MLB 2021 season

[TiScape]

8 minutes ago, RobotDoctor said:

 

Arrrrgggghhhhhh!

And I agree. If the guys like Rizzo and Olson for the A’s just bunted every time they shifted, they’d be forced to play the D straight up. I’ve never really heard a good reason why they don’t. Maybe ego, or bunting a 97mph pitch w/movement is no picnic either. Still has to be easier than hitting it with a full swing... IDK???

Edited April 6, 2021 by TiScape

[RobotDoctor]

Harder but not impossible.  Great fundamentals prevails over brute strength every time.  While it may be harder to bunt against someone pitching 97mph +, not every pitcher throws that fast although quite a few do.  Bunting fundamentals today really stinks because there is no emphasis to be good at this anymore.  It's all about the 3 run home run not moving the runner over, or AL vs NL strategy, like it used to be.

[TiScape]

3 minutes ago, RobotDoctor said:

Harder but not impossible.  Great fundamentals prevails over brute strength every time.  While it may be harder to bunt against someone pitching 97mph +, not every pitcher throws that fast although quite a few do.  Bunting fundamentals today really stinks because there is no emphasis to be good at this anymore.  It's all about the 3 run home run not moving the runner over, or AL vs NL strategy, like it used to be.

Hitting HRs gets you paid so... There ya go.

[RobotDoctor]

1 minute ago, TiScape said:

Hitting HRs gets you paid so... There ya go.

 

LOL.  😄

 

Winning pays more.  Too much emphasis on home runs.  Getting batters on base is what is important, the more the merrier.  Don't get me wrong I love HRs as much as the next person but I would rather have a rally that continues.

[TiScape]

1 minute ago, RobotDoctor said:

 

LOL.  😄

 

Winning pays more.  Too much emphasis on home runs.  Getting batters on base is what is important, the more the merrier.  Don't get me wrong I love HRs as much as the next person but I would rather have a rally that continues.

I agree. I love HRs, but string together some hits, a SB and another solid hit to score the winning run! I’m all in and will be just as pumped, if not more than for a long ball. I don’t think the casual fans agrees though. 

[MikeW2]

6 hours ago, TiScape said:

The other member mentioned the Sabermetics and as I watched the games last night I thought about it. It most definitely has impacted the game. But the best players are still starting and playing the entire game almost all the time. Trout is still starting and playing the entire game. Aaron Judge the same. For the A’s Chapman will be at 3rd,  Olson will be at 1st and so on and so on across baseball. Now will the metrics come into play when deciding which role player will start that day in a position that you don’t have a top player, based on numbers against the opposing SP? Absolutely. Same can be said for a pinch hitter. Will SP not pitch complete games? Yes. So what!  Are there shifts now? Yes. Be a professional hitter and beat it! I don’t think it’s had the drastic impact as far as making MLB unwatchable as he said. Just my opinion. It makes me wonder if people as they get older just have a hard time accepting change for the simple fact it’s not what they’re comfortable with or use to, not because it’s necessarily bad. 🤷🏼‍♂️

I agree with the statement that people have a hard time with change. Only speaking for myself, that isn’t my issue. Change is fine if it is for the betterment of the product. Baseball has not changed in that fashion.

[TiScape]

20 minutes ago, MikeW2 said:

I agree with the statement that people have a hard time with change. Only speaking for myself, that isn’t my issue. Change is fine if it is for the betterment of the product. Baseball has not changed in that fashion.

Certainly entitled to your opinion 😊

[TiScape]

Watching A’s vs. Dodgers. See if we can avoid going 0-6! Ugh 🤦🏼‍♂️ 

[TiScape]

15 hours ago, MikeW2 said:

I agree with the statement that people have a hard time with change. Only speaking for myself, that isn’t my issue. Change is fine if it is for the betterment of the product. Baseball has not changed in that fashion.

Curious. Where do you stand on the PGA? Did you stop watching when technology started to dictate technique and strategy? Spin rate, launch, smash factor, etc is over analyzed to death, par 5s are essentially par 4s. Almost nobody “works” the ball on tour. Bomb and gouge. Etc... It’s def not the game you grew up playing. 

[MikeW2]

I, like many of us, am not perfect and full of contradictions. In golf it doesn’t bother me. But to be honest, I haven’t even given the parallels you point out any thought whatsoever before you posed the question. It is a fair point and I will live with my hypocrisy on its’ face. 
 

