MLB Off-Topic

[SPTO]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Thank goodness it's not old Yankee Stadium otherwise it would be blasphemy.

[CMH]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

I don't understand. It's been going on for three months.

sent from my mobile device

[countryboy]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

The HR Derby format is changing and for the better in my opinion.

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/133381146/home-run-derby-to-introduce-new-format

By Paul Casella / MLB.com | 3:48 PM ET

Next month's 2015 Gillette Home Run Derby presented by Head & Shoulders is getting a significant makeover.


It was announced Sunday that this year's Home Run Derby, set to be held July 13 at Cincinnati's Great American Ball Park as part of Gatorade All-Star Workout Day, will now play out as a bracket-style, timed event. The eight-player field, which is still to be determined, will be organized into a single-elimination bracket, lasting three rounds.

Instead of a set number of "outs" per round, each player this year will have five minutes to hit as many home runs as possible. A running clock will begin counting down upon release of the first pitch, though it will stop for any home run hit during the final minute. The clock will stop immediately after those home run balls land and will not begin again until a non-home run ball lands or the batter swings and misses.

Hitters will also be awarded bonus time for showcasing some extra pop. Contestants will receive an additional minute of swings if they hit two home runs projected to land 420 feet during a single turn, as well as another 30 seconds if they hit a blast of at least 475 feet. All distances will be measured using Statcast™.

"I'm up for change, so we'll see how it goes," said Reds third baseman Todd Frazier, who finished second in the 2014 Home Run Derby at Target Field in Minneapolis. "It's in a good park for home runs and I'll be ready."

As for the tournament format itself, the eight competing players will be seeded Nos. 1-8 based on their season home run total as of July 7. In the event of matching totals, the first tiebreaker will be the number of home runs hit since June 15 followed by, if necessary, a coin flip.

[l3ulvl]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

The HR Derby format is changing and for the better in my opinion.

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/133381...uce-new-format

I might actually watch this year

[Mabster]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

That's so arcade.

Maybe next year they'll get bonus time for hitting specific targets that pop up randomly.

[redsox4evur]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

That's so arcade.

Maybe next year they'll get bonus time for hitting specific targets that pop up randomly.

I hate the time element to begin with.

[Majingir]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

That's so arcade.

Maybe next year they'll get bonus time for hitting specific targets that pop up randomly.

On a related note...what about having things like that at the all star game? Like the HRD is just one of the events on the night before ASG? So it'd be like NBA All Star stuff where they have more than just dunk contest.

Have one for pitchers,one for fielders,and one for baserunners.

Hardest pitch? Fastest baserunner? Most accurate fielder(or something like that)?

[Sportsforever]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

On a related note...what about having things like that at the all star game? Like the HRD is just one of the events on the night before ASG? So it'd be like NBA All Star stuff where they have more than just dunk contest.

Have one for pitchers,one for fielders,and one for baserunners.

Hardest pitch? Fastest baserunner? Most accurate fielder(or something like that)?

They used to do a skills competition...guys hitting the cutoff man, outfielders putting the ball in a bucket from the outfield, catcher's throwing to 2nd, etc. It was awesome and I don't know why it went away...I really enjoyed it.

[Mabster]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

They used to do a skills competition...guys hitting the cutoff man, outfielders putting the ball in a bucket from the outfield, catcher's throwing to 2nd, etc. It was awesome and I don't know why it went away...I really enjoyed it.

Yeah I'd enjoy that. Why glorified just the home run? Let's glorify all aspects of baseball. Spray hitting competitions, home to third base running, pitching accuracy (like in The Show they could set up a rack with clay pigeons to knock out).

They could enhance the experience these days with all the tracking and statistical overlays they can do. Exit velocity, route efficiency, etc

[Sportsforever]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Yeah I'd enjoy that. Why glorified just the home run? Let's glorify all aspects of baseball. Spray hitting competitions, home to third base running, pitching accuracy (like in The Show they could set up a rack with clay pigeons to knock out).

They could enhance the experience these days with all the tracking and statistical overlays they can do. Exit velocity, route efficiency, etc

It was fun...I think the last one I remember seeing done was in the mid to late 1980's. They used to have a strongest OF arm competition, turning the pivot for middle infielders, etc. It was really laid back, but guys are competitive and it was fun. The first HR derby was 1985 and once that got started the skills comp kind of faded away.

[dickey1331]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

It was fun...I think the last one I remember seeing done was in the mid to late 1980's. They used to have a strongest OF arm competition, turning the pivot for middle infielders, etc. It was really laid back, but guys are competitive and it was fun. The first HR derby was 1985 and once that got started the skills comp kind of faded away.

Football used to have something similar and they got rid of it too. Probably has to do with injuries.

[TheMatrix31]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

That actually sounds pretty fun. Cool.

[ImTellinTim]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Thank goodness it's not old Yankee Stadium otherwise it would be blasphemy.

Why is that? They played things other than baseball at old Yankee Stadium.

Re: skills competition. I'd definitely watch something like that. Unfortunately, with how much these guys cost teams, we're lucky they still allow the HR derby.

[Blzer]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

The HR Derby format is changing and for the better in my opinion.

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/133381...uce-new-format

I would have preferred a Big League Challenge format. 9 innings AL vs. NL, every non-home run is an out obviously. Three players per team, individual players are there for one inning at a time. Players may choose their own rotation. So if they want to load people up innings 1-3, 4-6, and 7-9, go for it... otherwise they might just distribute it evenly.

That's so arcade.

Maybe next year they'll get bonus time for hitting specific targets that pop up randomly.

Maybe I'm the only one, but I miss the million dollar targets that were at the parks. No one ever hit them, but they were close at times.

[dubcity]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

The timed rounds sound like a good idea, except having the clock stop after every HR in the last minute kind of takes away from it. At least it'll prevent those ridiculously long rounds we've seen before from guys like Josh Hamilton and Bobby Abreu.