MLB's Biggest Problem...

[Lip Man 1]

Interesting story from CBS Sportsline:

 

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlbs-big...-worse-in-2018/

[Dick Allen]

In a way, this does hurt the pace of the game. It is only going to go higher. You see 7 pitches and strikeout these days is considered a better AB then hitting the first pitch on the screws and getting robbed. I am only slightly exaggerating there. But with advanced analytics working counts, which the great hitter almost always did anyways is becoming universal. Guys with OBP only slightly better than their batting average are going to go the way of the Edsel.

 

The walk rate has become more important, and when players focus on that, not only will facing close to 100 MPH gas and 3 different pitchers spike the k-rate, the desire to get a walk is going to put those that aren’t the Frank Thomases of the world in holes that will cause them to strikeout.

 

Not everyone is built to work counts. The problem is, if you aren’t, you let good ones go. Working counts is getting good pitches to hit. If it’s the first one, swing at it.

[LittleHurt05]

Saw a discussion about how analytics have led to teams in the major sports maximizing efficiency to increase chances of winning.

 

In the NBA, that's shooting more 3's and upping the pace of play. Good for fans.

 

In the NFL, it's running more plays, spreading out your offense, keeping the defense on it's toes. Good for fans.

 

In MLB, it's hitters seeing as many pitches as possible, while pitchers face less and less batters and more reliever changes. Not fun for the fans.

 

You think starting pitchers are getting pulled early now, it's only gonna get worse as results are shown and teams win with longer bullpens. Baseball is gonna have to do something, but I'm no sure what, you can't just tell teams to stop trying to win efficiently.

[Leonard Zelig]

They could do it like my softball league, batters start with a 1-1 count. That should speed things up.

[ScootsMcGoots]

They could do it like my softball league, batters start with a 1-1 count. That should speed things up.

So in essence, a full count is 2-1

[ChiSox1917]

The problem is that the league is far past due for expansion. It's now been 20 years now since the last expansion team, and it really should be about every 10-15 years that two teams should be added.

 

Bring back the Expos, and then add one to three more expansion teams and you'll see a reversal of that trend. Expansion hurts pitching more than it does hitting statistics.

[flavum]

I don't want to get in a big back and forth about expansion, but 32 teams would suck.

 

28 is perfect

30 is ok

32 is the most watered down crap

 

Why would any fan of a current team want more competition? You're luck if you get one championship in 30 years. I know! Let's make it 32, sand have more s***ty pitchers, and fewer stars per team!

[caulfield12]

Interest from young people/families, although Harper, Trout, Ohtani and Judge are helping there...along with the football concussions issue.

 

Attendance for tanking teams (although not a killer for revenue, it’s not a good trend, and relates to Problem 1.)

[kitekrazy]

I like that the game is going back to the pitcher after the roid era. The author is definitely not a baseball purest. Baseball's biggest problem is an increasing lack of action.

 

It really boils down to whether one likes baseball or not. If find an NFL game even more boring since the commentators are former players instead of real announcers and became more politicized.

 

Never watch golf, soccer, NBA.

 

A shorter season and not starting the season premature would be OK.

 

4 strikes is stupid when arms are more coddled.

 

It can be an issue of talent. That could be cyclical. When was the last time a catcher was a household name?

 

I always wondered if the bats used by guys like Mantel are as technologically advanced as they are today?

 

I don't agree with the article.

[iWiN4PreP]

The problem is that the league is far past due for expansion. It's now been 20 years now since the last expansion team, and it really should be about every 10-15 years that two teams should be added.

 

Bring back the Expos, and then add one to three more expansion teams and you'll see a reversal of that trend. Expansion hurts pitching more than it does hitting statistics.

 

 

I'm sorry -- I don't understand your logic here. You are saying that adding expansion teams every 10-15 years will solve the problem of baseball being boring? I don't get it. So in 50 years we can have some 10 or so more teams?

 

How does that help?

[Eminor3rd]

The problem is that the league is far past due for expansion. It's now been 20 years now since the last expansion team, and it really should be about every 10-15 years that two teams should be added.

 

Bring back the Expos, and then add one to three more expansion teams and you'll see a reversal of that trend. Expansion hurts pitching more than it does hitting statistics.

 

...which incentivizes specialization, which leads to more relievers.

[greg775]

You think starting pitchers are getting pulled early now, it's only gonna get worse as results are shown and teams win with longer bullpens. Baseball is gonna have to do something, but I'm no sure what, you can't just tell teams to stop trying to win efficiently.

Good thread. I'm shocked teams haven't gone to six man rotations yet. What's going to happen is 6-man rotations and at least 8 relievers on a team as rosters will be expanded a bit. There are so many bad pitchers on the non contenders now. Man, baseball has a lot of issues coming up.

The key is to speed up the process, but the umps want no part of it. To do that you call the correct strike zone and you forbid more than 2 mound visits per game by anybody, infielders, catchers, managers. You also do not allow the hitters to leave the batters box once he steps in to start the at bat. If an ump sees a player re-do the velcro on the glove it's a strike. And it has to be called automatically. If a player disagrees (further delaying the game), he is automatically ejected. Baseball has to speed it up especially with all future changes to the game going to slow it up even more.

I would think in a year or two, no starter will be allowed to face a batter a third time. So that means the starters go anywhere between 3 to 5 innings max.

