Last year the Diamondbacks considered following in the Rockies’ footsteps by adding a humidor for the baseballs being used to Chase Field to control the high level of offense, but Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports that they’ve decided against it for this season.
Piecoro quotes a couple studies that suggest using a humidor could decrease home runs at Chase Field by as much as 38 percent, which would potentially turn it from one of the majors’ most hitter-friendly ballparks to a pitcher-friendly environment.
There’s been speculation that former interim general manager Jerry Dipoto--who was a reliever for the Rockies from 1997-2000--was in favor of adding the humidor, but new general manager Kevin Towers wasn’t as keen on the idea. Dipoto has remained with the Diamondbacks, but is now the vice president of scouting and player development.
