The future of baseball

[Kimmi]

So you must have been a fan of when Brasier told Gary Sanchez to "Get in the -------- Box!" during the ALDS in 2018

 

I 100% loved that moment.

[Kimmi]

Eck stole the Human Rain Delay nickname from Hargrove, the original owner of it.

 

Hargrove was the worst. After every pitch, he would step out, adjust his gloves, knock dirt from his cleats, adjust his helmet, step out and take 3 practice swings, step back in the box, adjust his glove, and adjust his helmet. And to make it worse, he was not exactly Mike Greenwell when it came to pitch selection. Hargrove was a very patient hitter who was frequently near the top of the league in walks. And to make it even worse than that, he frequently batted leadoff. So he did this 5 times a game.

 

Hargrove's reputation was so bad that in 1984 - and no idea why I remember this - the Twins were looking for a left-handed hitting 1B and acquired Pat Putnam from Seattle over Hargrove. One of their players quipped "Good. Now we can play 3 hour games instead of 4 hour ones."

 

Good story.

[notin]

I don't really remember Hargrove as a player. Same with Bump Wills, but great name!

 

Bump was the son of Maury Wills, the former Dodger great who had the SB record before Lou Brock. Bump's real name was Elliott, which is why he went by Bump...

[mvp 78]

Watching 88 WS and Garagiola is lamenting the cut fastball, how it’s a pitch of the 80’s and just puts L’s on the score sheet.

[mvp 78]

Comment about Canseco saying that people talking about him potentially doing steroids was “unfair.” LOL

[Kimmi]

Comment about Canseco saying that people talking about him potentially doing steroids was “unfair.” LOL

 

LOL He was such a snake. Just like ARod.

[mvp 78]

LOL He was such a snake. Just like ARod.

 

Towards the end of the game, they showed the Canseco press conference. It was hilarious. Garagiola was drooling over Canseco's physique all game long.

[notin]

Towards the end of the game, they showed the Canseco press conference. It was hilarious. Garagiola was drooling over Canseco's physique all game long.

 

Funny Canseco steroid story.

 

Back in 2001, I sued to go to a lot of White Sox games, because tickets were cheap and remarkably easy to get. Sometimes, we wound up sitting in the RF seats back back when the decks were so steep it was literally like climbing a ladder to get from row to row. But hey, twelve dollars.

 

I went with my wife, who is legally blind (some vision has been restored since 2001). The only player she could recognize from the RF seats was Jose Canseco, because he was simply that much bigger than everyone else on the field.

 

I thought "THAT should be the steroid test. If my wife can recognize you from 350 feet away by the size of the blur, you are CLEARLY on steroids."

[Kimmi]

Funny Canseco steroid story.

 

Back in 2001, I sued to go to a lot of White Sox games, because tickets were cheap and remarkably easy to get. Sometimes, we wound up sitting in the RF seats back back when the decks were so steep it was literally like climbing a ladder to get from row to row. But hey, twelve dollars.

 

I went with my wife, who is legally blind (some vision has been restored since 2001). The only player she could recognize from the RF seats was Jose Canseco, because he was simply that much bigger than everyone else on the field.

 

I thought "THAT should be the steroid test. If my wife can recognize you from 350 feet away by the size of the blur, you are CLEARLY on steroids."

 

Haha. Good story.

 

Your wife's vision test sounds like as reliable a test as any.

[mvp 78]

IDK, I watched Frank Thomas hit batting practice from atop the Green Monster. People don't say he's on roids.

[notin]

IDK, I watched Frank Thomas hit batting practice from atop the Green Monster. People don't say he's on roids.

 

He’s not. Also my wife didn’t recognize him from 350 feet away.

 

You’re not the test here...

[mvp 78]

Anyway, it was really cool watching that game last night. I forgot about players like Glenn Hubbard and Franklin Stubbs. And if ESPN had a Vin Scully 24/7 channel, I'd watch it daily.

[mvp 78]

@ClearTheBases

.

@MiLB

issues statement, basically saying, 'no news yet' in negotiations with

@MLB

. "The parties are continuing their discussions, with the goal of concluding a mutually beneficial long-term agreement in the near future."

[mvp 78]

@UmpireAuditor

Congratulation to umpire CB Bucknor. He is the new leader for largest miss of the season!

 

This pitch to Josh Bell missed low and away by 5.96 inches.

 

https://twitter.com/UmpireAuditor/status/1291792071607500801

 

Who doesn't love quirkiness like this!!!

[mvp 78]

@ZekeJMiller

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is allowing a class-action lawsuit to proceed from minor league baseball players who allege they are being paid less than minimum wage.

