Austin Hays, O's talk about adjusting to new left field wall

Orioles players and coaches and skipper Brandon Hyde are getting their firs in-person look today at the new dimensions at Camden Yards, where the wall is back much further this year in left and left-center field.

Austin Hays, who is starting in left field today against Milwaukee, had not yet been out there when reporters were allowed in the clubhouse this morning. But he didn’t think it would take him long to learn some of the differences and nuances with the deeper dimensions.

“You treat it like how you would going to a visiting ballpark,” said Hays. “It’s your first time there. You get your reps in and get a feel for what you need to do. I’m sure this series we will get very comfortable with it.”

And he added it won’t take long for him to feel at home out there.

“Probably just a couple of days of BP. Good shagging days, taking balls live off the bat. I can do that for three rounds the next couple of days and honestly I’ll be very comfortable,” Hays said.

He also said he doesn’t have any safety concerns or worries about the changes or the 90-degree angle where the wall meets the bullpen area.

“I think the wall is padded, so I think we’ll be fine,” Hays said. “I saw some nasty collisions here over the last three or four years in that left-center field, right-center field area. … The ballpark, it plays the way it plays, but I’ve seen bad collisions out there before. I don’t think it’s going to be any more or any less. It’s on the outfielder to know where the wall is at all times. You take a peek if you feel like you are getting close to it,” he said.

Hays, who went 1-for-10 in the series at The Trop versus Tampa Bay, was also excited for another step toward normalcy today. The clubhouse was once again filled with media and he indicated the makeup of the clubhouse was more what the players are used to from the last season or two. And he feels that will actually help the team on the field, too.

“It feels like baseball again,” Hays said. “It feels like we can really grow together as a team and get closer. I think that will show up in wins on the field. I think we can build those relationships together that it’s just been tough to do the last couple of years. You couldn’t really be around each other in the clubhouse. Feels really good to be home and have the environment of a big league clubhouse again.”

The O’s Ryan Mountcastle, who went 5-for-12 with a homer against the Rays, was asked how this will play out for Orioles hitters. He led the club with 33 homers last year.

“It was very far,” he said. “A lot farther that it normally is. You have to adjust and hopefully some of them will still carry out. We’ll see.

“I’m not really going to change much with my approach or anything. I’m sure there will be some balls that I think are going out that won’t go out. It’s something you have to get use to and it’s part of the game.”

Center fielder Cedric Mullins said outfield communication will be paramount as the O’s fielders get used to the new look at Oriole Park.

“Just different ways of playing it off the wall. How we lineup for certain guys we might be deeper in left field and might have to help cover more of the gap. Will be a play-it-by-ear situation,” he said.

Hyde also is getting his first look today at an area in the left field corner, which is 20 feet farther back, and the 398-foot mark and 13-foot high fence at “Elrod’s Corner,” where the wall joins the bullpens. That spot in deep left-center field was once 364 feet so this is very, very different.

“I think it is going to help out our pitching staff," said Hyde. "We are fortunate to have Austin Hays, who is a center fielder, that can go play left field. For me, it’s going to play a little like Fenway (Park), where you need your corner outfielder to have center field range. Having Austin is very beneficial.