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February 2011
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February 13, 2011 [LINK / comment]

PETCO Park update

I hadn't planned on this, but the photos of PETCO Park sent to me by Marc Chavez last month were so detailed that I realized that several details needed fixing. And, as usual, I got carried away in pursuing various photographic clues and in getting the architectural and landscaping details just right. For example, I included the palm trees, which really define PETCO Park. Also, I paid much closer attention to the cut-out platforms in the upper deck where fans enter and exit. The size and profile of the grandstand are now slightly different, but the field itself is virtually the same as it was before. The middle deck extends farther forward from first base to third base, which I had not realized before. One thing that bothered me is that the Padres' Web site states that the roof of the Western Metals Supply Building is 80 feet above the ground, about ten more than I had estimated. I think they are referring to the elevated portion in back of the bleachers sections on top of that roof.

Strike Three! Web site

Thomas Tomsick, M.D. has a new Web site related to his new book, Strike Three! My Years in the 'Pen: www.strikethree.biz. Dr. Tomsick was the Cleveland Indians' bullpen catcher during the mid-1960s, and his book contains fascinating personal recollections as well as sophisticated sabermetric analyses of the effect of ballparks on pitching performance. I highly recommend it. But don't take my word for it, read what ESPN analyst Rob Neyer has to say about it.

Superdome renovations

Long-time fan of this Web site Joe Johnston reports that work on rebuilding the Superdome has begun in earnest, and should be completed in time for football season late next summer. The concourses are being widened significantly, of course, and the lower deck is being totally rebuilt, so that it will extend closer to the football sidelines. It will no longer be retractable, however, which means no more baseball games in the Superdome. That's too bad. For full details, see superdome.com and neworleanssaints.com.

Finally, I've got more news items to report and more diagram updates that are very near to completion. Stay tuned!