[Thunder]

@ZekeJMiller

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is allowing a class-action lawsuit to proceed from minor league baseball players who allege they are being paid less than minimum wage.

 

There's a minimum wage for salaried workers? Or are those players getting paid by the hour?

[mvp 78]

There's a minimum wage for salaried workers? Or are those players getting paid by the hour?

 

No idea.

[notin]

There's a minimum wage for salaried workers? Or are those players getting paid by the hour?

 

I believe they are salaried, but the wages come out to being below minimum wage.

 

Old article, but it is probably not completely out of date.

 

https://www.pennlive.com/sports/2019/07/minor-league-baseball-salaries-hover-around-poverty-line-some-are-pushing-for-change.html#:~:text=The%20average%20salary%20for%20a,months%20of%20the%20regular%20season.

[mvp 78]

I believe they are salaried, but the wages come out to being below minimum wage.

 

Old article, but it is probably not completely out of date.

 

https://www.pennlive.com/sports/2019/07/minor-league-baseball-salaries-hover-around-poverty-line-some-are-pushing-for-change.html#:~:text=The%20average%20salary%20for%20a,months%20of%20the%20regular%20season.

 

The idea that is due to the time constraints of travel and having to practice (while not getting paid for it) prohibits players from even having a second job. Frankly, paying every MiLBer even $30k should be doable for these teams. They are planning on reducing the amount of leagues and teams anyway.

[dgalehouse]

It is kind of stupid . MLB owners spend money lavishly on some areas , then go cheap on the minor leaguers . MLB needs the minors . Unlike the NFL and NBA , not too many players come out of college ready for the big show.

[notin]

It is kind of stupid . MLB owners spend money lavishly on some areas , then go cheap on the minor leaguers . MLB needs the minors . Unlike the NFL and NBA , not too many players come out of college ready for the big show.

 

And most of the ones that do are very often rather mediocre, like Pete Incaviglia and Mike Leake...

[mvp 78]

@BenBadler

MLB wants to kill the New York-Penn League and turn it into yet another college wood bat league:

 

Rest in Pieces Spinners...

[notin]

@BenBadler

MLB wants to kill the New York-Penn League and turn it into yet another college wood bat league:

 

Rest in Pieces Spinners...

 

No more Spinners is just another reason to never go to Lowell...

[Maxbialystock]

Bellhorn has compiled a pretty good list, which unfortunately tempts me to rant again.

 

I agree on the length of games, which keeps increasing. I do not agree with Kimmi that commercials are part of the problem because they only occur when nothing is happening on the field anyway. In the NBA and he NFL, the refs will definitely call timeout for commercials, but in MLB they only occur between half innings, when relief pitchers get their warmup pitches on the mound, or when either manager calls for a replay. That said, I think MLB headquarters could do more to accelerate games, but probably like the additional opportunities for commercials.

 

Moneyball, the book and movie, are based on real adjustments Billy Bean made as GM for the Oatkland A's, and the result was a good flick.

 

But (here comes the rant) it also emphatically made the case that good general managers can and should make managers irrelevant because computer programs and video provide the best answer on almost every baseball decision, including lineups, when and who to use in the bullpen, how to pitch to specific batters, where to position every fielder for each hitter, telltales on opposing pitchers, when to pinch hit and with whom etc, etc. Thus it will be good to get Cora back in the dugout, but Chaim Bloom and the computers will probably be making almost all of the decisions.

 

Another rant. I think umpires, including their mistakes, are an important part of baseball and always have been. Yes, some bad calls, including balls and strikes, are egregious, but most are not. More often than not, the hitters are wrong when they complain about calls. More to the point, the robots that people want used can see and display accuracies which the human eye cannot see, and that is a fact, not a surmise. But, because that strike zone is superimposed on the TV picture, we think those very close pitches, in and out of the strike zone, are the only acceptable standard.

 

I do, however, like the opportunities for managers to challenge other calls, not because they are important in themselves (even though sometimes they are), but because they have gone a long way to minimize managers and coaches charging onto the field to challenge a call. Again, however I do think it is laughable when the announcers replay several camera angles before finally rendering their verdict--just as the officials in NYC are able to do. Me, I prefer the umpire's call to be final because that's why he is out there.

 

I hate the shifts, of course, but I am more dismayed that computers or whatever have convinced players to hit over the shifts (launch angle) and not to hit away from the shifts.

 

I am untroubled by the DH in the AL but not in the NL because I don't mind seeing pitchers hit or being pinch hit for. Also, isn't a pure DH an incomplete player? And, if you can do that for pitchers, why not for weak-hitting but brilliant-fielding shortstops and centerfielders? Heck, why not offensive and defensive teams?

