollege. It'd be our 20th anniversary week too.

Have a great time and boo Utley for All of us.
Later

On the sea again.

Lefty Specialist wrote: ↑Mon May 27, 2024 6:58 pm It'll be 385 to center, compensated for by a 16-foot mini-Green Monster. 335 down the lines and shallow alleys. There's a good chance there'll be a lot of long balls.

I read that they have been able to find some more room with center moving back to 392 feet, and alleys up to 387 feet.

Will also be representing for the good guys in London this weekend.

Cool. Have noticed some Mets fans but even more Phillies fans here the past few days.....

The weather has been sparkling and it looks like it'll be okay for the games, too.

Gwreck wrote: ↑Mon Jun 03, 2024 12:21 am

Lefty Specialist wrote: ↑Mon May 27, 2024 6:58 pm It'll be 385 to center, compensated for by a 16-foot mini-Green Monster. 335 down the lines and shallow alleys. There's a good chance there'll be a lot of long balls.

I read that they have been able to find some more room with center moving back to 392 feet, and alleys up to 387 feet.

Sounds like the old Wrigley Field in LA where they filmed Home Run Derby.
Balls will be flying out of there. Take pics of the field from your seats.
Later

Yes, if only I could figure out how to post pics from my phone....