Baseball sells out

[Couchpotato]

Ever see Felix Millan in the 70s?
He would choke half way up the bat and slap it through the hole. If you have half the infield open, you should be able to consistently slap it through

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Sure. But, just because they don't doesn't mean then can't. I dont know if that comes from the managers or the players but you wouldnt have to do it long to get them to stop with the shift BS.

 

[hadit]

Why make the bases a half inch wider?

Will more batters beat out a hit if they have an extra half inch?
Will steals be easier if the bag is a half inch wider?


This should have been tested out in the minors to see if it makes a difference

I thought it was to give a little more room for runner's and fielder's feet to reduce foot injuries.

 

[rightwinger]

I thought it was to give a little more room for runner's and fielder's feet to reduce foot injuries.

But half an inch?
Not much room

 

[hadit]

But half an inch?
Not much room

Not much, maybe they wanted more but it was cartoonish. At any rate, when are they going to move the pitcher's mound back a couple of feet to increase the number of hits?

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Changes for next year…

DH in the National League- After 50 years of making the Pitcher hit, they have finally sold out

Pitch Clock- i approve

Make bases a half inch wider- Who cares?


Ban Shift- Why not ban the Curve Ball to help batters who can’t hit it?

MSN

Thank Barack I stopped watching baseball a decade ago

 

[DGS49]

The universal DH is probably a good idea. Watching pitchers flail at the ball serves no good purpose. Better to have nine offensive players in the batting order than 8.

Time clock is a good idea; they should do a better job of forcing the batters to stay in the [*******] batter's box between pitches.

The defensive shift is evil. Batters are trained from T-ball to try to hit line drives up the middle, but the Shift makes this an easy out. Very perverse. The shift cost Albert Pujols 50 points off his average. When told to change his swing, he said, in effect, "**** you."

Other sports have changed rules to make the game more fan-friendly but baseball has resisted that tendency, thinking that it has to remain faithful to the historical game.

The one thing that MLB has to do, seriously, is to structure the competition so that as many teams as possible have at least a statistical chance of winning the World Series, as late in the season as possible. If 60% of the teams still can make the playoffs on September 15th, that is fantastic for MLB.

 

[Couchpotato]

The universal DH is probably a good idea. Watching pitchers flail at the ball serves no good purpose. Better to have nine offensive players in the batting order than 8.

Time clock is a good idea; they should do a better job of forcing the batters to stay in the [*******] batter's box between pitches.

The defensive shift is evil. Batters are trained from T-ball to try to hit line drives up the middle, but the Shift makes this an easy out. Very perverse. The shift cost Albert Pujols 50 points off his average. When told to change his swing, he said, in effect, "**** you."

Other sports have changed rules to make the game more fan-friendly but baseball has resisted that tendency, thinking that it has to remain faithful to the historical game.

The one thing that MLB has to do, seriously, is to structure the competition so that as many teams as possible have at least a statistical chance of winning the World Series, as late in the season as possible. If 60% of the teams still can make the playoffs on September 15th, that is fantastic for MLB.

I'll agree with the DH though for the life of me Im not sure why teams just allowed pitchers to not be able to hit. Many didnt even try. You dont have to be Ohtani but you dont have to be an auto out either. **** learn to bunt at least. Its not like baseball isnt your job or something.

Time clock whatever

Im not sure I understand your logic on the shift. (I hate the shift btw). Players shouldn't be able to move to where they think the batter is most likely to hit the ball? Wouldn't averages go through the roof if we made them all just stand in the dugout until the ball is hit? What are the lateral limits of where Im allowed to move as an infielder? Do I have to establish a box at the beginning of the game that I have to stay in until the pitcher deals? Are players not going to move (shift) based on R/L handed hitters? No more DP depth? Can 3rd baseman no longer move in on a bunt? Does this rule apply to OF as well? Managers have been moving players around based on the situation since the start of baseball.

And **** Pujols. He's not bigger than baseball. If he wants to keep swinging into outs because he's unwilling to make adjustments, then he can just deal with the 50 points off his average. All he would have to do is hit it where the fielder vacated from 10 or so times on purpose and teams would stop shifting.