The only defense I would offer is that the improvements/changes are equipment based. I have no trouble about better quality baseballs, better constructed bats, the different ways players prep themselves to play, to be completely honest I didn’t have any issues with the steroids era. While the tech has improved everything golf wise and as you point out “to death” the game itself hasn’t drastically changed. Tee off, approach, putt and still roughly 4 hours for 18 and those that do that the best win. I also don’t believe that average scores have dropped all that much in say the last 30 years of which I may be wrong. Whereas in baseball, and I think Robot Doc pointed it out earlier, games are almost doubled in time of gameplay and for what? I don’t believe that any team that is completely driven by the saber metrics has ever won. The A’s and Billy Beane were at the forefront of this new way of approach to the game, what have they won?

 

Now to go back a few posts, you correctly pointed out its entertaining and have a beer a hot dog...life is good. I decided to watch some of the Sox game last night. Good competitive game, tied after 9, to extra innings they go...and now extra innings are started by placing a runner on 2nd??? WTH was that? 

[deadsolid...shank]

Sorry I missed your thread TiScape. Big baseball fan here. Been a Dodger fan since the early 70’s (just want to point out I’m not a bandwagoner!). 
 

I’m going to have to agree with MikeW2, I hate where the game has evolved to. All about the HR and strikeout. I miss smallball. I went to the Rockies home opener last week. They ran a squeeze, it was awesome!

 

I hate the shift as well. They’re GIVING you a basehit. Just take it. Real soon the shift will be gone. 
 

I bet Tampa Bay fans are real wild about analytics. Dodgers had not touched Snell all game long. Take him out at 70+ pitches. Does nobody mange by feel and what they actually see anymore?

 

Robot, we have to get together and play this summer. I’ve been wanting to get back to Collindale anyway. 

[MikeW2]

Shank and I are on the same page! Could you imagine trying to take out Nolan Ryan, Luis Tiant, Tom Seaver, Jack Morris, Dave Stewart at 72 pitches??? I read somewhere recently that John Tudor had more complete games in a season than were thrown in all of MLB last year. 

[deadsolid...shank]

4 minutes ago, MikeW2 said:

Shank and I are on the same page! Could you imagine trying to take out Nolan Ryan, Luis Tiant, Tom Seaver, Jack Morris, Dave Stewart at 72 pitches??? I read somewhere recently that John Tudor had more complete games in a season than were thrown in all of MLB last year. 

Most of those guys would have told the manger to get back in the dugout!

[MikeW2]

I could name hundreds more... Bob Gibson, Fernando Valenzuela, Don Drysdale, Jim Palmer. I don’t want to watch a parade of 5-6 relievers every game. Most of the bullpen guys are there because for one reason or another they weren’t good enough to be starting. I want to see as much of the best guys as possible.

[TiScape]

Well I watched the A’s get their first win of the season today and it was very enjoyable. 🙌🏼⚾️ 
Mike. I’m glad you watched a little baseball last night! Hopefully it wasn’t too painful 😉haha

[TiScape]

3 hours ago, MikeW2 said:

 The A’s and Billy Beane were at the forefront of this new way of approach to the game, what have they won?

All I have for you is 7 AL West tiles since Beane became GM 🤷🏼‍♂️ Haha. Considering their very low payroll (comparatively speaking) they are typically quite competitive. Epstein won the WS in 2016 with the Cubs. Big sabermetrics guy. 

I think it really got traction in MLB because it gave small market teams a chance to compete with the powerhouse teams with the bottomless pockets. Had to find a way to get creative to find guys that could help you compete without breaking the bank. The hidden gems if you will. I respect them for getting creative and finding a solution to try and compete with a much smaller payroll. 

Edited April 8, 2021 by TiScape

[MikeW2]

The reasoning behind the sabermetrics to help level the playing field is true but I don’t believe it will ever win it all. Theo is brilliant, won two here with the Sox before winning with the Cubs. While he is a guy that uses the sabermetrics he’s also a guy that values some of the old school methodologies. The three titles he’s helped guide were teams with many non saber guys.

 

And I was doing okay until the start of extra innings...still can’t wrap head around the guy starting at second base.

