The future of baseball

[mvp 78]

Seems like they are really having some fun with it!

 

Robots were able to negotiate a 4 day workweek. Re2pect!

[notin]

Robots were able to negotiate a 4 day workweek. Re2pect!

 

New Masters.

 

Learn to praise them in binary code now…

[harmony]

Have analytics spoiled the game of MLB?

“The competitive advantage piece, I think there was a point in time where if your analytics department was more developed than somebody else’s, maybe you got that little edge,” Manfred said. “Right now, everybody’s playing that same game.

 

“Once everybody’s doing it, that little margin that maybe you’re getting … I am sure that whatever that margin was at one point in time — whatever it is today — it sure as heck is not worth the damage that was done to the game over a period of time.”

 

One-time Red Sox beat reporter Evan Drellich addresses the issue at The Athletic in a column with the headline: "An MLB owner told Rob Manfred ‘analytics is an arms race to nowhere.’ The commissioner agrees":

 

https://theathletic.com/4368996/2023/04/01/rob-manfred-mlb-analytics-front-offices/

Subscription required.

[Bellhorn04]

Have analytics spoiled the game of MLB?

 

 

One-time Red Sox beat reporter Evan Drellich addresses the issue at The Athletic in a column with the headline: "An MLB owner told Rob Manfred ‘analytics is an arms race to nowhere.’ The commissioner agrees":

 

https://theathletic.com/4368996/2023/04/01/rob-manfred-mlb-analytics-front-offices/

Subscription required.

 

Not to be an "I told you so" guy, but this is exactly what I thought would happen. Eventually all the teams have the same analytic information, so no one has an advantage, but the game itself isn't as enjoyable.

[notin]

Not to be an "I told you so" guy, but this is exactly what I thought would happen. Eventually all the teams have the same analytic information, so no one has an advantage, but the game itself isn't as enjoyable.

 

I don’t get that.

 

1. While there are certainly more of them now, pretending analytics are a new development is simply historically incorrect.

 

2. The previous Arms Race that far too many players tried to use to gain an advantage but soon found it far too common was steroids. Was the game more fun then?

[Bellhorn04]

Robots were able to negotiate a 4 day workweek. Re2pect!

 

I forgot to say, that was funny.

[Bellhorn04]

I don’t get that.

 

1. While there are certainly more of them now, pretending analytics are a new development is simply historically incorrect.

 

But that's like saying computers are nothing new. It's true, but it kind of leaves out the massive increases in power.

[sk7326]

Not to be an "I told you so" guy, but this is exactly what I thought would happen. Eventually all the teams have the same analytic information, so no one has an advantage, but the game itself isn't as enjoyable.

 

This is where the rule changes were necessary ... "analytics" is about optimizing results given the context. You're not going to stop analytics the way you can't stop any other form of "trying to win". So - change the context!

 

The limit on throws to first for instance ... the sport decided to eliminate one of the most boring plays (the throw to first) to incentivize one of the most fun ones (stolen bases). Analytics will have to catch up ... but I appreciate baseball attemtping to shake up the equation.

[sk7326]

I hope it works well, and will be in MLB by next season.

 

Yeah. From my understanding - the big problem with the system in its AFL incarnation was that it simply was not calling enough strikes.

[notin]

But that's like saying computers are nothing new. It's true, but it kind of leaves out the massive increases in power.

 

The problem isn’t that computers have gotten better.

 

There has always been an innate nature among competitive types to seek out an advantage. This has been going on since Day 2 of organized sports. Just because the specific analytics are new doesn’t change this. And while maybe you didn’t like some of the strategies employed through analytics, there are probably other you did. Many people railed about the shift, for example (itself a 100 year old strategy), but how many people hate seeing the team’s best hitter bat second and come up more often?

[notin]

This is where the rule changes were necessary ... "analytics" is about optimizing results given the context. You're not going to stop analytics the way you can't stop any other form of "trying to win". So - change the context!

 

The limit on throws to first for instance ... the sport decided to eliminate one of the most boring plays (the throw to first) to incentivize one of the most fun ones (stolen bases). Analytics will have to catch up ... but I appreciate baseball attemtping to shake up the equation.

 

The pitch clock has been a rule for a long time. It’s about time they just decided to enforce it…

[Bellhorn04]

The problem isn’t that computers have gotten better.

 

There has always been an innate nature among competitive types to seek out an advantage. This has been going on since Day 2 of organized sports. Just because the specific analytics are new doesn’t change this. And while maybe you didn’t like some of the strategies employed through analytics, there are probably other you did. Many people railed about the shift, for example (itself a 100 year old strategy), but how many people hate seeing the team’s best hitter bat second and come up more often?

