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

[Salty]

The only reason for inter-league games is Money - via attendence!
ie Mets vs Yankees, (same city) Atlanta vs Boston (used to be same city)
and other such situations.

 

[Use of Time]

I think baseball is pretty much fine. If you are a fan then you are a fan. Pace of play could be better but I do t think shortening the game 20 minutes is going to create legions if fans.

The game is different. Most teams have bullpens full of guys who have a minimum 95 mph fastball. Power pitchers run the sport these days. Power hitters are the rage with guys that will happily hit 220 as long as there are 30 HR’s on the year (looking at you Bryce Harper).

I hate the one game playoff. Sucks to scratch and claw through six months to face a one and done scenario.

What I really hate about baseball are the archaic unwritten rules. After watching Acuna get drilled by a pitcher on a 74 loss team on purpose, something needs to be done.

 

[OnlyaSinner]

I think baseball is pretty much fine. If you are a fan then you are a fan. Pace of play could be better but I do t think shortening the game 20 minutes is going to create legions if fans.

The game is different. Most teams have bullpens full of guys who have a minimum 95 mph fastball. Power pitchers run the sport these days. Power hitters are the rage with guys that will happily hit 220 as long as there are 30 HR’s on the year (looking at you Bryce Harper).

I hate the one game playoff. Sucks to scratch and claw through six months to face a one and done scenario.

What I really hate about baseball are the archaic unwritten rules. After watching Acuna get drilled by a pitcher on a 74 loss team on purpose, something needs to be done.

Don't look too close at Harper - he's up to .247, and has hit .337 this month. However, I agree with all the above points, but would choose Chris Davis, not Harper, as the poster boy. Only a team headed for 110 losses would continue to run a .170 hitter and strikeout machine out there every day.

 

[Yeshua1]

Don't look too close at Harper - he's up to .247, and has hit .337 this month. However, I agree with all the above points, but would choose Chris Davis, not Harper, as the poster boy. Only a team headed for 110 losses would continue to run a .170 hitter and strikeout machine out there every day.

I think this is due to baseball not back to homers or bust, as think this season has had most strikeout in history already!

 

[Yeshua1]

I think this is due to baseball not back to homers or bust, as think this season has had most strikeout in history already!

There used to be a time whewn all aound player skills, like an All Kaline, Willy Mayes, Roberto Clemente was desired and taught, but now seems to be homer or bust!

 

[InTheLight]

The other thing about baseball that makes it nearly unwatchable for me is the terrible lack of fundamental defensive play. I am not exaggerating--I can turn on any random baseball game, any, and within 5 minutes I will see a defensive miscue or a lapse in judgment. I'm not necessarily talking about an error, I'm talking about things like outfielders not hitting the cutoff man (or throwing to the wrong base),

Forgot to mention base running errors. Last night's Nats/Phillies game was in the bottom of the 9th inning. Nationals leading 5-3, one out. Phillies score a run when pinch hitter Wilson Ramos doubled home a guy from 2nd base. So, 5-4, one out, runner on 2nd. The Phillies pinch ran for Ramos. The pinch runner, with only one out, attempted to tag up from 2nd base and advance to 3rd base on a fly ball to center field. The Nationals threw the pinch runner out at third to end the game. BTW, the pinch runner was a pitcher. There is no reason for a runner to try to get to third base in this situation. The runner is already in scoring position. Getting to third base with 2 outs will not get much of an advantage. So it was a dumb baserunning move.

 

[InTheLight]

Take a look at this blunder. Guys on 2nd and 3rd base. The infield is shifted and drawn in to prevent the runner at third from scoring on a ground ball. Ball is hit on the ground up the middle to the 2nd baseman. The 2nd baseman correctly looks the lead runner back towards 3rd base then throws to first baseman to get the out. But then...first baseman forgets about the lead runner, instead becomes concerned with the guy on 2nd. The lead runner dashes home and beats the throw. Just shoddy baseball.

See it here:
Rays vs. Braves | 08/28/18
(at 0:47 time mark)

 

[Use of Time]

I think this is due to baseball not back to homers or bust, as think this season has had most strikeout in history already!

