WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER SETS RECORD VISITS FOR YEAR 7,017,658 VISITS! 2,098,003 VISITORS MADE 6 VISITS A DAY EVERY DAY. 63,330 UNIQUE VISITORS MADE 133,730 VISITS IN DECEMBER. WPCNR AVERAGED 17,284 VISITORS A WEEK, VISITING 31,270 TIMES.

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WPCNR MR. AND MRS.WHITE PLAINS POLL. NOVEMBER 10, 2011:

Tonight the League of Women Voters will sponsor a debate between a representative of the French American School of New York, Michael Zarin, and a major opponent of the project, Robert Stackpole, in an effort to focus on the issues involving the school plan to build a 1,200-student campus on the failed Ridgeway Country Club property in the heart of White Plains upscale southend of town.

Steven Silverberg, the City of White Plains consulting attorney on the city effort to craft an ordinance restricting what any school organization could do on the property will outline the process of the environmental review now underway. After the debate, the two protagonists will take written questions from the floor. The debate is at 7 PM at the Ridgeway Country Club.

The debate takes place a day after a candidate with strong opposition to the FASNY project and development in neighborhoods generally, Terence Guerriere, a resident of the Gedney Farms neighborhood where FASNY is planning to develop its campus, was defeated for Common Council by 500 votes (at this time).

It raises a question of whether the vast majority of the city 30,000 registered voters and 57,000 residents really is that passionately concerned that the city not allow the FASNY project, or whether the Common Council is paying too much attention to a small minority of citizerns who have their ear by earmarking about a half a million dollars of city money to studying,crafting and devising an ordinance and study that would hinder development of golf courses in general.

So WPCNR  has devised the accompanying poll at the rightto sample the community’s passion index on the FASNY project.

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WPCNR FBI REPORT. From the Federal Bureau of Investigation.(Edited) November9,2011:

Today the FBI announced charges against six Estonian nationals and one Russian national for engaging in a massive and sophisticated Internet fraud scheme that infected with malware more than four million computers located in over 100 countries.

Of the computers infected with malware, at least 500,000 were in the United States, including computers belonging to U.S. government agencies, such as NASA; educational institutions; non-profit organizations; commercial businesses; and individuals.

The malware secretly altered the settings on infected computers enabling the defendants to digitally hijack Internet searches and re-route computers to certain websites and advertisements, which entitled the defendants to be paid. The defendants subsequently received fees each time these websites or ads were clicked on or viewed by users. The malware also prevented the installation of anti-virus software and operating system updates on infected computers, leaving those computers and their users unable to detect or stop the defendants’ malware, and exposing them to attacks by other viruses.

Schemes included name sites including:

• When the user of an infected computer clicked on the domain name link for the official website of Apple-iTunes, the user was instead taken to a website for a business unaffiliated with Apple Inc. that purported to sell Apple software.
  
• 
  
• When the user of an infected computer clicked on a domain name link for Netflix, the user was instead taken to a website for an unrelated business called “BudgetMatch.”
  
• 
  
• When the user of an infected computer clicked on the domain name link for the official government website of the Internal Revenue Service, the user was instead taken to the website for H&R Block, a major tax preparation business.

  Six of the defendants, VLADIMIR TSASTSIN, 31, TIMUR GERASSIMENKO, 31, DMITRI JEGOROV, 33, VALERI ALEKSEJEV, 31, KONSTANTIN POLTEV, 28, and ANTON IVANOV, 26, all Estonian nationals, were arrested and taken into custody yesterday in Estonia by the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will seek their extradition to the United States. The seventh defendant, ANDREY TAAME, 31, a Russian national, remains at large.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney PREET BHARARA said: “These defendants gave new meaning to the term, ‘false advertising.’ As alleged, they were international cyber bandits who hijacked millions of computers at will and re-routed them to Internet websites and advertisements of their own choosing—collecting millions in undeserved commissions for all the hijacked computer clicks and Internet ads they fraudulently engineered.

“The international cyber threat is perhaps the most significant challenge faced by law enforcement and national security agencies today, and this case is just perhaps the tip of the Internet iceberg. It is also an example of the success that can be achieved when international law enforcement works together to root out internet crime. We are committed to continuing our vigilance and efforts—it is essential to our national security, our economic security, and our citizens’ personal security.”

