MLB Off-Topic

[Blzer]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

The last time they did this was 2012. I could handle another A's season like that.

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What was the year somebody got food poisoning there to start the year? It was either an A's or Yankees player, I think.

[DieHardYankee26]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Tom Verducci's 10 things to improve baseball:

- Pitch clock
- Automated strike zone
- softer bases
- tackier baseballs
- Rolling 25 man September rosters
- Switch interleague rules during interleague play (NL teams get DH at home)
- No midinning changes in ASG
- replay decisions announced by to crowd by umpire
- everything reviewable
- free tickets for youth groups

I like all of them, except the interleague play rule. I'm not an expert in baseball stickiness so I'll defer to the players on that, but everything else seems doable. Many NL fans hate the DH, so I don't think that would be as fun or well received as intended.

[Sportsforever]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Tom Verducci's 10 things to improve baseball:

- Pitch clock
- Automated strike zone
- softer bases
- tackier baseballs
- Rolling 25 man September rosters
- Switch interleague rules during interleague play (NL teams get DH at home)
- No midinning changes in ASG
- replay decisions announced by to crowd by umpire
- everything reviewable
- free tickets for youth groups

I like all of them, except the interleague play rule. I'm not an expert in baseball stickiness so I'll defer to the players on that, but everything else seems doable. Many NL fans hate the DH, so I don't think that would be as fun or well received as intended.

I especially like the rolling 25 man roster in September. It's ridiculous that we play 5 months with 25 man rosters and then September looks like March in Arizona.

[countryboy]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Tom Verducci's 10 things to improve baseball:

- Pitch clock
- Automated strike zone
- softer bases
- tackier baseballs
- Rolling 25 man September rosters
- Switch interleague rules during interleague play (NL teams get DH at home)
- No midinning changes in ASG
- replay decisions announced by to crowd by umpire
- everything reviewable
- free tickets for youth groups

I like all of them, except the interleague play rule. I'm not an expert in baseball stickiness so I'll defer to the players on that, but everything else seems doable. Many NL fans hate the DH, so I don't think that would be as fun or well received as intended.

Only things I like are the rolling 25 man September rosters and the free tickets for youth groups. Everything else, (aside from softer bases and tackiness of the baseball which I have no opinion) I would vote no.

I'm not sure why there is this overwhelming need to fix something that isn't broken???

[DieHardYankee26]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Because improvement keeps things thriving and stagnation leads to their death. Because if you wait until it's broken, it will be too late. Or just because they love the game and think things can be done to improve it.

[CMH]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Why does there need to be a change to the ASG?

I assume rolling 25 man is another way of saying that you can only field a 25 man roster per game out of a collection of 40 eligible guys?

Not sure we are ready for a machine calling balls and strikes. Sounds awesome but I would think there should be years of testing at lower levels before this ever happens.

DH in NL parks during interleague games? I doubt that happens. And if so, does it happen in the World Series too? If no, why not? Why have one set of rules for 162 games but then get rid of it in the World Series?

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[countryboy]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Because improvement keeps things thriving and stagnation leads to their death. Because if you wait until it's broken, it will be too late. Or just because they love the game and think things can be done to improve it.

And the way the game currently is has worked for how many years now? I don't think leaving things the way they are is going to lead to the game suddenly becoming broken.

I'm not sure I would classify any of those things as improvements. The only real improvement in that list is giving free tickets to youth groups. That way, you expose more youth to the game, thus potentially leading to more/new fans in the future.

[DieHardYankee26]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

And the way the game currently is has worked for how many years now? I don't think leaving things the way they are is going to lead to the game suddenly becoming broken.

I'm not sure I would classify any of those things as improvements. The only real improvement in that list is giving free tickets to youth groups. That way, you expose more youth to the game, thus potentially leading to more/new fans in the future.

How many years has the game been the way it currently is? Because it's a very different game than it was 100 years ago, and I'm sure at every instance of change (integration, DH, wild card, instant replay) someone said, well the game is fine so why bother, and we would've been deprived of the greatness we see now. The only reason we got here is because people were ignored along the way who thought there was no improvement to be made.

Whether they are improvements or not is in the eye of the beholder. You don't think an actually accurate strike zone is an improvement? That one I get, or at least have seen explained. But you don't think it'd be an improvement for an umpire to at least announce the results of a replay so the fans aren't sitting at the game with no idea what's going on?

[Blzer]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Just heard about a new possible rule change (I have no idea how real this is):

https://sports.yahoo.com/heres-worst-idea-improve-baseball-youre-ever-going-hear-195232874.html

According to Eisen, MLB teams would be able to bat whoever they wanted as the first three hitters in the ninth inning if they’re trailing in the game. Anybody. Just toss the lineup card out the window. It doesn’t matter if it’s your No. 8 hitter’s turn, put up your cleanup hitter and see what happens. But only in the ninth inning. Here’s how Eisen explained it on his show.