[dlygrisse]

On 4/5/2021 at 9:11 PM, MikeW2 said:

Starters that only go 5 innings, watching a guy that’s hitting.225 pinch hit for a guy that’s a .300 hitter because the numbers say he’s good against pitchers that are throwing between their 20th and 30th pitches and have a certain spin rates only to watch him hit a weak topper to 2nd, seeing a guy start in front of somebody on a certain day despite the fact that normal guy has hit in 7 straight games and sub is hitting ONE EIGHTY SEVEN for the year but had three hits off the opposing pitcher 4 years ago, pulling pitchers throwing no hitters because he’s already thrown 82 pitches, watching guys that strike out 200 times a season become the norm because he’s got great exit velocity and an ideal launch angle, purposely starting relievers to pitch the first inning, signing guys to $10 million dollar contracts because they have great arm slotting with tremendous spin rate only to wind up with an ERA over SEVEN for the year but he keeps taking his turn in rotation, the slow down between pitches because the IT guy has to cross check the numbers/situation, relay that down the tunnel to the manager who then has to send in the sign to the catcher so he can call the next pitch. Dear God I could keep going...

......instant replay, holding the glove on a sliding runner then replaying it 10 times to see of the foot left the base for a millisecond and he is actually out. Times outs between every pitch so hitters can adjust themselves. No more manufacturing runs, stealing bases, moving runners with bunts hitting the opposite way.  My Royals pulled the starter the other day after 6 shutout innings. Nolan Ryan or Bob Gibson would have lost their mind!  The art of working a pitcher by taking pitches, fouling off pitches intentionally and working the count. Etc. Etc. 
 

I hate instant replay in baseball so much, the manager freaking out on an ump about a call was part of the fun.  Earl Weaver or Billy Martin couldn’t manage today. 

 

 

[MikeW2]

47 minutes ago, dlygrisse said:

......instant replay, holding the glove on a sliding runner then replaying it 10 times to see of the foot left the base for a millisecond and he is actually out. Times outs between every pitch so hitters can adjust themselves. No more manufacturing runs, stealing bases, moving runners with bunts hitting the opposite way.  My Royals pulled the starter the other day after 6 shutout innings. Nolan Ryan or Bob Gibson would have lost their mind!  The art of working a pitcher by taking pitches, fouling off pitches intentionally and working the count. Etc. Etc. 
 

I hate instant replay in baseball so much, the manager freaking out on an ump about a call was part of the fun.  Earl Weaver or Billy Martin couldn’t manage today. 

 

 

I wish this site had a feature that allowed me to like this post 1000 times!

[dugue4]

I’m out this year for MLB. 
 

-instant replay

-politics

-last years extra inning rule

-last year league wide dh 

-Astros walking off the field (politics)

-politics

-politics

 

I think that sums up why...

[dlygrisse]

During the lockdowns last year they were replaying some old world series games from the 1960's .  It's amazing to watch a hitter stay in the box between pitches.  The AB's were so much quicker in terms of getting the pitches thrown.  No messing around, not taking your time, just stand up there and get it done.  This to me seems so easy to legislate.  Make it against the rule for a batter to leave the box more than once per AB, if they do the pitcher can throw the ball and get a strike.  

[deadsolid...shank]

I watch quite a bit of college softball in the spring. It drives me nuts to watch the catcher look to the dugout for the pitch call, signal the pitcher, then watch the pitcher look at her wristband to see what she is throwing. 
 

I think to myself, at least in baseball the catchers still call the game. Then I was watching a game the other night( wish I could remember who it was, maybe Bard of the Rockies) and he pulled a small card out of his back pocket before every pitch. 
 

I have a feeling this is happening more than I think. How often do you see a pitcher shake off the sign anymore?

[RobotDoctor]

On 4/7/2021 at 6:41 PM, deadsolid...shank said:

Sorry I missed your thread TiScape. Big baseball fan here. Been a Dodger fan since the early 70’s (just want to point out I’m not a bandwagoner!). 
 

I’m going to have to agree with MikeW2, I hate where the game has evolved to. All about the HR and strikeout. I miss smallball. I went to the Rockies home opener last week. They ran a squeeze, it was awesome!

 

I hate the shift as well. They’re GIVING you a basehit. Just take it. Real soon the shift will be gone. 
 

I bet Tampa Bay fans are real wild about analytics. Dodgers had not touched Snell all game long. Take him out at 70+ pitches. Does nobody mange by feel and what they actually see anymore?