FBI Assistant Director in Charge JANICE K. FEDARCYK said:

“The defendants hijacked 4 million computers in a hundred countries, including half a million computers in the United States, rerouting Internet traffic and generating $14 million in illegitimate income. The globalization of the legitimate economy was the inspiration for Thomas Friedman’s The World Is Flat.

“The global reach of these cyber thieves demonstrates that the criminal world is also flat. The Internet is pervasive because it is such a useful tool, but it is a tool that can be exploited by those with bad intentions and a little know-how. In this context, international law enforcement cooperation and strong public-private partnerships are absolute necessities, and the FBI is committed to both.”

NASA Inspector General PAUL MARTIN said: “These arrests illustrate the level of cooperation needed to confront the growing worldwide threat of cyber crime. We will continue working with our national and international colleagues to help protect governments, U.S. agencies like NASA, businesses, and individual users of the Internet from fraud and theft.”

The Cyber-Fraud Scheme

According to the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:

Internet advertising is a multi-billion-dollar industry in which website owners sell advertising space on their sites. Because of the vast number of website operators—also referred to as publishers—and advertisers on the Internet, advertisers often rely on third party “ad brokers” to contract with and deliver their advertisements to publishers. Similarly, rather than contract with ad brokers individually, website publishers often join together and form “publisher networks” to contract with ad brokers collectively.

As alleged in the Indictment, from 2007 until October 2011, the defendants controlled and operated various companies that masqueraded as legitimate publisher networks (the “Publisher Networks”) in the Internet advertising industry.

The Publisher Networks entered into agreements with ad brokers under which they were paid based on the number of times that Internet users clicked on the links for certain websites or advertisements, or based on the number of times that certain advertisements were displayed on certain websites. Thus, the more traffic to the advertisers’ websites and display ads, the more money the defendants earned under their agreements with the ad brokers.

As alleged in the Indictment, the defendants fraudulently increased the traffic to the websites and advertisements that would earn them money. They accomplished this by making it appear to advertisers that the Internet traffic came from legitimate clicks and ad displays on the defendants’ Publisher Networks when, in actuality, it had not.

To carry out the scheme, the defendants and their co-conspirators used what are known as “rogue” Domain Name System (“DNS”) servers, and malware (“the Malware”) that was designed to alter the DNS server settings on infected computers. Victims’ computers became infected with the Malware when they visited certain websites or downloaded certain software to view videos online.

The Malware altered the DNS server settings on victims’ computers to route the infected computers to rogue DNS servers controlled and operated by the defendants and their co-conspirators.

The re-routing took two forms that are described in detail below: “click hijacking” and “advertising replacement fraud.” The Malware also prevented the infected computers from receiving anti-virus software updates or operating system updates that otherwise might have detected the Malware and stopped it. In addition, the infected computers were also left vulnerable to infections by other viruses.

Click Hijacking

When the user of an infected computer clicked on a search result link displayed through a search engine query, the Malware caused the computer to be re-routed to a different website. Instead of being brought to the website to which the user asked to go, the user was brought to a website designated by the defendants.

Each “click” triggered payment to the defendants under their advertising agreements. This click hijacking occurred for clicks on unpaid links that appear in response to a user’s query as well as clicks on “sponsored” links or advertisements that appear in response to a user’s query—often at the top of, or to the right of, the search results—thus causing the search engines to lose money. Several examples of click hijacking illustrated in the Indictment include:

• When the user of an infected computer clicked on the domain name link for the official website of Apple-iTunes, the user was instead taken to a website for a business unaffiliated with Apple Inc. that purported to sell Apple software.
  
• 
  
• When the user of an infected computer clicked on a domain name link for Netflix, the user was instead taken to a website for an unrelated business called “BudgetMatch.”
  
• 
  
• When the user of an infected computer clicked on the domain name link for the official government website of the Internal Revenue Service, the user was instead taken to the website for H&R Block, a major tax preparation business.

Advertising Replacement Fraud

Using the DNS Changer Malware and rogue DNS servers, the defendants also replaced legitimate advertisements on websites with substituted advertisements that triggered payments to the defendants. Several examples of the advertising replacement fraud illustrated in the Indictment include:

• When the user of an infected computer visited the home page of the Wall Street Journal, a featured advertisement for the American Express “Plum Card” had been fraudulently replaced with an ad for “Fashion Girl LA.”
  