Those players are still in abundance though and the players you mentioned are generational talents. They stood out amongst their peers.

There are still guys that can do it all. Mike Trout, Manny Machado, Nolan Arenado and Lindor come to mind.

I also forgot to mention that baseball is really poor at marketing their stars if they don’t play for the Yankees or Red Sox. Nolan Arenado might be the best player in the National League but most people would probably have no idea who he is.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

I used to have this stance, but no more. Without the DH, the #9 spot in NL lineups is a waste of space. There was a time when pitchers prided themselves on their ability to bunt, but no more. Get rid of pitchers in the batters box.

Hit them all

 

[Yeshua1]

Those players are still in abundance though and the players you mentioned are generational talents. They stood out amongst their peers.

There are still guys that can do it all. Mike Trout, Manny Machado, Nolan Arenado and Lindor come to mind.

I also forgot to mention that baseball is really poor at marketing their stars if they don’t play for the Yankees or Red Sox. Nolan Arenado might be the best player in the National League but most people would probably have no idea who he is.

Just seems that the current thinking is to swing hard, and go boom or bust!

 

[OnlyaSinner]

There is no reason for a runner to try to get to third base in this situation. The runner is already in scoring position. Getting to third base with 2 outs will not get much of an advantage. So it was a dumb baserunning move.

An old baseball maxim stated that one should never make the 1st out or the 3rd out at 3rd base. Only with 1 out is there a significant difference in run expectancy between 2nd and 3rd.

Just seems that the current thinking is to swing hard, and go boom or bust!
It's not the top stars that are doing that, as a rule (though the Judge-Stanton duo is close) but the Punch-and-Judy 7-8-9 hitters. Guys like those noted in #48, along with Jose Ramirez, Mookie Betts, and such, are hitting for average AND power, many are stealing bases and rarely getting caught, and most are very good in the field. IMO, the issue is the guy with a batting line of .220/.270/380, 18 homers and 160 strikeouts. 40-50 years back that type of mediocre batter would be more like .260/.310/.350 with 5 homers and 50 strikeouts, and would add more runs to his team than the 18-hr guy does today.

 

[McCree79]

I used to have this stance, but no more. Without the DH, the #9 spot in NL lineups is a waste of space. There was a time when pitchers prided themselves on their ability to bunt, but no more. Get rid of pitchers in the batters box.

Why??? Some pitchers can rake. Cardinals have two pitchers with multiple home runs this year. The Angels have a pitcher so good with the bat...he is their DH. Tampa Bay and Cincinnati have pitchers in the minors who can crush the ball. They will be hitter in the show. Greinke, Bumgarner, Wainwright and chatwood can all hit. The pitcher batting also adds to the eliminate of strategy...the pinch hitter.

Biggest problem with baseball is ticket prices. In less than two decades, in field box seats in STL have went from $18 to $75.

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[McCree79]

Gte the DH for both AL/NL, and eatch the batters to stop hitting for tyhr home run, and go back to line drives, eliminate the shift, and teach pitchers in minors their arms will not explode after 5 innings!

Eliminate the shift??? Absurd. Learn how to hit the ball the other way.

Pitchers are throwing harder than ever...so yeah....more arms exploding.

Home runs are exciting. Strikeouts are exciting. That is when fans go crazy at the ball park. Not for a ground out or a pop up.

Owners and players are pocketing too much money...lower ticket prices...that is the biggest problem

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[InTheLight]

Why??? Some pitchers can rake. Cardinals have two pitchers with multiple home runs this year. The Angels have a pitcher so good with the bat...he is their DH.

Ohtani is a freak. He's more like a hitter that can pitch.

Tampa Bay and Cincinnati have pitchers in the minors who can crush the ball. They will be hitter in the show. Greinke, Bumgarner, Wainwright and chatwood can all hit. The pitcher batting also adds to the eliminate of strategy...the pinch hitter.

