Poll on increasing the action in MLB

[Jolly Roger]

I'm curious how this community feels about making proactive changes in MLB to decrease strikeouts and increase balls in play. These would be things like moving the mound back, changing the ball, limiting shifts, etc.

[reyes the roof]

Re: Poll on increasing the action in MLB

I hate the high strikeout and shift rates but I’m totally against making changes to reduce them, that’s the hitter’s responsibility

[Majingir]

Re: Poll on increasing the action in MLB

I don't think they really need to do anything drastoc to change this. Of all things wrong with baseball, I feel like that's lower down on the priority list.

If anything, MAYBE change up the amount of shifts. You can shift all you want during an at bat, but it must be on your respective side of the field. No 3B playing RF for the first 2 strikes and then going back to 3B after.

The changes to the gameplay I'd make that I feel are easier to implement are the pitch clock (which will also impact batters stepping out of the box as pitchers are allowed throwing the ball at any point in time once the clock begins).

Reduce mound visits to 1 per pitcher/per inning (so if you visit the SP in an inning and change him later that inning, you're not allowed visiting a reliever until the next inning).


Although for the pitch clock, I think that will impact defensive shifts during at bats since the defense would have under 25 or 20 seconds to make their adjustments.

[Master Live 013]

Re: Poll on increasing the action in MLB

Moving the mound: No.

Limiting shifts: No.

Modifying the ball: I'm open to suggestions.

[Caulfield]

Re: Poll on increasing the action in MLB

I'm not a fan of the shift but I'd rather not have new rules put in to regulate them either. once teams put a premium on spraying the ball all over, shifting will eventually die a natural albeit slow & agonizing death

as for the mound: 60' 6''
they don't need to be moving the mound anymore than they need be moving the bases
what I'd prefer for mounds is the pre-1969 rules going back into play. strikeouts won't be reduced but homeruns will. walks will lower slightly too I believe. I hear it won't reduce injuries but I'm convinced it will eventually though not straight away

[Jolly Roger]

Re: Poll on increasing the action in MLB

I voted "yes" to proactive changes even though I'd rather have the hitters adjust on their own. This is mainly because I'm not sure we have time to let the hitters adjust. If they continue to struggle and K/9 keeps going up, that will be a big problem for baseball. As such, I think they can't afford not to make some proactive changes, whatever they may be.

[reyes the roof]

Re: Poll on increasing the action in MLB

They had a good discussion about the increased strikeouts during the Mets game last night. It’s not just guys going overboard trying to hit HRs, but you also have hitters studying analytics so much that they’re trying to guess pitches instead of looking fastball and adjusting to everything else. You end up seeing guys looking at fastballs that are hittable and also swinging at breaking balls that aren’t good pitches to hit simply because they guessed right.

[KSUowls]

Re: Poll on increasing the action in MLB

I'm about 10,000% in favor of making the game more active, but I'm against most rule changes. About as far as I would go for rule changes would be limiting infielders to playing inside the outfield grass.

I do think the idea of softening the ball is interesting though. It doesn't affect the actual rules of the game, and it could force hitters yo take more balanced approach at the plate, which in turn could force pitchers to focus more on command.

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[canes21]

Re: Poll on increasing the action in MLB

The rule changes I am open to are:

You must have two infielders on each side of the bag at all times.

No infielder is allowed to set up in the OF grass at any point.

A pitch clock that the batter and pitcher both must follow. If one is not ready then a strike or ball is issued depending on who is at fault.

Changes to the ball.

Part of the reason we have so many K's is teams are too reliant on analytics. Another part is the shift. I think shifts should be regulated a bit more than they are. You can still set up for a pull hitter with a rule requiring 2 men on each side of the base at all times.

Hitting is hard enough. I personally hate watching a guy put up a good AB, make good contact, but there are 3 or 4 players on that side of the infield making it near impossible for him to get a hit.

The 2 person rule creates more space for hitters to operate with, but you can still shift the 3B against the line, the SS over a few steps, and the 2B nearly up the middle.