• When the user of an infected computer visited the Amazon.com website, a prominent advertisement for Windows Internet Explorer 8 had been fraudulently replaced with an ad for an email marketing business.
  
• When the user of an infected computer visited the ESPN website, a prominent advertisement for “Dr. Pepper Ten” had been fraudulently replaced with an ad for a timeshare business.

The defendants earned millions of dollars under their advertising agreements, not by legitimately displaying advertisements through their Publisher Networks, but rather by using the Malware to fraudulently drive Internet traffic to the websites and ads that would earn them more money. As a result, the defendants and their co-conspirators earned at least $14 million in ill-gotten gains through click hijacking and advertisement replacement fraud. The Indictment further alleges that the defendants laundered the proceeds of the scheme through numerous companies including, among others, Rove Digital, an Estonian corporation, and others listed in the Indictment.

The defendants’ scheme also deprived legitimate website operators and advertisers of substantial monies and advertising revenue. In addition to search engines losing revenue as a result of click hijacking on their sponsored search result listings, advertisers lost money by paying for clicks that they believed came from interested computer users, but which were in fact fraudulently engineered by the defendants. Furthermore, the defendants’ conduct risked reputational harm to businesses that paid to advertise on the Internet—but that had no knowledge or desire for computer users to be directed to their websites or advertisements through the fraudulent means used by the defendants.

* * *

Each defendant is charged with five counts of wire and computer intrusion crimes (see below chart). In addition, TSASTSIN is charged with 22 counts of money laundering.

Remediation Efforts

In conjunction with the arrests yesterday, authorities in the United States seized computers at various locations, froze the defendants’ financial accounts, and disabled their network of U.S.-based computers—including dozens of rogue DNS servers located in New York and Chicago. Additionally, authorities in the United States took steps with their foreign counterparts to freeze the defendants’ assets located in other countries. Remediation efforts were immediately undertaken to minimize any disruption of Internet service to the users of computers infected with the Malware. This remediation was necessary because the dismantling of the defendants’ rogue DNS servers—to which millions of computers worldwide had been redirected—would potentially have caused all of those computers, for all practical purposes, to lose access to websites.

The remediation effort is being carried out pursuant to the order of a Manhattan federal court judge. As part of that order, the defendant’s rogue DNS servers have been replaced with legitimate ones. Internet Systems Consortium (“ISC”), a not-for-profit entity, was appointed by the court to act as a third-party receiver for a limited period of 120 days during which time it will administer the replacement DNS servers. Although the replacement DNS servers will provide continuity of Internet service to victims, those replacement servers will not remove the Malware from the infected computers. Users who believe their computers may be infected can find additional information at FBI.gov.

Mr. BHARARA praised the investigative work of the FBI, NASA OIG, and the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board. Mr. BHARARA also specially thanked the National High Tech Crime Unit of the Dutch National Police Agency. The FBI and NASA OIG received assistance from multiple domestic and international private sector partners, including Georgia Tech University, Internet Systems Consortium, Mandiant, National Cyber-Forensics and Training Alliance, Neustar, Spamhaus, Team Cymru, Trend Micro, University of Alabama at Birmingham and members of an ad hoc group of subject matter experts known as the DNS Changer Working Group (DCWG).

The Office’s Complex Frauds and Asset Forfeiture Units are handling this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys SARAH LAI, JAMES PASTORE, and ALEXANDER J. WILSON are in charge of the prosecution.

The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

U.S. v. Tsastsin, et al.

COUNT	CHARGE	DEFENDANTS	MAXIMUM PENALTIES
1	Wire fraud conspiracy	VLADIMIR TSASTSIN ANDREY TAAME TIMUR GERASSIMENKO DMITRI JEGOROV VALERI ALEKSEJEV KONSTANTIN POLTEV ANTON IVANOV	30 years in prison
2	Computer intrusion conspiracy	VLADIMIR TSASTSIN ANDREY TAAME TIMUR GERASSIMENKO DMITRI JEGOROV VALERI ALEKSEJEV KONSTANTIN POLTEV ANTON IVANOV	10 years in prison
3	Wire fraud	VLADIMIR TSASTSIN ANDREY TAAME TIMUR GERASSIMENKO DMITRI JEGOROV VALERI ALEKSEJEV KONSTANTIN POLTEV ANTON IVANOV	30 years in prison
4	Computer intrusion (furthering fraud)	VLADIMIR TSASTSIN ANDREY TAAME TIMUR GERASSIMENKO DMITRI JEGOROV VALERI ALEKSEJEV KONSTANTIN POLTEV ANTON IVANOV	Five years in prison
5	Computer intrusion (transmitting information)	VLADIMIR TSASTSIN ANDREY TAAME TIMUR GERASSIMENKO DMITRI JEGOROV VALERI ALEKSEJEV KONSTANTIN POLTEV ANTON IVANOV	10 years in prison
6	Money laundering	VLADIMIR TSASTSIN	30 years in prison
7	Engaging in monetary transactions of value over $10,000 involving fraud proceeds	VLADIMIR TSASTSIN	Per count: 10 years in

