What's wrong with baseball — and 18 ways to fix it

Having the DH though means that your pitcher is not being taken out whne they do not need to be.. For example, in the 1-0 10 innings game Jack morris pitched complete game, under the NL rules, woudl have been pulled way before that! Would you like to see Morris hit, or Kirby Pockett at that time?

 

Mets and Yankees in same division, royals and cardinals etc!

 

A fair point. But that's where the lengthy 162 game schedule comes to the rescue. And a bunch of other factors like injuries and home field advantage. And team's strengths change every year. Who wanted to play the Royals in 2014-2016? Now they are terrible. Same thing with Houston nowadays.

 

After 9 innings, eah team starts with a man on second base.

 

Good question. Maybe you will get an answer. I never have.

 

Or the pitcher could just hit like the game was intended.

 

No, no, no, and NO! You will be creating a recipe for a predictable end of game. Here's what will happen, virtually every time.

Tenth inning, tie game. Runner is placed on 2nd base, no outs. The first guy up to bat for the visiting team bunts, advances the runner to third base. One out. Then the next guy tries to hit a fly ball to the outfield. If unsuccessful the next guy tries to get a hit. Let's say they don't succeed. Bottom of the inning.

Home team gets a runner put on 2nd base, no outs. First guy up bunts him over to third. Next two batters are intentionally walked, loading the bases. Now there is a force at any base and any ball hit anywhere means the defense is throwing home. The OF will be playing kind of shallow to cut down the runner at third scoring on a sacrifice fly. Or they might go with 5 infielders and 2 outfielders. The pitcher will be throwing sinkers, sliders, and curveballs low in the strike zone trying to induce a ground ball. Maybe he does get the ground ball or maybe the ball skips past the catcher and the runner on third scores the winning run. Welcome back to Little League baseball where winning runs score on wild pitches.

 

The game is too specialized. Pitchers don't have time to take batting practice.

Might as well ask why the NFL needs 53 players on their roster. Can't guys play both defense and offense? What's the matter with them?

 

How about after say 15 innings, as Hockey did go to their shootout to decide games!

 

Another solution looking for a problem. How many 15 inning games have there been this year?

 

If only the q.b. did not play both ways, your comparison would be valid.

 

How so? The vast majority of baseball players in the lineup play both offense and defense. No one on the football team plays both offense and defense

You want the one guy on the baseball team that doesn't play offense to play offense. Essentially you want all baseball players to play both offense and defense. Why don't you require football players to play both offense and defense?

 

You are the one who brought up football. Football has been two platoon at the higher levels for a coons age. That is the way football is. Baseball has the one special player who is the odd ball.

 

It worked when babe Ruth was the pitcher, but no so much recently...

 

Following is what pops up when going to the web address in the OP.
Attempts to find, all led to same site except 2 which pointed to this thread!
Any suggestions?

"Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in most European countries. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to the EU market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism."

(I'm NOT in a European country!!)

 

Google:

What's wrong with baseball — and 18 ways to fix it Chicago Tribune

 

Same identical result. Thanks anyway!

 

I'd add a few more NO!!s. That rule, where it's been added at the minor league level, has led to some weird outcomes, like a team scoring the winning run without batting. I forget the exact scenario, but it went something like, bottom of 10th and still tied, ghost runner heads for 3rd on the 1st pitch, catcher's throw bounces into the OF, game over.

 

Yes, that's a problem. Which pitcher would want to be the guy that needs to pitch the 10th inning? Can't imagine it would be good for your ERA.