MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Minnesota Twins slugger Justin Morneau says he and his teammates are disappointed the club hasn’t moved the outfield fences at Target Field to make it easier to homer.
The Twins this week announced $4 million to $6 million in improvements at Target Field, but didn’t address players’ concerns about the outfield fences.
“Right-center to left-center is ridiculous,” Morneau said in an e-mail to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “(It’s) almost impossible for a right-handed hitter to (homer to the) opposite field and very difficult for lefties. It affects the hitters a lot, and you start to develop bad habits as a hitter when you feel like you can only pull the ball to hit it over the fence. You take those habits on the road.”
The Twins hit 52 home runs at Target Field and 90 on the road, while their pitchers surrendered 64 homers at home and 91 on the road. Their 53-28 home record was the best in the American League, while they were 41-40 away from Target Field.
“We had a lot of discussions in the clubhouse with the manager and general manager, but right now there is no plan to alter the dimensions,” Twins President Dave St. Peter said.
Morneau said he hoped his comments didn’t sound selfish and was more concerned with his team’s success. He also said he’s still not 100 percent recovered from a concussion that kept him out of the final three months of the season, but is feeling better.
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