“trrrrrrrrrr;

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WPCNR CAMPAIGN 2011. November 8, 2011:

 As of 11:30 P.M. Standard time, White Plains has elected Councilman Benjamin Boykin to a fourth term on the Common Council, Milagros Lecouna to her second term, and Dennis Krolian to his first in a show of force with 90% of the election districts reporting.

Mayor Thomas Roach will have an all-Democrat council to work with in his plans for the city. The winning Democrats in White Plains pictured on their strong campaign brochure.

The first districts reporting showed early strength from Republican Candidates, but their hopes fast faded as the four Democrats steadily built their leads. Closest Republican challenger for the council is Terence Guerriere, 559 votes behind Mr. Krolian for the third Council seat. 

Councilman John Martin, the Democrat, is defeating Republican James Arndt by a 2 to 1 margin for the unexpired two years of former councilman Tom Roach (now Mayor of White Plains, after winning a special election for Mayor March 31, necessitated due to the resignation of Mayor Adam Bradley in February.

Taking the total votes cast in the John Martin-Jim Arndt race (6,587) this means that so far 22% of the 30,409 White Plains citizens registered to vote voted.

The County Board of Elections Returns (Unofficial)

 

Office		COUNCILMAN – WHITE PLAINS
		VOTE-FOR-THREE
	PARTY	39 Districts out of   43 Reporting (90)%	Votes	Percent
	DEM	BENJAMIN BOYKIN II	3,437	18%
	IND	BENJAMIN BOYKIN II	175	1%
	WOR	BENJAMIN BOYKIN II	338	2%
		BENJAMIN BOYKIN II  Totals	3,950	21%
	DEM	MILAGROS LECUONA	3,090	16%
	IND	MILAGROS LECUONA	136	1%
	WOR	MILAGROS LECUONA	239	1%
		MILAGROS LECUONA  Totals	3,465	18%
	DEM	DENNIS E KROLIAN	3,050	16%
	IND	DENNIS E KROLIAN	156	1%
	WOR	DENNIS E KROLIAN	317	2%
		DENNIS E KROLIAN  Totals	3,523	19%
	REP	RICHARD R CIRULLI	1,989	11%
	CON	RICHARD R CIRULLI	506	3%
		RICHARD R CIRULLI  Totals	2,495	13%
	REP	TERENCE GUERRIERE	2,449	13%
	CON	TERENCE GUERRIERE	565	3%
		TERENCE GUERRIERE  Totals	3,014	16%
	REP	MICHAEL A DONNELLY	2,070	11%
	CON	MICHAEL A DONNELLY	404	2%
		MICHAEL A DONNELLY  Totals	2,474	13%
		Office Totals	18,921	100%
Office		CNCILMAN UNXP – WHITE PLAINS
	PARTY	39 Districts out of   43 Reporting (90)%	Votes	Percent
	DEM	JOHN M MARTIN	3,623	55%
	IND	JOHN M MARTIN	222	3%
	WOR	JOHN M MARTIN	377	6%
		JOHN M MARTIN  Totals	4,222	64%
	REP	JAMES V ARNDT	1,921	29%
	CON	JAMES V ARNDT	444	7%
		JAMES V ARNDT  Totals	2,365	36%
		Office Totals	6,587	100%

 

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WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE-EXAMINER. November 7, 2011:

The Common Council this evening approved on the consent agenda, the appointment of Michael J. Coakley to the position of Director of Information Serices, filling the position that has been vacant since when the Council decided to layoff Mr. Steward for budget considerations. 

Mr. Coakley has been hired at the full-budgeted salary for the position of $130,000, according to Karen Pasquale, Senior Advisor to the Mayor.

