Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
The brain of the Giants thinks their home park is in their head.
Farhan Zaidi, the team president of baseball operations, suggested it’s not just Oracle Park’s dimensions that is stifling Giants bats at home, but the park’s reputation. Hitters have learned it’s a place fly balls go to die in opposing gloves.
This offseason, he said, the Giants may have to talk to some of their players about the park (which likely will go through some alterations, anyway).
“I think this is something we have to tackle head-on,” Zaidi said Thursday on KNBR’s “Tolbert Krueger & Brooks.” “I think as we look through the numbers, I think there’s a certain psychology to guys feeling like, this is a really tough place to hit. But when you break down the numbers, Oracle has played much fairer this year than in past years. I think partly because it was a warm summer and obviously whatever’s going on with the baseball.
“I think some of it is just going to be sitting down with the players and talking through things and talking about how the home park has played fairer. And hopefully that lends itself to a little more positive psychology. I do think the history of this ballpark and how it plays as a pitchers’ park wears on players a little bit.”
The numbers are stark: The Giants slash .230/.292/.363 with 57 homers at home, while those leap to .251/.316/.430 with 104 homers on the road. While Oracle Park has seen the fewest runs of any park in baseball – 595 entering Thursday, and the total 145 home runs was last, too — opponents have been able to figure it out. They’ve given up 341 runs at home and scored just 254. Their 33-42 Oracle Park record may actually be fortunate.
Zaidi pointed to Thursday’s 5-4 loss in Fenway, in which a 5-1 deficit in the eighth inning was nearly overcome. Those comebacks don’t seem to happen in San Francisco.
“It’s almost like there’s been this feeling at home that when we get down, because we haven’t been able to score runs, then we’re out of it,” Zaidi said. “At home, we haven’t even had those instances many times where there’s a small lead and we come back because sometimes it felt insurmountable.”
The biggest offenders have been the core group — the ones most prone to be beaten down. Brandon Crawford has hit 11 home runs this season; two have come at Oracle Park, where he’s batting .217. Buster Posey has six homer total this year — none at home. Brandon Belt is slashing .234/.345/.377 at home.
While the park will change, the Giants hope the players’ heads will, too.