Minute Maid Park

If you are expecting a rant, you'll be disappointed (or pleased). ;) I did my ranting last night during the game. Actually, it was more than a rant...it was fist-clenching, vein-popping, impotent rage which I expressed by shouting all sorts of vulgarities at my computer. This continued until I went into the next room and found my 2 year old son sitting with his hands clamped over his ears, after which, ashamed, I managed to stifle myself for the remainder of the game.

Now that my anger has subsided, I just find myself puzzled. It seems to me that we just keep getting victimized by MMP, while the Astros take advantage of it. Both in the LCS last year and in this series J-Rod has hit bombs to center that would most likely have been home runs in another park (Albert was similarly robbed shortly after J-Rod was). The Astros, however, don't seem to have any trouble taking advantage. Berkman's HR against Carp in Game 5 last year is a good example (I'm not sure about the HR last night).

An Astros fan once suggested to me that the Houston pitchers have adjusted their pitching in order to keep opposing batters from taking advantage of the park's unusual dimensions. I'm not sure what to make of that statement. I know the Astros play better at home, but so do most teams...even teams that play in gimmick-less parks with normal dimensions. I am fairly ignorant of the finer arts of pitching, so I don't know how they would accomplish this. Aren't most home runs hit on mistake pitches? And if so, shouldn't we be able to get the cheap home runs as easily as they do?

I've thought about this quite a bit, and I remain perplexed. Are we just having bad luck when we play in Houston, or do the 'Stros really know how to maximize their home-field advantage?

What do you guys think?