Mr. Coakley comes to the City from Hearst Magazines where he has worked from 2008-2011 as Director  Solutions Development and Delivery. From 2004 to 2007 he was Director, IT Operations at Corzen, Inc., and from 2000-2004  he worked with Zagat Survey. He was a software development consultant with Pinnacle Consulting Group from 1998 to 2000. He worked with HIP from 1997-98 and was Assistant Treasurer with Bank of New York from 1991-1997

He earned his M.S Degree in Information Systems from Stevens Institute of Technology in 2004, and received his B.A. from Marist College in 1991. He is a 1987 graduate of Clarkstown North High School.

Mr. Coakley begins his assignment with White Plains next Monday, November 14.

Mayor Roach has not responded to WPCNR queries as to why a position considered not needed during the city budget planning for this 2011-12 year, now apparently is needed again. The city faces an estimated 20% increase in pension contributions, 12% increases in health benefits, and a  nervously declining assessment roll, and a challenge to keep the tax levy from rising more than 2%. This year in a “budget-sensitive year” the city socked White Plains residents with a 4.9% tax increase.

 

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WPCNR VIEW FROM THE UPPER DECK. By “Bull” Allen. November 6, 2011:

 

Now for a real issue!

 

 

Just the news Mets fans have been waiting for!

 

The Metropolitans announced they are moving in the fences at Citi Field next season.

 

The euphoria  with which the  fantasizing New York sports press has greeted this announcement last week is laughable.

 

 

Bringing them In! Left Field at Citi Field will be moved in to the new blue dimensions below.

 

 

NEW CITI FIELD LEFT FIELD WILL APPROACH EBBETS FIELD BANDBOX LEFT FIELD, SHOWN IN 1955

 

For the money they are going to spend on the fences, they could sign Albert Pujols for a year or two. Or better yet, sign Pujols and Prince Fielder.

 

That’s whom they need to gain a little credibility!

 

Memo to the Wilpons: Fans want teams that win. They don’t come to see just homeruns.

 

Pujols and the Prince…that’s who I want. Put Pujols on first and  Fielder in left…it’s going to be so short Fielder’s bottom will be against the fence.

 

They should also bring in a big time pitcher to replace Johan Santana who may not be coming back as strong as he was in 2010 when the Mets overpitched him.

 

In a significant factoid not appearing in the glowing articles about the new Citi Field fences  is this: 108 homers  were hit in Citi Field last year, the Mets hit 50 and the Visitors hit 58.  The fences are coming in a good 15%  so who knows how much the opposition will hit next year 150 against the Met pitching staff and the notoriously inept Met bullpen? And the Mets have to hit the homas with baserunners on.

 

Ironically, yours truly, puffing on a White Owl wallop, four years ago complained bitterly that Citi Field touted by the management as an ode to Ebbets Field, could have matched the Ebbets Field contours more accurately and provided more thrills.

 

 

 

Now, three years later, the thrills are going to be there. But because of the overrated Mets lineup, the Mets are the only team that has built a new ballpark and not been successful with it. They are bringing in fences to approximate Ebbets dimensions in left field with almost a right angle fence out from the foul pole in left that should turn a lot more Met pitcher hangers into bangers.

 

How much more will those monsters of the midway, the Cardinals bang in that ballpark? How many will the Atlantas launch (Chipper Jones must be ready to start the season now and play five more years…in Citi Field) – let alone the Milwaukee maulers and Chase Utley, Ryan Howard  and the Phils?

 

It is so easy to throw pies at the Mets management, reminiscent of Horace Stoneham and Clark Griffith, this column is just too easy to write.

 

But I have to do it.

 

Fences don’t win pennants.

 

Players do.

 

Tough, swashbuckling, get-your-uniform-dirty-dive-in-the-dirt-hang-in-there-extend-the-count-come-up-with-the-big-hit players do. Gritty-control-big-stuff-brush-em-back,-put-them-in-the-dirt-go-more-than-5 pitchers do. The Mets are hoping that the bright lights from the minors who gave fans interesting moments in 2010 brightening the gloom of the Gowanus Canal will blossom in 2012.

 

Maybe.

 

But, the Tidewater Kids  were all new to the NL in 2010. In the first swing around the league in 2012,. the scouts will be watching. By June, they’ll have the book on how to pitch to them. The Mets must make some moves, but they won’t because management will not spend money for free agents.

