"56" ? .406 ? An Effect of Foul Area on Hitting Records?

At the Casey Award presentation at Boomerangs’ Bar and Grill in Cincinnati yesterday March 18, I asked Kostya Kennedy, award-winning author of “56”, if he had any info on analysis, recollection, remembrance, or reminiscence regarding potential effect of the small foul area of Yankee Stadium (23,100 sq. ft.) on Joe DiMaggio’s record 56-game hitting streak. “Any discussion of foul balls in Yankee Stadium landing in the 2nd or 3rd rows, just beyond the fielder's reach, followed by a base hit on the next or subsequent pitches?” Kennedy found the question interesting and acknowledged he was unaware of any serious discussion on the topic.

STRIKE THREE!’s interest has been the effect of foul area on strikeout records over the years. But Kennedy’s comment that in Wee Willie Keeler’s era foul balls weren’t considered strikes, allowing him an advantage in getting more swings to get additional hits, turned attention to the possibility that foul area has had an effect on cherished hitting records as well.

Insofar as Joe’s record was broken in Cleveland Municipal Stadium (43,500 sq. ft….yes, almost twice as much foul area as Yankee Stadium!), I checked to see exactly how the record was halted. No … no foul balls caught on the field that might have gone into the stands in Yankee Stadium. Three ground outs, and a base on balls in game # 57.

What about .406? Ted Williams set his hitting record playing most of his games in Fenway Park, where the foul area has been the smallest in the AL (21,300 sq. ft.). How many foul balls into the first rows there (that would have been easy outs in Cleveland or Chicago) were followed by base hits in Boston?

Where MLB charts every pitch now, and knows where every foul ball lands, there’s no record of whether DiMaggio or Williams were aided by the small foul area of their home parks. It’s been said Fenway adds 5-7 points in BA: the proximity of the Green Monster, a good batter’s eye, and small foul area all contribute. That the duo were the best of their time is not diminished by the prospect of a few fewer base hits they might not have garnered in a different home ball park. On the other hand, setting such records happens only one at bat at a time, and only one needs to go the opposite way to be deprived of a record.

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