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Right field gets a bit smaller

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Looks like there will be a new picnic area at Miller Park next year:

The ground-level area, which can accommodate as many as 75 fans, is located between the right-field foul pole and the power alley. The picnic area will include bar stools and tables behind the wall. A thin, chain-link 8-foot-high fence will separate fans from the rightfielder.

I can't quite picture this, but I guess that's in front of the visitor's bullpen?  A nice tidbit in the story is that the Brewers do a great job selling group packages.  That makes sense, what with groups like the Buckethead Brigade, and the general culture more geared toward what the rest of America probably characterizes as the football fan approach (bring all your friends, have all your friends bring a case, you know the drill).

What's most interesting to me is the potential impact on how Miller Park plays:

Schlesinger said team officials concluded that the new area would not have a major impact on the number of home runs.

"They think 1% more home runs will be hit, maybe one or two a year," Schlesinger said.

Miller Park's asymmetric layout was originally supposed to be friendly to triples, but that has not panned out, Schlesinger said. He said team officials didn't expect more triples with the new configuration.

"If there are irregular bounces, so be it," Schlesinger said.

I'm not sure that increasing the number of dingers is good for the Brewers, as we're not as strong offensively as some of our rivals.  Then again, we do have some left-handed power!  What I do like is the prospect of making it a bit more difficult to defend in right.  I have no doubt Jenkins will adapt quickly--and shrinking the outfield a bit may mean he can play more toward center, effectively increasing his and Brady's range.  But while Jenkins will continue his gold-glove ways, right field may be trickier for some of the hacks who come in from out of town and try to chase down all the doubles Jenks and Koskie hit out there.