At the start of the Brewers’ four-game series in Philadelphia, one of the storylines highlighted by the FSWisconsin team was that Ryan Braun loves to hit in Citizens Bank Park. It’s no surprise why – after Tuesday’s game, Braun’s slash line was a cool .438/.486/.833 at the home of the Phillies. No wonder Philadelphia fans were so vociferous last year when Braun hit three homers in one game. He has a habit of ruining their day.
It got me thinking about how some visiting players have the ability to torment the home team’s fans by being remarkably productive when they come to town. Off the top of my head, it seems like Adrian Gonzalez and Paul Goldschmidt always kill the Brewers when they’re in Milwaukee. Indeed, some cursory research reveals Gonzalez is .404/.489/.780 at Miller Park, and Goldschmidt is .510/.561/1.094 (!!!). The Brewers as a team are not exactly intimidating anyone this year, but I wondered if there are any players that spoil the fun of opposing teams’ fans when they’re on the road. I spent a little time with the indispensable and user-friendly Baseball-Reference.com, and here’s what I found. (I didn’t count relatively small sample sizes, like Martin Maldonado having a 1.000 OPS at Safeco Field in only seven at-bats.)
Braun also does well in Chicago, San Francisco, and Minneapolis: Although he is especially productive in Philadelphia, Braun is not too shabby at Wrigley Field (.343/.394/.530), AT&T Park (.346/.386/.769), and Target Field (.310/.369/.603). I’m a little surprised Wrigley is the only opposing NL Central stadium where Braun is notably better than average. In the “small sample size” category, Braun is a scorching 7-for-10 at Yankee Stadium.
Adam Lind is bigger in Texas, and off to a good start in Cincinnati: Having spent the rest of his career as a Blue Jay, you’d think Lind would have positive memories of at least one AL stadium. That stadium happens to be Rangers Ballpark in Arlington (.331/.362/.703). For what it’s worth, Lind is getting off on the right foot in Great American Ballpark (.360/.407/.600 in 25 at-bats).
Jean Segura is not bad in Denver or St. Louis: Plenty of hitters like Coors Field, and Segura is one of them, although he’s not necessarily dominant (.324/.366/.486). He’s also pretty good at goddamn Busch Stadium (.346/.370/.423). Segura is not exactly tormenting opposing fans in those cities, but his positive results are worth mentioning.
Aramis Ramirez also does good work in Denver and St. Louis – and was pretty decent in New York once: Like his countryman Segura, Ramirez also does a respectable job at Coors Field (.331/.353/.646) and Busch Stadium (.297/.366/.520). Interestingly, he was a happy visitor to Shea Stadium back in the day (.314/.378/.590) although he’s not been able to get similar results in Citi Field (.584 OPS).
Go-Go loves Los Angeles, as well as newer stadiums in Miami, New York, and Minneapolis: On the current Brewers roster, Carlos Gomez is the biggest spoiler on the road, with eye-catching numbers in four different opposing ballparks. He regularly ruins fans’ days at Dodger Stadium (.340/.386/.623), Marlins Park (.415/.442/.732), Citi Field (.421/.488/.553), and Target Field (.370/.404/.648).
Gerardo Parra is at home in the Friendly Confines: Parra is a solid player, but not one I’d think of as beating up on opposing teams. As it turns out, he’s been a consistent troublemaker at Wrigley (.369/.400/.524) over 84 at-bats.
Jonathan Lucroy’s hot in Hotlanta (also Philadelphia and Phoenix): Like Gomez and Braun, Lucroy is a legitimate “that guy” in a few different places. He kills it at Turner Field (.383/.434/.617), Citizens Bank Park (.479/.528/.854 through Tuesday), and Chase Field (.400/.449/.711). This seems like a good excuse to remember one of Lucroy’s best moments against the Diamondbacks from the 2014 season.
[mlbvideo id=”33822799″ width=”400″ height=”224″ /]Brings a smile to my face every time.
Kyle Lohse is undefeated in Atlanta, Baltimore, and Miami: In six starts at Turner Field, Lohse is 4-0 with a 2.25 ERA. He’s also perfect at Camden Yards – 3-0 in three starts. Lohse has only had two starts at Marlins Park, but he’s won them both in dominating fashion, with a 1.84 ERA and 0.545 WHIP.
Matt Garza wins at Camden (and must get great run support) and owns hitters in Toronto: Like Lohse, Garza has never lost at Camden (6-0 in eight starts) but his 3.75 ERA and 1.333 WHIP suggests he’s had help from his offense when he’s been in Baltimore. By contrast, Garza has a losing record at the Rogers Center (3-4) but his 1.36 ERA and 1.000 WHIP indicates he hasn’t had much run support north of the border.
Cubs can’t solve Mike Fiers: Fiers has only had three starts at Wrigley, but he has three wins, a 0.89 ERA, and a 0.787 WHIP to show for it. Two of those starts were like legalized murder – he struck out 12 this past May, and last year he struck out 14. When Cubs fans see Fiers is scheduled to pitch in a series at Wrigley, they should probably adjust their ticket-buying plans accordingly.
Although relatively few Brewers players are as feared on the road as Gonzalez and Goldschmidt are in Milwaukee, it’s nice to know that Braun, Gomez, Lucroy, and Fiers can make some opposing fans uncomfortable. Even if Brewers fans don’t have much to be thrilled about this season, we might as well be happy that a few players have something to look forward to when they’re on the road.
(Image: Calista Condo/South Jersey Times)
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