 

Pujols in Flushing, and Fielder in Flushing would fill that place, and they’d hit 50 apiece with the old fences alone. The Mets need to make strong offers to those two and get one.

 

They won’t because the Wilpons are trying to protect their pathetic fortune, whatever is left of it.

 

Sure Pujols could stay in St. Louis. But up in the Bronx empire, you have to know the Yankees are looking at Pujols  and Fielder. Pujols for first, and Fielder for DH. Frightening thought. Where does Tex play? Trade him for a significant pitcher to give the Yankees a solid 2^nd pitcher behind C.C. 

 

If the Mets spend a dime for Reyes they are nuts.

 

This is a very selfish, immature player whose proclivity for getting hurt will tie the Mets up for years. It would be far better to invest in Pujols and Fielder. The nomination of Reyes for Great Impact Player of the Year is absurd.  

 

He does not give himself up. He is a very selfish player and basically cost the Mets two pennants for lack of hustle when Randolph was the manager. And he still does not hustle.

 

 The team that signs him will find that out soon enough. Could the Yankees sign Reyes to replace Jeter?  Do they want another A-Rod headache? A player who is all about himself? I do not think so. But the Mets signing Reyes will be a disaster for their work ethic with players coming up.

 

Perhaps the Mets next move will be to introduce a new line of concessions to their concession stand menus lineup.

 

On the fence issue.

 

When I critiqued CitiField three years ago I wrote “there is nothing unique about the new CitiField, and it is no Ebbetts. If anything the fact that the new Citi Field will be deeper makes it worse.” I had no idea how right I was.

 

The deep outfield was very tough on the Metropolitans because they lacked good defensive outfielders who could not cover the real estate out there.

 

A lot of “gapers” coughed up by the Met pitchers were yielded by the slow footed New York outfielders and this particularly hurt Met relievers and starters who seemingly never could pitch out of jams in the clutch, or worse created them with their walks.

 

Now the shorter fences should turn the Mets “Elephant  outfielders” into gold glovers. This will help if the opposition does not out-homer ratio the Mets.

 

How short are the fences? From left field over to right center they are approaching old Ebbetts Field dimensions! 

 

However do the Mets have pitchers like Newcombe, Podres, Roe, Maglie, Roebuck  who can make a big pitch and live within those friendly confines? That’s the big gamble.

 

The Mets are bringing in the left field fence  to 358 feet in straightaway left…almost a right angle out from the foul pole which stands 335 down the left field line….with the straightaway left poke-out now 13 feet shallower from the prvious 379 feet.. That’s a lot. The pull hitters will have a field day.

 

From the new Citi Field  straightaway left 358 mark (just  7 feet deeper than the Ebbets  Field straightaway depth of 351 feet), the new fence moves to  385 feet in left center.  The new 385 mark meets the former wall right at the end of the decks…considerably farther to the right with about  25 to 20 more feet of homer territory from the left field foul line to the 385 mark.

 

From the 385 mark the new blue fence will cover in to a straightaway center depth not specified, then over to a right center fence distance of 398 feet. Is straightaway center also 398 feet? If so that is only 5 feet more than the old Ebbets Field center field depth (393). Blasts over the Ebbets center field fence were very common.

 

Are the Mets creating a Ebbets Field left field here? It’s very close!

 

Swinging the new fence over to right field, the Modell’s area is brought in to 375. This distance is not comparable to the Ebbets Field right field that was 352 feet.  This means that the right center fence will taper from 398 into 375, how much more homer territory this adds is not indicated by the Met diagrams.

 

Needless to say this is going to overcompensate and Citi Field is going to turn into a bandbox. May the Mets hit more than the opposition!

 

The Pittsburgh Pirates tried a similar venture moving in the left field fence of Forbes Field when they acquired Hank Greenberg.in 1948. They moved fences in from 406 feet in left center to 376 feet, and move the foul pole in left in from 365 feet to 335. Greenberg and Kiner were the leaguer’s best one-two punch, but the Pirates still finished last, while drawing 1.5 Million fans to see the homers.

 

When Detroit moved Comerica Park fences in after it opened homerun output doubled, it was not an equal percentage.

 

No lead will be safe with the pathetic Mets bullpen and the starting pitching will be challenged.

 

They should hire a known spitball artist to train the Met pitchers to throw an out pitch once in a while.