 

Despite my rants, the only thing I can definitely say needs to be changed is the length of games. I would enforce the 25 second rule (time between pitches), and I would take away almost all of the little stalls hitters use. Once you step into the batter's box, you can't call time, period.

[notin]

It's Billy Beane with an "e" on the end.

 

Billy Bean without an "e" is a completely different baseball player with a much, much different legacy...

[Bellhorn04]

It's the 'average fan' I'm concerned about. They're the ones who basically foot the bill.

 

The World Series TV ratings were horrendous this year. Of course it's hard to say how much of that is because of COVID and related issues, and how much because a lot less people care about watching baseball anymore.

[dgalehouse]

Bellhorn has compiled a pretty good list, which unfortunately tempts me to rant again.

 

I agree on the length of games, which keeps increasing. I do not agree with Kimmi that commercials are part of the problem because they only occur when nothing is happening on the field anyway. In the NBA and he NFL, the refs will definitely call timeout for commercials, but in MLB they only occur between half innings, when relief pitchers get their warmup pitches on the mound, or when either manager calls for a replay. That said, I think MLB headquarters could do more to accelerate games, but probably like the additional opportunities for commercials.

 

Moneyball, the book and movie, are based on real adjustments Billy Bean made as GM for the Oatkland A's, and the result was a good flick.

 

But (here comes the rant) it also emphatically made the case that good general managers can and should make managers irrelevant because computer programs and video provide the best answer on almost every baseball decision, including lineups, when and who to use in the bullpen, how to pitch to specific batters, where to position every fielder for each hitter, telltales on opposing pitchers, when to pinch hit and with whom etc, etc. Thus it will be good to get Cora back in the dugout, but Chaim Bloom and the computers will probably be making almost all of the decisions.

 

Another rant. I think umpires, including their mistakes, are an important part of baseball and always have been. Yes, some bad calls, including balls and strikes, are egregious, but most are not. More often than not, the hitters are wrong when they complain about calls. More to the point, the robots that people want used can see and display accuracies which the human eye cannot see, and that is a fact, not a surmise. But, because that strike zone is superimposed on the TV picture, we think those very close pitches, in and out of the strike zone, are the only acceptable standard.

 

I do, however, like the opportunities for managers to challenge other calls, not because they are important in themselves (even though sometimes they are), but because they have gone a long way to minimize managers and coaches charging onto the field to challenge a call. Again, however I do think it is laughable when the announcers replay several camera angles before finally rendering their verdict--just as the officials in NYC are able to do. Me, I prefer the umpire's call to be final because that's why he is out there.

 

I hate the shifts, of course, but I am more dismayed that computers or whatever have convinced players to hit over the shifts (launch angle) and not to hit away from the shifts.

 

I am untroubled by the DH in the AL but not in the NL because I don't mind seeing pitchers hit or being pinch hit for. Also, isn't a pure DH an incomplete player? And, if you can do that for pitchers, why not for weak-hitting but brilliant-fielding shortstops and centerfielders? Heck, why not offensive and defensive teams?

 

Despite my rants, the only thing I can definitely say needs to be changed is the length of games. I would enforce the 25 second rule (time between pitches), and I would take away almost all of the little stalls hitters use. Once you step into the batter's box, you can't call time, period.

 

Max , Excellent post. Well thought out and some very good points. Not a rant at all.

[dgalehouse]

It's the 'average fan' I'm concerned about. They're the ones who basically foot the bill.

 

The World Series TV ratings were horrendous this year. Of course it's hard to say how much of that is because of COVID and related issues, and how much because a lot less people care about watching baseball anymore.

 

The MLB fan base does seem to be shrinking. I'm not sure what the solution is. It is obvious that Manfred does not have the answers.

[Maxbialystock]

It's Billy Beane with an "e" on the end.

 

Billy Bean without an "e" is a completely different baseball player with a much, much different legacy...

 

I often forget the spelling, so, rather than google it, I just guess. And The Billy Beane is himself two guys--the very promising five tool player who bombed, and the scout who worked his way up to GM and VP for the A's. According to the movie, the young Beane (as Billy remembers his own experience as a player) convinced the GM Beane that scouts basically know nothing--ditto managers.

[notin]

I often forget the spelling, so, rather than google it, I just guess. And The Billy Beane is himself two guys--the very promising five tool player who bombed, and the scout who worked his way up to GM and VP for the A's. According to the movie, the young Beane (as Billy remembers his own experience as a player) convinced the GM Beane that scouts basically know nothing--ditto managers.

 

Meanwhile the other Billy Bean, also an outfielder, was one of, if not the first openly gay Major Leaguers.

 

I wonder how often these two get confused...