Setting sun key to unders in Oakland?
By Jason Logan
Wed, Oct 11, 2006
Baseball fans in the Bay Area are used to hearing about the ?Game of Shadows? by now, but it seems the Oakland Athletics have their own shady situation that is leaving batters in the dark.
With the ALCS games scheduled for 8 p.m. ET primetime starts, the setting sun is wreaking havoc on hitters in the batter`s box at McAfee Coliseum.
Hitters are finding it hard to track the baseball as it passes from sun into shade. This transition also makes it difficult on catchers as the shadows can hide the rotation of the ball and make it difficult to track outside pitches. The shadows are stretching over the infield and into right and right-center field.
Weather reports are currently predicting a sunny evening with a few cloudy periods for Game 2.
Sportsbooks have not adjusted tonight`s 8 1/2-run total Game 2. Books depend on matchups and statistics when setting the number for postseason games, but do not dismiss the sun`s impact.
?It?s not really having an impact on the total but it is something we should keep an eye on,? says Shane Catford an oddsmaker at . ?The average bettor doesn`t know much about it and there hasn?t been any one sided or sharp action on the total. Something like this is a situation we should be paying a little more attention to but it is something that is a little unpredictable.?
The Tigers have already seen the benefits of pitching from the shadows in the ALDS with the Yankees. In the deciding Game 4 that started at 4:05 p.m. ET, Tigers pitcher Jeremy Bonderman threw in a similar situation with his fastball hidden by the shadows in the first three innings of the game. New York was held scoreless until the seventh.
Sharp bettors have taken note of the shifting darkness in McAfee Coliseum, seeing the setting sun as a major advantage to pitchers and the defense. This impact was evident in last night?s 5-1 Game 1, which played under the 8 1/2 ?run total set by oddsmakers.
?I feel strongly that when this does occur it is a big advantage for the pitcher,? says professional handicapper Scott Rickenbach. ?The pitcher and catcher know where they want the ball thrown. The hitter has no idea what`s coming and how to deal with it so if he also has to deal with shadows while trying to pick up the rotation of the ball that`s a tough deal.?
As the shadows slide to the outfield another issue is leaving batters guessing. At about 8:40 p.m. ET the reflection of the sun is causing major glare off the windows of the outfield box suites, blinding batters as they step into the box.
"It`s like two spotlights coming down," Tigers hitting coach Don Slaught told MLB.com, "so your face looks real bright. The shadows will start behind the pitcher, so there`s nothing between the pitcher and the hitter, so it`s not as bad.?
This problem only lasts about 20 minutes, but was enough for Slaught to schedule the team?s batting practice on Monday during that time period to get used to it.
?I`m not sure how bad the glare`s going to be, because you can block it out with your visor and it won`t last that long."
