MLB GAME CHANGES; Pitchcom n more

[Johnny V]

The MIN-MIA game took 1 hour and 57 min today.

[ReplayRandall]

Originally Posted by Johnny V

The MIN-MIA game took 1 hour and 57 min today.

Reminds me of Jim Palmer's quick games in the 70's....

[Inner Dirt]

Originally Posted by PhantomOnTour

Ken Griffey Jr. will be the 4th highest paid player on the Cincinnati Reds payroll this season, and he's been retired for 14yrs.

That's all I need to know about the chances of my favorite team this year, and the chances of me watching any baseball.

That makes me feel old. I saw Ken Griffey Jr. play class A ball. He wasn't there very long, maybe a week or two. He was kind of a show off.

[elhelmete]

Originally Posted by Bustin Stones

The new rules, although mostly to increase pace of play, are there primarily to make the product more watchable.
People don't tune in to watch small ball bunting and banjo hitting. .

Respectfully, I'd probably be significantly more interested in watching if there was more intelligent small ball and creative at bats. As it is, I feel like this is every at-bat:

ball
strike
ball
ball
foul ball
foul ball
foul ball
foul ball
foul ball
foul ball
foul ball
foul ball
strikeout or deep-fly out or HR

[dnlgfnk]

Through yesterday's games, the mean pitches per inning for the 30 teams is 16.6, divided by the 4.3 batters per inning = roughly 4 pitches per batter.

There have been 5980 plate appearances,
2707 batted ball outs...45%
1333 hits & 1337 K's...22% each
868 singles, 254 doubles, 18 triples, & 193 HR's

Roughly 25% of plate appearances have resulted in K's &/or HRs

The pitch clock has been on the books since 1901, with a ball assigned to violating pitcher, since 1901. Just not enforced till this season.

[jimmyb]

Originally Posted by horses4courses

So, you're willing to forgive all the umpiring errors that replay has corrected?
It takes a little longer to get things right.

I like the human element. Billy Martin and Earl Weaver going nuts on an umpire was far more entertaining than replay will ever be...

[JustRalph]

If they are going to go full on high tech, balls and strikes should be automated. Some umpires still blow it

[elhelmete]

Originally Posted by dnlgfnk

Through yesterday's games, the mean pitches per inning for the 30 teams is 16.6, divided by the 4.3 batters per inning = roughly 4 pitches per batter.

There have been 5980 plate appearances,
2707 batted ball outs...45%
1333 hits & 1337 K's...22% each
868 singles, 254 doubles, 18 triples, & 193 HR's

Roughly 25% of plate appearances have resulted in K's &/or HRs

The pitch clock has been on the books since 1901, with a ball assigned to violating pitcher, since 1901. Just not enforced till this season.

I love stuff like this. Any comparison to 2022?

This was the most interesting stat to me: Roughly 25% of plate appearances have resulted in K's &/or HRs

To each their own, but that's not necessarily a recipe for interest for me. YMMV.

[dnlgfnk]

Originally Posted by elhelmete

I love stuff like this. Any comparison to 2022?

This was the most interesting stat to me: Roughly 25% of plate appearances have resulted in K's &/or HRs

To each their own, but that's not necessarily a recipe for interest for me. YMMV.

Last yr. the K/HR % per plate appearance was 25%. Of course the bulk of the percentage in any modern year results from strikeouts (last yr. 22%).

In the "Year of the Pitcher" (1968), the percentage was 17%.
In 1981, the most recent year with similar time of games...14%
1991...17%
2001 in the midst of full fledged steroid era...20%
2011...21%
Immediately following the presumed closure of the steroid era was the emergence of the high velocity, late inning specialist. But roughly 8 extra strikeouts per 100 plate appearances, i.e., 3 per team, per game won't dampen my love for baseball.

[ElKabong]

Originally Posted by elhelmete

Respectfully, I'd probably be significantly more interested in watching if there was more intelligent small ball and creative at bats. As it is, I feel like this is every at-bat:

ball
strike
ball
ball
foul ball
foul ball
foul ball
foul ball
foul ball
foul ball
foul ball
foul ball
strikeout or deep-fly out or HR

Totally agree with you

[elhelmete]

Originally Posted by dnlgfnk

Last yr. the K/HR % per plate appearance was 25%. Of course the bulk of the percentage in any modern year results from strikeouts (last yr. 22%).

In the "Year of the Pitcher" (1968), the percentage was 17%.
In 1981, the most recent year with similar time of games...14%
1991...17%
2001 in the midst of full fledged steroid era...20%
2011...21%
Immediately following the presumed closure of the steroid era was the emergence of the high velocity, late inning specialist. But roughly 8 extra strikeouts per 100 plate appearances, i.e., 3 per team, per game won't dampen my love for baseball.

Thank you for this.
So the takeaway is the modest but steady increase in K/HR % is due mostly to additional strikeouts.

[TJDave]

So what was wrong with a ball game lasting all afternoon?

I can think of nothing better than a few beers, a hotdog, kibitzing with your buddy and rooting for the home team. When did life get so hectic that you can’t enjoy one of life’s great pleasures. Sitting in the sun on a perfect summer day and watching a baseball game….however LONG it takes.

I guess I’ll have to go watch little league unless they figure out how to F that up.

[TJDave]

Originally Posted by jimmyb

I like the human element. Billy Martin and Earl Weaver going nuts on an umpire was far more entertaining than replay will ever be...

Absolutely. All part of the drama…and the fun.

[Johnny V]

Originally Posted by TJDave

So what was wrong with a ball game lasting all afternoon?

I can think of nothing better than a few beers, a hotdog, kibitzing with your buddy and rooting for the home team. When did life get so hectic that you can’t enjoy one of life’s great pleasures. Sitting in the sun on a perfect summer day and watching a baseball game….however LONG it takes.

I guess I’ll have to go watch little league unless they figure out how to F that up.

Agee with you there Dave. "There are no clocks in baseball" was something baseball people alway pointed out. No clocks and the average game lasted about 3 hours 10 min. Football has a clock and the average NFL game lasts about 3 hrs 12 min. Yet they say baseball is too long. This whole idea of a pitch clock, removing the shift and many other changes over the years is just baseball trying to please and attract some people to a sport they probably don't really care about anyway. Trying to appease and entertain naysayers by complying to their complaints or demands is not going to change anything about their dislike of the sport or those who don't truly like the game. Not for baseball and not for racing either by trying to appease PETA or whomever.

[JustRalph]

ESPN says there are already stats changes due to this years different rules.

The big one is base stealing is up beyond anything seen since the 1980’s. This is contributing to more “small ball” focus.

You remember, base hits to score runs and less reliance on home runs. You know, baseball!