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[Blzer]

Re: Poll on increasing the action in MLB

Bring the ball back to its natural state. That would help a lot in, well, a natural manner. Players will adjust later when they find out they're both unsuccessful getting on base and hitting the ball out, seeing both less playing time and less money paid their way.

I have personally proposed shift restriction rules, but not to the heavy amount that they're trying at the lower levels.

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[Caulfield]

Re: Poll on increasing the action in MLB

I picture George Costanza meeting with Manferd, Yankee brass in tow:

Manferd - ok, what do you have for us, to increase the action?

Costanza - no, no action, this is the sport about nothing. so, no action!
I'm not going to compromise our integrity. this is the sport and we're not going to change it!
we are, however, willing to change the uniforms to wool

[IndianSummer]

Re: Poll on increasing the action in MLB

as for the mound: 60' 6''
they don't need to be moving the mound anymore than they need be moving the bases
what I'd prefer for mounds is the pre-1969 rules going back into play. strikeouts won't be reduced but homeruns will. walks will lower slightly too I believe. I hear it won't reduce injuries but I'm convinced it will eventually though not straight away

I couldn’t agree more, move the mound back to 15” high. I have always thought lowering the mound is more stressful on the arm, elbow etc.
Gibson, Marichal etc really never worried about a pitch count and it didn’t seem like we had the amount of serious elbow injuries back then.

[Sportsforever]

Re: Poll on increasing the action in MLB

I couldn’t agree more, move the mound back to 15” high. I have always thought lowering the mound is more stressful on the arm, elbow etc.
Gibson, Marichal etc really never worried about a pitch count and it didn’t seem like we had the amount of serious elbow injuries back then.

Studies have shown (most recently in 2008) that the higher the mound, the more stress placed on the shoulder and elbow. The least stressful throw is from flat ground; there were plenty of arm injuries back in the day for pitchers...of course you won't hear about those pitchers because an arm injury ended their career unless they became a knuckle ball/junk ball pitcher.

If anything, lowering the mound is the way to go to decrease stress on the arm. In the early days of baseball, pitchers did throw from flat ground. It was through experimenting that pitchers found they gained more velocity/movement throwing off of a mound and had the grounds keepers start putting a mound together for them to throw off of. If baseball wants to experiment with reducing arm injuries and increasing batting averages/etc, they would be better off to try pitching from flat ground before they mess around with moving the rubber back.

[Caulfield]

Re: Poll on increasing the action in MLB

Studies have shown (most recently in 2008) that the higher the mound, the more stress placed on the shoulder and elbow. The least stressful throw is from flat ground; there were plenty of arm injuries back in the day for pitchers...of course you won't hear about those pitchers because an arm injury ended their career unless they became a knuckle ball/junk ball pitcher.

If anything, lowering the mound is the way to go to decrease stress on the arm. In the early days of baseball, pitchers did throw from flat ground. It was through experimenting that pitchers found they gained more velocity/movement throwing off of a mound and had the grounds keepers start putting a mound together for them to throw off of. If baseball wants to experiment with reducing arm injuries and increasing batting averages/etc, they would be better off to try pitching from flat ground before they mess around with moving the rubber back.

yeah, the best compromise would be a raised mound that was big enough to be flat enough on top so that you aren't coming down off a hill as you release, but rather still be on ''flat'' ground, yet still raised.

but I just don't see MLB wanting to do that because at the heart of the problem is MLB wants to eat their cake and still have it too. they want more offense in a shorter time frame. and the only way that's achievable is if 6 inning games replace 9 inning games. which is why I don't like them getting too comfortable with 7 inning games

[Madden08PCgmr]

Re: Poll on increasing the action in MLB

I don't understand the outrage over the shift. Never will.

If hitters are too stubborn, or flat out incompetent, refusing to drive the ball the other way, thats on THEM.

.. Manfred is the problem I see. The only things that are broken in the game are the dumb @$$ ideas he's put in place.