Lifetime batting stats of those pitchers:

Greinke .221/.260/.314
Bumgarner .181/.227.312
Wainwright .202/.228/.310
Chatwood .210/.238/.237

They only appear to be good hitters compared to other pitchers. Compared to position players they are terrible. No hitter would last long in the major leagues with an on-base percentage of .228 and a slugging percentage around .300.

The Kansas City Royals have scored the least runs in MLB this year. Their team batting stats, not including pitchers that bat in interleague play, is .243/.303/.382.

 

[InTheLight]

Eliminate the shift??? Absurd. Learn how to hit the ball the other way.

Pitchers are throwing harder than ever...so yeah....more arms exploding.

Home runs are exciting. Strikeouts are exciting. That is when fans go crazy at the ball park. Not for a ground out or a pop up.

Hit and run plays are exciting. Doubles are exciting. Stolen bases are exciting. Triples are exciting. Double plays are exciting. Throwing a runner out at the plate is exciting. A perfectly executed relay throw to nail a runner out at a base is exciting.

Pitchers trying to bunt? Not exciting.
Pitchers trying to hit when they inevitably fail to get a bunt down after racking up two strikes? Not exciting. (Although the pitcher that tried to bunt with two strikes on him, unintentionally fouled the ball off trying to get out of the way of the pitch and then subsequently stepped in and crushed a home run? Now that WAS EXCITING!)

Strikeouts and home runs involve only two players, so usually not very exciting, though it depends on the game situation. Not as fun for me as a triple.

See the pitcher hit a HR after failing to bunt here:
Must C: Lorenzen's 2nd-chance HR | 08/29/2018

 

[McCree79]

Ohtani is a freak. He's more like a hitter that can pitch.



Lifetime batting stats of those pitchers:

Greinke .221/.260/.314
Bumgarner .181/.227.312
Wainwright .202/.228/.310
Chatwood .210/.238/.237

They only appear to be good hitters compared to other pitchers. Compared to position players they are terrible. No hitter would last long in the major leagues with an on-base percentage of .228 and a slugging percentage around .300.

Well no, but they pitch as well. You have a many of DH who set on the bench...can't catch the ball...can't run....they just come in and hit the ball. If there was no DH, they would not be qualified to play baseball. If you are not good enough to take the field and play defense...you shouldn't play the game.

Hey, it[pitchers] isn't that far off of the #2 shortstop vote getter in all star ballot .245/.301 hahana

Starting catcher was .266/.356

You put these guys on the Cubs or Braves, they would be elected to the all star game




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[KenH]

MLB is very concerned with about 1/3 of at bats not resulting in a ball put into play. You can sit at a stadium for several minutes with no ball put into play. That might have worked 70 years ago but not today.

 

[McCree79]

MLB is very concerned with about 1/3 of at bats not resulting in a ball put into play. You can sit at a stadium for several minutes with no ball put into play. That might have worked 70 years ago but not today.

That will be hard to remedy. I don't put all the blame on the batters. These pitchers today are things nightmares are made of. Nearly everyone today throws over 95 (it seems) and many have movement on the ball not seen before. Pitchers like Kershaw, Scherzer, deGrom, Cole, Morton, Verlander are names we know....but there are 4 rookies this year that amazing from the mound. Rodriguez, Flaherty, Buehler, Ohtani....then rookie ball pen pitchers like Jordan Hicks ....of course hitters are striking out more. Are many more young arms are developing and have promise to be extremely dangerous(Kopech and Hunter Greene). Even the rookie pitchers are bringing it. Hitters will adjust...it may take a while, but they will figure them out. Like Matt Carpenter and J.D. Martinez...Mookie Betts...Freddie Freeman...these guys are having career years--MVP years from the plate.

Batters will adjust to the shift and the enormous talent of pitching....which I suspect is a result of talent avoiding football.

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[KenH]

That will be hard to remedy.

May it is time to lower the mound again as was done 50 years ago when pitchers became so dominant.

 

[McCree79]

May it is time to lower the mound again as was done 50 years ago when pitchers became so dominant.

Perhaps...that is one of the better suggestions.

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