Besides the stupidity of the rule (which I could get into later), let's peel it back in two ways for a moment:

1) What happens to the rest of the lineup after the first three that are chosen? If one of the first three hitters' "spot" comes up to bat again while they're on base, do we do ghost runners or something? I mean what the hell?

2) This totally cripples the visiting team if they're tied and go ahead, or winning going into the ninth inning. This would allow the home team to bat their fave three afterward? If you're up by one run and bat your 6-7-8 hitters and retire in order, the home team then gets to bat an awesome-sauce three players that could just single and walk-off with a homer? That's absurd.

[DieHardYankee26]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

This Rich Eisen story is just evidence of what was said earlier about radio shows. This dude isn't even a baseball guy. MLB responded to it. The internet was a mistake.

[countryboy]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

How many years has the game been the way it currently is? Because it's a very different game than it was 100 years ago, and I'm sure at every instance of change (integration, DH, wild card, instant replay) someone said, well the game is fine so why bother, and we would've been deprived of the greatness we see now. The only reason we got here is because people were ignored along the way who thought there was no improvement to be made.

Instant replay led to greatness???

They could remove the DH, wild card, and instant replay and the game would still be great.

Whether they are improvements or not is in the eye of the beholder. You don't think an actually accurate strike zone is an improvement? That one I get, or at least have seen explained. But you don't think it'd be an improvement for an umpire to at least announce the results of a replay so the fans aren't sitting at the game with no idea what's going on?

No I don't think its an improvement to the game because it takes out the human element. It takes away the uniqueness of each umpire.

Considering I think that replay is a complete waste of time and should be removed from the game, no I don't view an umpire announcing a call to the fans as an improvement.

Baseball in its most simplistic form, is a beautiful game full of greatness. All of these additions, subtractions, and electronic interference, imo, subtracts from the game. Baseball is a game played by men, managed by men, and umpired by men. Sure there are errors, but that is what adds to the beauty and uniqueness of the game, the human element.

[Blzer]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

This Rich Eisen story is just evidence of what was said earlier about radio shows. This dude isn't even a baseball guy. MLB responded to it. The internet was a mistake.

Sorry, I missed the earlier mentions about that. I heard about it for the first time in my car on the radio. My points still apply.

[DieHardYankee26]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Instant replay led to greatness???

They could remove the DH, wild card, and instant replay and the game would still be great.

No I don't think its an improvement to the game because it takes out the human element. It takes away the uniqueness of each umpire.

Considering I think that replay is a complete waste of time and should be removed from the game, no I don't view an umpire announcing a call to the fans as an improvement.

Baseball in its most simplistic form, is a beautiful game full of greatness. All of these additions, subtractions, and electronic interference, imo, subtracts from the game. Baseball is a game played by men, managed by men, and umpired by men. Sure there are errors, but that is what adds to the beauty and uniqueness of the game, the human element.

...... I've gotta ask, was the game great before integration or do you not see the point I'm making? You can go back to any time and erase all the changes after and people will call the game great.

Sorry, I missed the earlier mentions about that. I heard about it for the first time in my car on the radio. My points still apply.

No, it's not a Barry Bonds retirement situation. It's just the idea that anything Rich Eisen says matters. It's like getting upset over a baseball story from Stephen A Smith. He basically made the comment, said the exec was whispering it (implying even at the time that it was pretty much bogus) and now he's posted up somewhere checking reactions. This idea is being floated on the same level as the 4 point half court shot in basketball, but people react like it's being voted on.

[countryboy]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

...... I've gotta ask, was the game great before integration or do you not see the point I'm making? You can go back to any time and erase all the changes after and people will call the game great.

I see the point you're making.

What I'm saying is that in my opinion, the game in its simplest form is great. Throw ball, hit ball, catch ball, the game is great. It doesn't need expanded playoffs, pitch clocks, designated hitters, electronic strike zones, instant replay, or anything else that someone can think of to "improve" the game.

The game itself doesn't need to be improved upon. The "improvements" that are being made are being done for the sake of time and money. They are not being done because something is wrong with the game itself.

And yes, I understand the MLB is a business and yada...yada...yada...

[KSUowls]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Tom Verducci's 10 things to improve baseball:

- Pitch clock
- Automated strike zone
- softer bases
- tackier baseballs
- Rolling 25 man September rosters
- Switch interleague rules during interleague play (NL teams get DH at home)
- No midinning changes in ASG
- replay decisions announced by to crowd by umpire
- everything reviewable
- free tickets for youth groups

I like all of them, except the interleague play rule. I'm not an expert in baseball stickiness so I'll defer to the players on that, but everything else seems doable. Many NL fans hate the DH, so I don't think that would be as fun or well received as intended.

In favor of the pitch clock, everything review able, replay being announced by umpire, and the youth group tickets.

Automated strike zone? I think the umps mostly do a good job, and I'm not sure I want to see that totally automated.

Big fat no on switching interleague rules (unless AL teams have to bat their pitcher at home. Then...maybe).


That whole story about batting whomever you want in the bottom of the 9th is a joke...right?