 

[DGS49]

Consider the following comparison: A pitcher working his way up through the minors progresses on his ability to throw and pitch, period. Nobody cares whether he can hit, run, or field his position. A position player moves up through the minors based on his ability to hit, run, field, and throw. So when they get to the majors, unless they are a defensive wizard at Short, they can hit. They have progressed through several layers of competition based on their hitting ability.

Expecting a pitcher to be able to hit as well (or even nearly as well) as a position player is absurd when their progress through the ranks has completely ignored any ability to hit. It's like expecting a randomly chosen good high school player to face major league pitching. No wonder pitchers can't hit.

 

[Couchpotato]

Consider the following comparison: A pitcher working his way up through the minors progresses on his ability to throw and pitch, period. Nobody cares whether he can hit, run, or field his position. A position player moves up through the minors based on his ability to hit, run, field, and throw. So when they get to the majors, unless they are a defensive wizard at Short, they can hit. They have progressed through several layers of competition based on their hitting ability.

Expecting a pitcher to be able to hit as well (or even nearly as well) as a position player is absurd when their progress through the ranks has completely ignored any ability to hit. It's like expecting a randomly chosen good high school player to face major league pitching. No wonder pitchers can't hit.

Why ignore it? It's not like these guys were drafted and couldnt hit a baseball. They were likely one of the best hitters on whatever team they played on most of their life. It's not like you have to spend 8-10 hours a day to maintain being a serviceable hitter. Again, you don't have to be Ohtani, but you don't have to be an auto out either. 4-5 hours a week in the cage isnt that big a deal if it's your job. Pitchers have been ALLOWED to suck at hitting because no one wanted to hold them to it. Put the ball in play. At least make them field the ball. It's bullshit that these guys cant hit they just dont want to bother with being able to hit.

 

[The Sage of Main Street]

Why ignore it? It's not like these guys were drafted and couldnt hit a baseball. They were likely one of the best hitters on whatever team they played on most of their life. It's not like you have to spend 8-10 hours a day to maintain being a serviceable hitter. Again, you don't have to be Ohtani, but you don't have to be an auto out either. 4-5 hours a week in the cage isnt that big a deal if it's your job. Pitchers have been ALLOWED to suck at hitting because no one wanted to hold them to it. Put the ball in play. At least make them field the ball. It's bullshit that these guys cant hit they just dont want to bother with being able to hit.

Specialists Have Special Privileges

That's like expecting a field-goal kicker to be able to pass and run. I'm not going to dignify with an answer the expected Low-IQ kind of thinking on the Nextrix that would ask, "What if there's a bad snap?"

The reason baseball has much lower first-place winning percentages than football or basketball is that the quarterback and the center are the same practically every game, while pitchers have a rotation. Pitching is that much more important.

 

[Couchpotato]

Specialists Have Special Privileges

That's like expecting a field-goal kicker to be able to pass and run. I'm not going to dignify with an answer the expected Low-IQ kind of thinking on the Nextrix that would ask, "What if there's a bad snap?"

The reason baseball has much lower first-place winning percentages than football or basketball is that the quarterback and the center are the same practically every game, while pitchers have a rotation. Pitching is that much more important.

No, it really isn't. All these guys grew up being able to absolutely smash the ball. (or the vast vast majority of them did) They don't have to develop the ability to swing the bat correctly just maintain it. Being able to hit a baseball is a perishable skill, but once you have it you dont have to take hours and hours of BP every day to maintain it. Position players don't spend 4-5 hours a day working on their swing. And again, they don't need to be the best hitter on the team, just not an automatic out. How many hours would it take for you to learn to not bunt like a retard? No one is asking for them to be the 2-4 hitter, but you could put the bat on the ball and make the infield make a play.

And pitchers arent nearly as important to a baseball team as a QB is to a football team. No one has won a WS based purely on the fact that they had one guy who was unhittable.

This isnt about being a specialist it's about being a Primadonna.

 

[The Sage of Main Street]

No, it really isn't. All these guys grew up being able to absolutely smash the ball. (or the vast vast majority of them did) They don't have to develop the ability to swing the bat correctly just maintain it. Being able to hit a baseball is a perishable skill, but once you have it you dont have to take hours and hours of BP every day to maintain it. Position players don't spend 4-5 hours a day working on their swing. And again, they don't need to be the best hitter on the team, just not an automatic out. How many hours would it take for you to learn to not bunt like a retard? No one is asking for them to be the 2-4 hitter, but you could put the bat on the ball and make the infield make a play.

