I have a confession. I love everything about major league baseball except the game itself. I love the history, some statistics, old baseball cards, the Red Sox, Cooperstown, Hot Stove, Team by Team Analysis. However the game, as it stands is unwatchable on TV. Last year right after Labor Day, went to Fenway, saw a 19 inning game and stayed for the whole thing. Going to the game is one thing, watching on TV is another. I haven't watched 15 minutes of spring training this year and don't feel like I've missed anything.
This will be my 44th year following the Red Sox. I completely understand times change, the way the game is played changes, but right now it's not for the better. It has turned into a glorified home run derby with little action and less strategy. And it's on both the pitching and the hitting side. Let's discuss pitching.
Guys are on pitch counts and rarely go past 110 pitches. Pitch counts HURT pitchers. Look at the increase in pitchers having Tommy John surgery. Take a step back and look at it logically. Because pitchers know they have a limit on the number of balls they are going to throw, they max effort everything and try to strike hitters out instead of using the 7 fielders behind them. If you maxed effort every lift you did, what would happen? You'd get hurt. Throwing a ball overhand is not what your arm was intended for. Continuously doing it at maximum effort will cause an injury.
When was the last time the phrase "bear down" was used to describe a pitcher getting out of a jam? So starters, go 5-6 innings and then the manager decides he's going to show what a genius he is, bringing in one reliever after another, for lefty/lefty righty/righty matchups until the 8th. Then he brings in his setup guy who throws 98, but is too much of a mental midget to close the game. The closer can't pitch the 8th because his role is only being a 3 out guy as long as his team is winning by 3 runs or less. So the last 2 innings is a bunch of fielders standing around while the hitters wave at the ball. Now I don't have a problem with a pitcher being yanked after the 5th or 6th. From a strategical standpoint, it's usually the 3rd time around the lineup that he starts getting hit. Why? Because he less in the tank. Pace yourself and that 3rd time around will be more difficult for hitters to adjust.
Now on to the hitters.
Let me preface it by saying, I've always agreed with Ted Williams about having a slight upper cut swing. It's simple physics that the ball is coming down from the mound and in order level the plane you need to swing SLIGHTLY up.
However, this launch angle stuff has gotten completely out of control. Joey Gallo hit 41 HR and hit .209 last year and struck out 197 times! In 532 plate appearances, including walks, he didn't put the bat on the ball 271 times! That's over 50%. But there is an article in Sports Illustrated this week discussing launch angles and him not changing his approach at the plate. I used to think Adam Dunn was the definition of a softball player but Joey Gallo and others are bringing it to new levels. I remember my father discussing what a bum he thought Dave Kingman was because he'd hit 40 bombs but only hit .220 and struck out a ton. My how times have changed.
The modern day philosophy is, take a bunch of pitches, step out of the box and evaluate each pitch, and swing from your ass at all times. Let's take these step by step.
There is a fine line between being overaggressive and too passive, especially at the major league level where pitchers can put it wherever they want with movement. However, usually you get one pitch to hit each at bat. By taking strikes early in the count, you lower your rate of success. When I coached, I told the kids, "DON'T TAKE STRIKES." You fail at 100% of strikes you don't swing at. Give yourself a chance. This leads to deep hitter counts and no action.
Stepping out of the box between pitches. Step one foot out, look down at the 3rd base coach for a sign, take a swing and step back in. This adjusting the batting gloves, cup, helmet is too much. I watched Mitch Moreland do this after taking a pitch! Did the gloves shift, while holding the bat? All this is an advantage to the pitcher. Why? Because the more time spent fiddling gives him a chance to catch his breath in between pitches.
Not changing the approach with the count is the biggest issue. When did fly balls to the warning track become better than base hits? Teams all shift defensively and try and pitch so that the batter hits into the shift. Not adjusting by the batter is short sighted. First baserunners score runs. Trying to beat the shift, leads to: 1. a higher batting average by at least 30 points, 2. More action on the bases and runs scored, 3. and finally TEAMS WILL STOP SHIFTING AGAINST YOU which will allow you to keep your hitting philosophy because there will be more space on that side of the field.
The old thought was 2 strikes, choke up hit the ball the other way and at worst move the runners along. Today, well I struck out, but my launch angle was perfect. I flew out with the bases loaded, but my exit velocity was above average.
So what do you have? A glorified home run derby with little action, lots of standing around, and strikeouts. Kids are going to lacrosse vs. baseball because of this. This is festering into major league baseball. The game has turned into a big dick swinging contest between the pitcher and the hitter. Throw in all the mound visits, instant replay and you wonder why games are 3+ hours long.
Growing up, collecting baseball cards, skimming box scores, I could probably tell you most lineups for that season. Today? I probably can't give you 3 guys in each starting lineup. Baseball has lost it's individuality. Most of the batting stances are the same, the pitching motions are the same. Players are like mannequins out there. Relievers, forget it, starting pitchers, maybe 1 on each team.