[SonofaRoache]

I don't want to get in a big back and forth about expansion, but 32 teams would suck.

 

28 is perfect

30 is ok

32 is the most watered down crap

 

Why would any fan of a current team want more competition? You're luck if you get one championship in 30 years. I know! Let's make it 32, sand have more s***ty pitchers, and fewer stars per team!

 

 

32 teams mean you have to have the NFL division setup of 8 4 team divisions. I'm sure the players will want this badly but you are correct things would get watered down.

[ChiSox1917]

I'm sorry -- I don't understand your logic here. You are saying that adding expansion teams every 10-15 years will solve the problem of baseball being boring? I don't get it. So in 50 years we can have some 10 or so more teams?

 

How does that help?

 

Every time there has been an expansion there has been an uptick in offensive output.

[ChiSox1917]

32 teams mean you have to have the NFL division setup of 8 4 team divisions. I'm sure the players will want this badly but you are correct things would get watered down.

 

Or you could do 4 8 team divisions, or just two 16 team leagues with no divisions.

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

They could also give the NL the DH finally. It would not only reduce the amount of pitchers used in NL games, it would also likely cut down on both strikeouts AND walks at the same time. Although intentional walks don't take 90 seconds anymore, they still occur CONSTANTLY in front of pitchers batting in NL games. And then the pitcher comes up and strikes out probably 50-60% of the time.

 

If the issue is more action and excitement, then stop neutering the #8 hitter in NL line-ups any time a 6th or 7th hitter gets an extra base hit with 1 or 2 outs. And don't make us watch a pitcher strike out with bases loaded or a couple guys on base.

[SonofaRoache]

Or you could do 4 8 team divisions, or just two 16 team leagues with no divisions.

 

A rational person would consider this but not baseball. They will want to keep rivalries and traditions strong with smaller divisions. It's also the reason they wont add the DH to the NL as strategy is important to them, even though no one cares about that or wants to see the pitcher bat.

[flavum]

Eight 4-team divisions would never work in baseball.

 

Four 8-team divisions could work, but I’d rather not see geographical realignment. The leagues are special and teams in the same market should remain in separate leagues.

[Leonard Zelig]

A rational person would consider this but not baseball. They will want to keep rivalries and traditions strong with smaller divisions. It's also the reason they wont add the DH to the NL as strategy is important to them, even though no one cares about that or wants to see the pitcher bat.

I live in St. Louis and every Cardinal fan I have ever heard talk about it, wants nothing to do with a DH in the NL.

[SonofaRoache]

I live in St. Louis and every Cardinal fan I have ever heard talk about it, wants nothing to do with a DH in the NL.

Because of the holy tradition and myth of ultimate strategy. How many of them really want to see the pitcher strike out? Or how about letting a team off the hook becausevtwo are on with two out and they walk the 8 hitter to see the pitcher in the 4th inning? Until pitchers start taking batting more seriously they shouldn't be allowed to hit.

[Leonard Zelig]

Because of the holy tradition and myth of ultimate strategy. How many of them really want to see the pitcher strike out? Or how about letting a team off the hook becausevtwo are on with two out and they walk the 8 hitter to see the pitcher in the 4th inning? Until pitchers start taking batting more seriously they shouldn't be allowed to hit.

You said nobody wants to see the pitcher bat and I just don't think that's true. I think fans of NL teams like their rules. I think they like that there is a differences between the leagues. I'm not saying that they are right or wrong, but just because you don't want something doesn't mean nobody wants it.

[Iwritecode]

Good thread. I'm shocked teams haven't gone to six man rotations yet. What's going to happen is 6-man rotations and at least 8 relievers on a team as rosters will be expanded a bit. There are so many bad pitchers on the non contenders now. Man, baseball has a lot of issues coming up.

The key is to speed up the process, but the umps want no part of it. To do that you call the correct strike zone and you forbid more than 2 mound visits per game by anybody, infielders, catchers, managers. You also do not allow the hitters to leave the batters box once he steps in to start the at bat. If an ump sees a player re-do the velcro on the glove it's a strike. And it has to be called automatically. If a player disagrees (further delaying the game), he is automatically ejected. Baseball has to speed it up especially with all future changes to the game going to slow it up even more.

I would think in a year or two, no starter will be allowed to face a batter a third time. So that means the starters go anywhere between 3 to 5 innings max.

 

The premise of the article is litrerally that the pace of play IS NOT the problem.

[SonofaRoache]

You said nobody wants to see the pitcher bat and I just don't think that's true. I think fans of NL teams like their rules. I think they like that there is a differences between the leagues. I'm not saying that they are right or wrong, but just because you don't want something doesn't mean nobody wants it.

 

That was my point. They like the rules and tradition of it, not the pitcher actually hitting. I'm not speaking from a fan perspective myself but what is best for baseball. If pitchers aren't going to put in the work to hit then why bother?

[Wanne]

To me it somewhat speaks to the inconsistent strike zone from one umpire to the next too...and even one game or inning to the next. One inning the zone is all over the map...next inning he's squeezing every effing pitch. I always like those umps that "if it's close you better be hacking". Guys won't swing at the close pitches because the inning before it was called a ball. I rather have the huge zones than squeezing every pitch...that's what drags the game down IMO.