 

Robot, we have to get together and play this summer. I’ve been wanting to get back to Collindale anyway. 

Maybe we can work out a round week after next.  I'm out of town next week.  By then the course should be in great shape.  I'm sure they'll aerate soon.  

[golfortennis]

I'm in the same boat as a number of people.  The strikeout or home run thing is just unwatchable.  I really enjoyed the KBO last year for the simple fact the ball is in play a lot.  And you didn't see as many shifts because guys hit the ball the other way.  I don't like seeing rules brought in to combat things, because they usually have unintended consequences that end up worse than the problem being countered.  I've always maintained de-juicing the ball and calling the strike zone would solve a lot of problems.  The only other thing I can come up with is limiting pitching staffs to 10 pitchers, so a manager has to think long and hard about making 5 changes.  When even George Brett says the game is unwatchable....

 

And the political swerve is a bad thing as well.  I like what CJ NItkowski had to say last week about the All-Star game stuff. 

• Do you really want to give people a reason not to tune in to your product?
• Do you really want to have your commissioner being questioned by a US Senator as to whether you will also resign from ANGC given you are so opposed, or are you just a fraud? 
• Now you have people comparing voting laws of different states to evaluate a decision.  Why do you want to bring that into play?

There were some other things as well that followed the same line.  Because now you have some congressmen looking at revoking the Anti-Trust exemption MLB has.  The tax-exemption someone talked about earlier isn't really that huge of a deal, because most money gets distributed to clubs, but the anti-trust exemption allows MLB to decide if a franchise moves, it can rig a bidding process (see John Henry and Red Sox purchase).  

 

MLB certainly has every right to take a stand on something.  But when you do that, you have put yourself in the position that people are going to exercise their right to react, and in the end, is it worth it?  It is amazing how some people are all for boycotts when it aligns with their views, but when a boycott doesn't....

 

My view on sports and politics has always been this:  If Lebron James or Mike Trout or name any other athlete were just some random guy on the street, I would give his opinion on topics absolutely zero weight, same as he would mine, same as, if we're honest, all of us here would with each other.  So if that is the case, why does the fact a guy can hit a fastball 420 feet make his opinion on something other than hitting the fastball any more valuable or important than anyone on here?  I wouldn't know his name otherwise, so why do I care what he thinks about other things?     

[TiScape]

Here we are about 15 games in and I’ve already seen some really great games! 🙌🏼 Love being back at the park as well. Ahhhh 😊

[DrOldSchool]

Can't stand these 7 inning double headers or the runner on 2nd in extra innings. I'm a traditionalist I guess.

[golfortennis]

2 hours ago, DrOldSchool said:

Can't stand these 7 inning double headers or the runner on 2nd in extra innings. I'm a traditionalist I guess.

 

It made sense last year when you had very little wiggle room for makeup games, plus no paying customers.

 

I like what Bauer said last year.  MLB keeps trying to put lipstick on a pig.  If you're really wanting to shorten the time of games, why not go to 5 inning games?  Makes as much sense as what they have been doing.   

[TiScape]

Actually really enjoying the runner starting on 2nd in extras. I’ve seen some really exciting games because of it. Dodgers/Padres game Friday night was a real blast to watch! It’s just baseball and entertainment to me. I don’t take it so seriously and just enjoy it 😊

[TiScape]

The other day I was looking at an article on the evolution of football. 1880 they went to 11 players a side, 1906 the forward pass was allowed, 1932 use of the flying blocks were banned... After each one of these rule changes some old guy that was use to the way it was, swore it was ruining the game and he’d never watch again! Love it. Some things will continue to change, yet some things will just never change in this world.

Surprised some of you didn’t stop watching baseball after the 1880s when they allowed the pitchers to finally throw overhand!  🤣 and if that didn’t ruin the game enough, in 1893 when they moved the pitcher back further from the plate! Blasphemy I tell you!! Haha And don’t even get me started on the mandated 15” mound height in 1950! Why not just go down to 10” or get rid of the mound altogether!!! 😡😂

Edited April 18, 2021 by TiScape

[dugue4]

6 hours ago, TiScape said:

Actually really enjoying the runner starting on 2nd in extras. I’ve seen some really exciting games because of it. Dodgers/Padres game Friday night was a real blast to watch! It’s just baseball and entertainment to me. I don’t take it so seriously and just enjoy it 😊

But it’s not baseball