Pitch clocks, mound visit limits can't fix the game. In today's instant gratification, low attention span, lots of alternatives culture, major league baseball is dying from a viewership perspective.
This will be my 44th year following the Red Sox. I completely understand times change, the way the game is played changes, but right now it's not for the better. It has turned into a glorified home run derby with little action and less strategy. And it's on both the pitching and the hitting side. Let's discuss pitching.
Guys are on pitch counts and rarely go past 110 pitches. Pitch counts HURT pitchers. Look at the increase in pitchers having Tommy John surgery. Take a step back and look at it logically. Because pitchers know they have a limit on the number of balls they are going to throw, they max effort everything and try to strike hitters out instead of using the 7 fielders behind them. If you maxed effort every lift you did, what would happen? You'd get hurt. Throwing a ball overhand is not what your arm was intended for. Continuously doing it at maximum effort will cause an injury.
When was the last time the phrase "bear down" was used to describe a pitcher getting out of a jam? So starters, go 5-6 innings and then the manager decides he's going to show what a genius he is, bringing in one reliever after another, for lefty/lefty righty/righty matchups until the 8th. Then he brings in his setup guy who throws 98, but is too much of a mental midget to close the game. The closer can't pitch the 8th because his role is only being a 3 out guy as long as his team is winning by 3 runs or less. So the last 2 innings is a bunch of fielders standing around while the hitters wave at the ball. Now I don't have a problem with a pitcher being yanked after the 5th or 6th. From a strategical standpoint, it's usually the 3rd time around the lineup that he starts getting hit. Why? Because he less in the tank. Pace yourself and that 3rd time around will be more difficult for hitters to adjust.
Now on to the hitters.
Let me preface it by saying, I've always agreed with Ted Williams about having a slight upper cut swing. It's simple physics that the ball is coming down from the mound and in order level the plane you need to swing SLIGHTLY up.
However, this launch angle stuff has gotten completely out of control. Joey Gallo hit 41 HR and hit .209 last year and struck out 197 times! In 532 plate appearances, including walks, he didn't put the bat on the ball 271 times! That's over 50%. But there is an article in Sports Illustrated this week discussing launch angles and him not changing his approach at the plate. I used to think Adam Dunn was the definition of a softball player but Joey Gallo and others are bringing it to new levels. I remember my father discussing what a bum he thought Dave Kingman was because he'd hit 40 bombs but only hit .220 and struck out a ton. My how times have changed.
The modern day philosophy is, take a bunch of pitches, step out of the box and evaluate each pitch, and swing from your ass at all times. Let's take these step by step.
There is a fine line between being overaggressive and too passive, especially at the major league level where pitchers can put it wherever they want with movement. However, usually you get one pitch to hit each at bat. By taking strikes early in the count, you lower your rate of success. When I coached, I told the kids, "DON'T TAKE STRIKES." You fail at 100% of strikes you don't swing at. Give yourself a chance. This leads to deep hitter counts and no action.
Stepping out of the box between pitches. Step one foot out, look down at the 3rd base coach for a sign, take a swing and step back in. This adjusting the batting gloves, cup, helmet is too much. I watched Mitch Moreland do this after taking a pitch! Did the gloves shift, while holding the bat? All this is an advantage to the pitcher. Why? Because the more time spent fiddling gives him a chance to catch his breath in between pitches.
Not changing the approach with the count is the biggest issue. When did fly balls to the warning track become better than base hits? Teams all shift defensively and try and pitch so that the batter hits into the shift. Not adjusting by the batter is short sighted. First baserunners score runs. Trying to beat the shift, leads to: 1. a higher batting average by at least 30 points, 2. More action on the bases and runs scored, 3. and finally TEAMS WILL STOP SHIFTING AGAINST YOU which will allow you to keep your hitting philosophy because there will be more space on that side of the field.
The old thought was 2 strikes, choke up hit the ball the other way and at worst move the runners along. Today, well I struck out, but my launch angle was perfect. I flew out with the bases loaded, but my exit velocity was above average.
So what do you have? A glorified home run derby with little action, lots of standing around, and strikeouts. Kids are going to lacrosse vs. baseball because of this. This is festering into major league baseball. The game has turned into a big dick swinging contest between the pitcher and the hitter. Throw in all the mound visits, instant replay and you wonder why games are 3+ hours long.
Growing up, collecting baseball cards, skimming box scores, I could probably tell you most lineups for that season. Today? I probably can't give you 3 guys in each starting lineup. Baseball has lost it's individuality. Most of the batting stances are the same, the pitching motions are the same. Players are like mannequins out there. Relievers, forget it, starting pitchers, maybe 1 on each team.
Pitch clocks, mound visit limits can't fix the game. In today's instant gratification, low attention span, lots of alternatives culture, major league baseball is dying from a viewership perspective.
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