Major League Baseball has announced that they will investigate reports that the Citizens Bank Park home plate is slightly larger than the league's other twenty-nine plates. A regulation plate has a perimeter of 58 inches.
The Phillies are currently the hottest offense in the league scoring 15, 20, 7, 6, and 12 runs respectively over their last five games.
"Obviously a larger home plate can lead to greater run production. In some cases the increase can be significant," said MLB's director of outfield wall padding installation, Gary Ligle.
Ligle referenced the 1894 Boston Harbors(moved to Wilmington, DE in 1896 and defunct by 1897) who averaged 9.7 runs per game. The Harbors, who easily won the World Series that year, were later stripped of their crown when it was discovered that Beanton Field had a non-regulation size home plate. The plate was two inches larger than the required size.
Some have brought up the point that both teams playing in Citizens Bank Park use the same plate and so it should not benefit one team over the other.
"If they[Phillies] know the plate is larger, than it is a huge psychological advantage," said MLB director of psychology, Dean Travers.
During yesterday's game Florida Marlins outfielder Jacque Jones came to the plate with a ruler, but was turned away by the umpire.
The Phillies have denied any wrong doing and have invited league officials to measure the plate provided they use the tape measure used by the team's ground crew.
"It's a good tape measure. We just feel that they would be better off with the tape measure we supply," said Phillies representative, Scott Doily.
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