 

I think there's only so much you can do with baseball analytics, and not much of it has made the game more enjoyable.

 

Fortunately, baseball is such an innately magical game that it remains fascinating no matter how much they screw with it.

[Bellhorn04]

Stanton hits one 485 feet.

 

Trout and Ohtani hit back to back jacks that total 881 feet.

 

Hmmm, I wonder which baseball they're using this year.

[mvp 78]

Stanton hits one 485 feet.

 

Trout and Ohtani hit back to back jacks that total 881 feet.

 

Hmmm, I wonder which baseball they're using this year.

 

It's one of the more embarrassing things that MLB has done in recent years. Just keep the same damn ball...

[moonslav59]

It's one of the more embarrassing things that MLB has done in recent years. Just keep the same damn ball...

 

Then, they lie about switching.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

I don’t get that.

 

1. While there are certainly more of them now, pretending analytics are a new development is simply historically incorrect.

 

2. The previous Arms Race that far too many players tried to use to gain an advantage but soon found it far too common was steroids. Was the game more fun then?

 

Didn't Clemens' ex-trainer claim #2 was the Butts Race? (sorry, didn't mean to use a crap metaphor) It may have involved his wife and Sports Illustrated, but only in reference to site injection.

[mvp 78]

The pitch clock has been a rule for a long time. It’s about time they just decided to enforce it…

 

Pitch clock is fine. The batter having to have his head up by 8 seconds is weird (was not a rule), but they'll have to adjust.

 

I wonder if they will need to fix the amount of times they can attempt pickoffs if the SB numbers get too high. I like SB's and don't see a need for a change.

[notin]

Pitch clock is fine. The batter having to have his head up by 8 seconds is weird (was not a rule), but they'll have to adjust.

 

I wonder if they will need to fix the amount of times they can attempt pickoffs if the SB numbers get too high. I like SB's and don't see a need for a change.

 

I think they could open up the time for runners on base to allow more pickoff attempts. But I don’t get limiting the number of the pitcher still only has 15 seconds to throw a pitch…

[mvp 78]

Didn't Clemens' ex-trainer claim #2 was the Butts Race? (sorry, didn't mean to use a crap metaphor) It may have involved his wife and Sports Illustrated, but only in reference to site injection.

 

It has been a butts race ever since Anaconda came out in 1997.

[mvp 78]

I think they could open up the time for runners on base to allow more pickoff attempts. But I don’t get limiting the number of the pitcher still only has 15 seconds to throw a pitch…

 

Pitchers just have to adjust their cadence. If there are speed guys on base, don't wait until 1 second is left.

[sk7326]

Pitch clock is fine. The batter having to have his head up by 8 seconds is weird (was not a rule), but they'll have to adjust.

 

I wonder if they will need to fix the amount of times they can attempt pickoffs if the SB numbers get too high. I like SB's and don't see a need for a change.

 

MLB replaced the most boring play in baseball with one of the most exciting. Let's keep it that way!

[mvp 78]

MLB replaced the most boring play in baseball with one of the most exciting. Let's keep it that way!

 

Bring back the 1985 Cardinals!

[notin]

And then there’s this.

 

https://www.nbcnews.com/science/environment/climate-change-leading-home-runs-study-finds-rcna78511

[Bellhorn04]

And then there’s this.

 

https://www.nbcnews.com/science/environment/climate-change-leading-home-runs-study-finds-rcna78511

 

It makes you realize just how much "conditions" can affect the flight of a baseball.

[notin]

It makes you realize just how much "conditions" can affect the flight of a baseball.

 

Also, if you’re listening to a game and the Sox are down a run late, it’s ok to let your car idle longer at the next light…

[Bellhorn04]

Some teams are extending beer sales through the 8th inning in response to the shorter games.

 

https://nypost.com/2023/04/13/phillies-pitcher-matt-strahm-slams-mlb-teams-for-changing-beer-policy/

[mvp 78]

Some teams are extending beer sales through the 8th inning in response to the shorter games.

 

https://nypost.com/2023/04/13/phillies-pitcher-matt-strahm-slams-mlb-teams-for-changing-beer-policy/

 

Lawsuit if an overserved patron kills someone. Get that cash tho.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Lawsuit if an overserved patron kills someone. Get that cash tho.

 

Now that games are over so fast, there's gotta be less time to get drunk.

 

But if the new rules include a drink clock, everyone's in trouble.

[Bellhorn04]

The sticky stuff issue is obviously still with us, as evidenced by future HOFer Scherzer getting suspended for 10 games.

[mvp 78]

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/the-pitch-clock-and-its-effects-on-pitching-performance-and-injuries/

 

Pace of play hasn't had a great impact on pitcher injuries or performance.