Baseball sells out

[The Sage of Main Street]

I’d like to see the elimination of the Central Division and those teams divided up between the East and West. During the regular season, the East plays the East and the West plays the West. Only during the playoffs do the East and West meet and the winner goes on to the World Series.

That, and elimination of Inter League play.

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:

 

[rightwinger]

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

 

[dblack]

If You're Not a Union Man, You're Not a Man at All. You Are a Manservant.

Owners aren't earners. You Scrooge-lovers would just love to see everybody in sweatshops again and the Plutocratic Parasites making all our laws. Preaching that businessmen create jobs is like saying that vampires create blood.

Heh.. socialists are funny.

 

[marvin martian]

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

Must have been requests from China.

 

[rightwinger]

Must have been requests from China.

?

 

[candycorn]

Changes for next year…

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

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.a

Pitch Clock- i approve

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.

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

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.

 

[candycorn]

You are like most current fans who are killing the one time National Pastime only interested in Home Runs and Strikeouts

Small ball is gone. No more singles hitters. No Hit and Run. No Stolen Bases. No interest in great defensive plays.
Baseball is slow as hell.
But what made it interesting was the nuances, the strategy, second guessing what the manager is doing

Waiting around for Home Runs is boring
4 1/2 hour games are boring

I'll agree with you on that. I don't see how taking away one automatic out every 2-3 innings translates into a home-run derby though.

I would love it if they would get the small-ball back into the game. How do you do that? Make the walls taller and further away from home plate? Widening home plate may make pitching more effective though. That was the reason I liked the 1985 Cardinals so much. They had 5 players with over 30 steals. Last year they had none (one had 30 exactly). I would bet the stats for most teams would be similar.

 

[Wyatt earp]

Nobody wants to see pitchers try to hit.

When they hit home runs we do

 

[Dr Grump]

I find it hard to watch a more 'popular' boring game than baseball. Whenever I have insomnia, I watch it. Asleep in minutes.

 

[Wyatt earp]

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

It doesn't make sense since shoe sizes have gotten bigger even in the past 40 years .





Just like the rest of our bodies, our feet are getting bigger, too. The average shoe size has increased by two whole sizes since the 1970s, according to a recent study from the College of Podiatry in the United Kingdom which was cited in the Wall Street Journal.

Since 1900, the average shoe size has grown four sizes for both men and women. For example, in 1900, the average woman wore size 3-1/2 or 4 shoes. By the 1940s, she was wearing a size 5-1/2. By the ‘70s, she wore a 7-1/2, and in the ‘80s, she was up to size 8-1/2. Now, she wears around a size 9.

And it’s not just podiatrists who’ve noticed that our feet are growing, in 2012, the National Shoe Retailers Association announced that American shoe sizes have increased in the last 30 years from size 7-1/2 to 8-1/2 for women and from size 9-1/2 to 10-1/2 for men

 

[rightwinger]

I would love it if they would get the small-ball back into the game. How do you do that? Make the walls taller and further away from home plate? Widening home plate may make pitching more effective though. That was the reason I liked the 1985 Cardinals so much. They had 5 players with over 30 steals. Last year they had none (one had 30 exactly). I would bet the stats for most teams would be similar.

Saber Metrics say stealing is not worth the risk of an out. They would rather see walks and wait and see if someone hits a Home Run
It is not just hitting to the opposite field but today’s hitters have poor base running skills.

 

[Devils_Advocate]

Nobody wants to see pitchers try to hit.

Carlos Zambrano could hit better than most catchers…

 

[candycorn]

Saber Metrics say stealing is not worth the risk of an out. They would rather see walks and wait and see if someone hits a Home Run
It is not just hitting to the opposite field but today’s hitters have poor base running skills.

What always gets me mad is the Dante Bichettes in the league who when they hit a home run, they flip the bat, pump their fist and take 2 minutes to trot around the bases but can't be bothered to run full speed down to first base when they ground out to short.

I wonder what the Saber Metics wold say if the ball parks were more pitcher friendly?

 

[Couchpotato]

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

I hate the shift but I dont know why you would ban it. If a team wanted to line up all their players in CF they should be able to do that.

 

[rightwinger]

I hate the shift but I dont know why you would ban it. If a team wanted to line up all their players in CF they should be able to do that.

Give the job to a player who can hit against the shift

 

[Couchpotato]

Give the job to a player who can hit against the shift

Most of them can I would think they just choose not to. Half the time you could lay a decent bunt down 3rd base line or even a push bunt if they have rotated far enough. That's how you get rid of the shift make teams pay for doing it.

As far as the bags being bigger I have no idea. Baseball is a game of 1/10ths of seconds but Im not sure the bases being only 89' 11" apart vs 90' will make a difference

 

[Couchpotato]

Saber Metrics say stealing is not worth the risk of an out. They would rather see walks and wait and see if someone hits a Home Run
It is not just hitting to the opposite field but today’s hitters have poor base running skills.

that's because catchers throw guys out at a much higher rate now. The athletes have gotten bigger faster and stronger but the field has stayed the same. Good hs/college catchers have sub 2 pop times now. If you dont get a really good jump you're just not beating the throw most times.

 

[rightwinger]

Most of them can I would think they just choose not to. Half the time you could lay a decent bunt down 3rd base line or even a push bunt if they have rotated far enough. That's how you get rid of the shift make teams pay for doing it.

As far as the bags being bigger I have no idea. Baseball is a game of 1/10ths of seconds but Im not sure the bases being only 89' 11" apart vs 90' will make a difference

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

 

[marvin martian]

?

That's right, commie, pretend you don't know so we can all laugh at you.

 

[rightwinger]

That's right, commie, pretend you don't know so we can all laugh at you.

?