NewsBrewers struggling with Miller Park glare
Milwaukee (40-34) vs. San Francisco (39-34), 1:05 p.m. CT
By Adam McCalvy and Cash Kruth / MLB.com
06/28/09 1:09 AM ET
MILWAUKEE -- Standing in the batter's box against a Major League pitcher is tough enough. But trying to hit at Miller Park when you can't see the baseball? Brewers slugger Ryan Braun believes it's downright dangerous. "It's really to the point that it's a health hazard," Braun said. Braun is leading a more vocal charge by Brewers position players who have long complained about the difficult hitting conditions during day games at Milwaukee's convertible-roofed ballpark. The combination of sunshine streaming through the open roof, the open panels in center field and the huge glass windows above the upper grandstands creates what Braun considers a dangerous combination of shadows and glare. During the mid-afternoon hours on a sunny day, Braun said, it's all but impossible to see the baseball out of a pitcher's hand. Thus, Braun and first baseman Prince Fielder wouldn't mind waking up Sunday morning and seeing rainclouds. They will face Giants rookie Ryan Sadowski in the finale of a three-game series at Miller Park. "We want to talk about it," Braun said. "We've made it very clear [to club officials] how we feel about it. It's miserable playing day games here. That's why Prince and I continue to talk about it. We've told everybody, and they haven't done anything about it. It gets to the point where nobody enjoys playing day games here. It's good for pitchers, but you can't see the ball. It's, by far, worse than any other park in Major League Baseball." Fielder wasn't quite as forward, but he's just as frustrated. Fielder homered off the Twins' Scott Baker in a Brewers loss under sunny skies Thursday, and was asked afterward what kind of pitch he hit. "I have no idea," Fielder said, "because I couldn't see it." He said he was "lucky" to connect. Does Fielder think something needs to be done? "No comment," he said. Fielder wears special sunglasses designed to cut down the glare, but said they don't do much. "You just have to deal with it," he said. "I just work here." Which raises the counter-argument: Pitchers work here, too. You won't hear any of the Brewers' arms complaining about day games under sunny skies, because they know full-well how hard it is to hit and use the shadows to their advantage. The most famous performance came May 16, 2004, when Ben Sheets struck out 18 Atlanta Braves on a sunny Sunday. "Both teams have to deal with it, so it's a fair game," Braun said. "But even the pitchers, if they get a comebacker, they're not going to be able to react because they can't see the ball, either. As a hitter, it's not fun and it's not safe." Braun has some solutions in mind. He would cut down the ivy that grows under the center-field batter's eye, because it contributes to the glare. Tint the windows above the grandstands or cover them with advertisements. Or just close the roof, even when the temperature is 87 degrees like it was Thursday. Miller Park has a heating system, but no air conditioning. "We've asked them to do that every time: Open the [outfield] panels, close the roof," Braun said. "As long as we can see the baseball, I'll deal with the heat." Brewers officials have been clear that they're not going to close the roof on a beautiful day. The way assistant general manager Gord Ash sees it, you have to decide whether you play in an outdoor venue that can close up for inclement weather, or an indoor venue that occasionally opens up. He is the former GM of the Blue Jays and said players voiced similar displeasure about the shadows at Rogers Centre. "What you do worry about is that at some point it becomes a mental issue," Ash said. The Brewers have not ruled out tinting the windows or covering them with curtains, Ash said. But that would come at an extremely high cost, and it is not a front-burner issue at the moment. Braun worries that someone is going to get hurt. "You don't see the baseball until it's right on top of you," he said. "The first couple of innings of a 1 o'clock game are fine. After that, it's impossible. The way this stadium is set up, it's already darker than most fields. Then you add the glare and the shadows, it's miserable. We don't enjoy playing day games here and opposing teams don't, either. "But we've told everybody and no one does anything about it. You start to feel like it isn't worth complaining about it, because they're not going to do anything about it. Something drastic or tragic is going to have to happen for them to make a change." Pitching matchupMIL: RHP Jeff Suppan (5-5, 4.65 ERA)
Suppan was a victim of some bad defensive plays in his last outing against Minnesota. Suppan gave up nine hits in five innings, allowing seven runs, four of which were earned. Three of the other four runs also could have been avoided, when a swinging strike three got past catcher Jason Kendall to load the bases in the top of the first. The next batter followed with a bases-clearing double to put the Brewers in a hole they wouldn't get out of. Suppan and the Brewers opened the season against the Giants on April 7, with Suppan taking the loss in a 10-6 loss for the Brewers, allowing six runs in four innings. For his career Suppan has had mixed results against the Giants, going 3-5 with a 5.64 ERA in nine starts. SF: RHP Ryan Sadowski (Major League debut)
Sadowski last pitched June 20 against Triple-A Colorado Springs, receiving no decision as he allowed 10 hits and four earned runs in six innings. His most impressive recent effort came against Portland on May 30, when he yielded three hits in six shutout innings. Sadowski limited right-handed batters to a .209 average in Triple-A, compared with .281 against left-handers. San Francisco obtained Sadowski by selecting him in the 12th round of the 2003 First-Year Player Draft. Tidbits
Saturday was the fifth annual Cerveceros Day at Miller Park, a day-long celebration honoring Latino players who have been influential in baseball. Both teams wore Hispanic-themed jerseys during Saturday's game. Milwaukee's jerseys had "Cerveceros" across the front, while San Francisco had "Gigantes" on the front of its jerseys. ... The Brewers will face Sadowski on Sunday, a 26-year-old right-hander for the Giants who will be making his Major League debut. In 13 starts at Triple-A Fresno he was 5-2 with a 4.11 ERA. ... Another reminder that the Brewers' game Monday against the New York Mets has been changed to a 6:08 p.m. CT first pitch due to a national telecast by ESPN. Tickets
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• Monday: Brewers (Braden Looper, 5-4, 5.16) vs. Mets (Fernando Nieve, 3-0, 1.31), 6:05 p.m. CT
• Tuesday: Brewers (Mike Burns, 0-1, 3.72) vs. Mets (Johan Santana, 9-5, 3.08), 7:05 p.m. CT
• Wednesday: Brewers (Yovani Gallardo, 8-4, 2.86) vs. Mets (Mike Pelfrey, 5-3, 4.67), 1:05 p.m. CT
Adam McCalvy is a reporter for MLB.com. Cash Kruth is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
