Ross Stripling on Playing Big-League Games in a Minor-League Park

Jason Burke | Sep 4, 2024

Sep 4, 2020; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Ross Stripling (48) throws a pitch during the fourth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images / Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

The Oakland A's will be moving to a minor league park in Sacramento for the 2025-27 seasons, a planned pit stop before their arrival in Las Vegas, if everything works out with the financing of the new ballpark. One player currently on the roster that knows what it's like to play big-league games in a minor-league park is A's pitcher Ross Stripling.

The veteran right-hander was a member of the 2020 and 2021 Toronto Blue Jays, who played games in Buffalo, home to the Jays' Triple-A affiliate, as well as in Dunedin, home of the Single-A affiliate of the club. With the pandemic in full effect around the world, players were prohibited from entering Canada in 2020, meaning that the Blue Jays couldn't play in their home park in Toronto.

The organization did everything they could to make it suitable for Major League action. One key difference between that situation and the one that the A's will be dealing with is that there were no fans in the stands for the 2020 season, so there will be less room to spread out for the players.

"The Blue Jays did everything they could to make it great. There was plenty of space, we had the whole stadium to ourselves as a home side. Full weight room, full locker room, our food was great. Everything was great. The visiting side, I can't speak for them. They were in a tent in right field, I'm sure it was tough. But once you're in the stadium, you're like, this is great. I have every amenity that I need."

The biggest difference in what kind of experience different guys had for Stripling was about the mindset players had going in. "I think knowing that we were just going to be there for a short time, we made the most of being in a city that we'll probably never visit again." He also gave a shout out to the Buffalo Zoo, which he called "sneaky good" and said that his one-year-old loved the polar bear there.

As for playing the actual baseball games, Stripling felt that the Jays had a huge advantage playing in a minor-league park since the visiting team didn't want to be there. In 2020 they went 17-9 at home in Buffalo, and 15-19 on the road, so it would sure seem as though that advantage was real.

"When guys have asked me, I've tried to say 'make the most of it, because it will be short-lived, and it is what it is.' There's no reason going into work all pissed off every day. Like, you're still a big-leaguer."

We also talked a little bit about some of the park factors that they had to deal with. "I would say that most minor league parks are pretty hitter friendly. Maybe they're a little shorter to the corners, have wind or whatever. I would just say in Buffalo, once it warms up, the ball just flies a little bit more there." He also believes that if they had played a full 162 game season there, that Vladimir Guerrero Jr. could have hit 60 home runs in those conditions.

With the addition of turf to Sutter Health Field in Sacramento, Stripling thinks there will be more ground balls that get through the infield since the surface will play a little quicker. That would also be an advantage for the A's, who will be used to the speed of the playing surface fairly quickly, unlike teams that may play in Sacramento once or twice a year.

The righty also brought up one more point that will be of interest to the A's hitters heading into 2025, and that is the batter's eye in center. Charlotte Varnes of the San Francisco Chronicle visited Sacramento last week, and Darell Hernaiz said that he and other Aviators have had a hard time with the batter's eye.

"The batter's eye is awful" Stripling said. "I mean, you cannot see for the first three innings, and it has not been addressed yet. I think there could be entire homestands where nobody scores in the first three innings." There has not been an official announcement about the batter's eye being fixed for next season, but if the player's feel this way, it's likely that something will be done ahead of next season.

Stripling, who is a free agent at the end of the 2024 season, has said a couple of times in interviews this season that he would be open to re-signing with the A's and playing in Sacramento.

On Tuesday, he joked, "If they [the A's] want to being me back as an opener, I'll open 60-80 games in Sacramento, and I'll only pitch at home."