And pitchers arent nearly as important to a baseball team as a QB is to a football team. No one has won a WS based purely on the fact that they had one guy who was unhittable.

This isnt about being a specialist it's about being a Primadonna.

Birth Privileges Are the Death of a Nation

The fact that you believe in nurture rather than nature sounds like you'd be in favor of players being allowed to pass on their positions to their sons. That would conform with the way Terminal America passes on positions in business and government.

And don't give me the Preppy-loving lie that the teams would block it. There'd be no unions at all if the owners had that kind of power.

Another scab retort is that many HeirDads train their brats for years in how to run the company. In order to have a free society, they must instead train the young employee with the most talent. Likewise, baseball shouldn't train those with no talent for hitting. We would last until we apply the DH to the rest of society and totally eliminate Designated Sons.

 

[Jarlaxle]

The Pinko Sox Could Play Havana

Instead, I'd like to see part of the interleague games have the same local rivalry every season: Yankees against Mets, etc. The same with football:

They already do!

 

[Jarlaxle]

Well...they had to make the rules uniform between the leagues. If the choice is make pitchers bat in the AL or get the DH in the NL...I think they did the right thing.

No, they didn't.

Did they ever limit the number of visits a catcher can make to the mound? I remember the year the Houston Asterisks won the World Series....the catcher was going out there like every time there was a new batter.

Yes, several years ago.

I think this is jumping the shark. If you're in the major leagues, you should be able to hit to the opposite field with enough dexterity that you pose at least a vague threat that you can.

The best hitter ever was a dead-pull hitter his entire career.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Why ignore it? It's not like these guys were drafted and couldnt hit a baseball. They were likely one of the best hitters on whatever team they played on most of their life. It's not like you have to spend 8-10 hours a day to maintain being a serviceable hitter. Again, you don't have to be Ohtani, but you don't have to be an auto out either. 4-5 hours a week in the cage isnt that big a deal if it's your job. Pitchers have been ALLOWED to suck at hitting because no one wanted to hold them to it. Put the ball in play. At least make them field the ball. It's bullshit that these guys cant hit they just dont want to bother with being able to hit.

Many of them never touched a bat after college...I recall that ALL minor leagues now use a DH.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Birth Privileges Are the Death of a Nation

The fact that you believe in nurture rather than nature sounds like you'd be in favor of players being allowed to pass on their positions to their sons. That would conform with the way Terminal America passes on positions in business and government.

And don't give me the Preppy-loving lie that the teams would block it. There'd be no unions at all if the owners had that kind of power.

Another scab retort is that many HeirDads train their brats for years in how to run the company. In order to have a free society, they must instead train the young employee with the most talent. Likewise, baseball shouldn't train those with no talent for hitting. We would last until we apply the DH to the rest of society and totally eliminate Designated Sons.

Are you on some sort of mind-altering chemicals?

 

[Couchpotato]

Many of them never touched a bat after college...I recall that ALL minor leagues now use a DH.

yes because it was just accepted that if you were a pitcher you didnt have to hit. How good would these guys would have been at the plate had that not been the expectation. My guess is orders of magnitude better.

 

[Couchpotato]

Birth Privileges Are the Death of a Nation

The fact that you believe in nurture rather than nature sounds like you'd be in favor of players being allowed to pass on their positions to their sons. That would conform with the way Terminal America passes on positions in business and government.

And don't give me the Preppy-loving lie that the teams would block it. There'd be no unions at all if the owners had that kind of power.

Another scab retort is that many HeirDads train their brats for years in how to run the company. In order to have a free society, they must instead train the young employee with the most talent. Likewise, baseball shouldn't train those with no talent for hitting. We would last until we apply the DH to the rest of society and totally eliminate Designated Sons.

WTF are you talking about?

 

[Jarlaxle]

WTF are you talking about?

Don't worry...he doesn't know, either.

 

[candycorn]

No, they didn't.

Are you on some sort of mind-altering chemicals?