Word of the Day: Launching Pad

Launching Pad, noun: A baseball stadium that gives up an huge quantity of home runs.

Usage Example: The launching pad at New Yankee Stadium gave up three home runs last night.

Word History: Anyone who listens to the Jim Rome Show knows Jim calls Coors Field, Coors Canaveral. He calls Coors Field that name because the stadium is like Cape Canaveral where the Space Shuttle is launched. Up until the Colorado Rockies started using a humidor, Coors Field was the place where an average Joe probably could hit a home run.

But for the longest time, Coors Field was the only ballpark where you could see home runs leave faster than they came. Unless you count the Roid heads who knocked out home runs, thats a different story though.

Recently though, we have seen a Renaissance with new ballparks being built. And with new ballparks being built, we have seen new launching pads being built.

The first launching pad built was Enron Field, er Minute Maid Park. With it's short left field porch, a new launching pad was built. Still the most incredible home run I have ever seen was hit there. Remember the 05 NLCS? With Brad Lidge closing the game for the Astros, he gave up a moon shot to Albert Pujols. I still don't think the ball has landed yet.

There has been other launching pads built recently. Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, The Ballpark in Arlington, and new Yankee Stadium. New Yankee Stadium has been the center of the launching pad controversy lately. New York spent a cool $1 Billion on the new ballpark. Well within the first week of opening that place, new Yankee Stadium was the newest launching pad. People went crazy wondering why so many home runs were being hit out of the new home. They thought there was some sort of jet stream running through the place. They have still not figured out why so many home runs have been hit and probably never figure out why.

I actually enjoy the launching pads in baseball. They are better than the graveyards where the Giants, Mets, Padres, and Florida play in. But that's a different word of the day.