In 1916, The Newspaper Enterprise Association ran a series of brief articles called “One Minute Talks with Ballplayers.”
Sherry Magee, Boston Braves outfielder attributed the success of his team’s pitching staff and his own .241 average to Braves Field
Sherry Magee
“No team can hit on the Boston National League grounds. The fence is so far from the plate and the slope so great from the infield to the fence that the batter can just about see the top of the fence in centerfield.
“If the fence was 20 feet higher it would be a great field for batsmen, but as it is now there is nothing but the sky for a background. There isn’t even a building in back of the wall in sight of the batter. How is a batter going to hit a brand new white ball looking into a skyline of the same color?”
“It also is almost impossible to gauge any kind of a ball as there is no background of any description.”
Magee’s .241 average in 1916 was the worst performance as a big leaguer–his only lower average was as a part-time player with the 1919 Cincinnati Reds in his final season–he ended his career with a .291 average over 16 seasons.
Baseball History Daily 
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