2023 MLB Season Thread

[Bellhorn04]

I think guys trying to make every fastball run between 95-98mph over a 5 inning stretch is a bigger factor…

 

Put it this way, there haven't been any changes in baseball that have been good for the physiology of a pitcher's arm...

[mvp 78]

I think guys trying to make every fastball run between 95-98mph over a 5 inning stretch is a bigger factor…

 

Pitchers are trying to perfect their velocity and spin rates, then wonder why their arms get broken. Games used to last 2.5 hours and pitchers weren't hurt all the time. Pitchers also weren't regularly throwing 100 as we see know.

[Bellhorn04]

Pitchers are trying to perfect their velocity and spin rates, then wonder why their arms get broken. Games used to last 2.5 hours and pitchers weren't hurt all the time. Pitchers also weren't regularly throwing 100 as we see know.

 

Right, but who's going to coach them to throw with less velocity or spin?

[moonslav59]

Put it this way, there haven't been any changes in baseball that have been good for the physiology of a pitcher's arm...

 

You'd think bring the IP down for SP'ers from 280-310 to 180-210 would be a beneficial change, but they just throw harder, now.

 

No more "pacing yourself."

[mvp 78]

Right, but who's going to coach them to throw with less velocity or spin?

 

Nobody, since it's being coached at the youngest levels right now. The more money there is in baseball, the more dads will push their kids to go blow out their arms.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

For pitchers on the IL, are there more older guys not used to the clock? Younger arms that came up the past few years must have all made adjustments in the minors (pitching with a clock, they all made the majors).

 

For increased velo hurting modern pitchers, does anyone really think the smaller-weaker-slower old-timers from the 1970s, 1960s, 1950s, etc. still didn't throw as hard as they could?

 

For ghost runners skewing stats: imagine you're an effective relief pitcher doing your job, inducing two routine 4-3 ground-outs... the winning run scores, though he doesn't go against your ERA -- but let's hang a big fat L on your permanent record.

[Bellhorn04]

For pitchers on the IL, are there more older guys not used to the clock? Younger arms that came up the past few years must have all made adjustments in the minors (pitching with a clock, they all made the majors).

 

For increased velo hurting modern pitchers, does anyone really think the smaller-weaker-slower old-timers from the 1970s, 1960s, 1950s, etc. still didn't throw as hard as they could?

 

For ghost runners skewing stats: imagine you're an effective relief pitcher doing your job, inducing two routine 4-3 ground-outs... the winning run scores, though he doesn't go against your ERA -- but let's hang a big fat L on your permanent record.

 

Losses for a reliever generally mean zero. Blown saves are more of a real stat for relievers than losses.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Losses for a reliever generally mean zero. Blown saves are more of a real stat for relievers than losses.

 

Agreed, but almost all big league pitchers grew up being The Guy.

 

And no one wants to be an official loser.

[notin]

Losses for a reliever generally mean zero. Blown saves are more of a real stat for relievers than losses.

 

Disagree.

 

A reliever can (and quite often do) get blown saves for something as mundane as entering a game with a runner on third and giving up a sac fly. Allowing inherited runners to score can and does heavily influence blown saves. However, in order to get a loss, the reliever has to put the runner on base. (Except for ghost runners -ugh.)

 

Plus the whole “multiple blown saves in a game” things skews the importance. Can’t get more than one loss per game.

 

Oh, and most important when looking at team totals - blown saves are not always losses! Losses, on the other hand…

Edited May 5, 2023 by notin

[mvp 78]

Since 2008:

 

Average 4 seamer is up 2.5 mph

Slider usage has increased 75%

[Bellhorn04]

Disagree.

 

A reliever can (and quite often do) get blown saves for something as mundane as entering a game with a runner on third and giving up a sac fly. Allowing inherited runners to score can and does heavily influence blown saves. However, in order to get a loss, the reliever has to put the runner on base. (Except for ghost runners -ugh.)

 

Plus the whole “multiple blown saves in a game” things skews the importance. Can’t get more than one loss per game.

 

Oh, and most important when looking at team totals - blown saves are not always losses! Losses, on the other hand…

 

The reason I think losses are a bad stat for relievers is that they're often brought into tie games in the late innings. If they give up 1 run that could easily be a loss for them. Or if they get lucky, their team scores some runs and they get the win instead. There's a pile of luck involved.

 

Believe me, I'm not arguing that blown saves are a great stat either.

 

Now when the closer gets both a loss and a blown save, that's ugly.

[Bellhorn04]

Since 2008:

 

Average 4 seamer is up 2.5 mph

Slider usage has increased 75%

 

Excellent for joints, ligaments and tendons!

[Bellhorn04]

On MLB Gameday this year, an awful lot of pitches are being identified as "sweepers"!

[notin]

On MLB Gameday this year, an awful lot of pitches are being identified as "sweepers"!

 

During televised and radio broadcasts, too…

[moonslav59]

It's amazing how so many pitchers developed this new pitch virtually overnight.

[bkzwhitestrican]

Maybe spitballs will make a comeback as well.

[moonslav59]

RIP Vida Blue

 

He almost became a Red Sox (with Joe Rudi), but Bowie Kuhn nixed the trade (and the Rollie Fingers to Yankee one, too.)

[moonslav59]

Cards move Contreras off the catcher position.

[Bellhorn04]

RIP Vida Blue

 

He almost became a Red Sox (with Joe Rudi), but Bowie Kuhn nixed the trade (and the Rollie Fingers to Yankee one, too.)

 

Right, that and the brawl with the Yankees were the two most exciting moments for the 1976 Sox.

[moonslav59]

Right, that and the brawl with the Yankees were the two most exciting moments for the 1976 Sox.

 

Despite Bill Lee having a bad 1976 season, thanks to that brawl, the rotation still had several SP'er under 3.55:

 

3.06 Tiant

3,07 Cleveland (2.44 as SP)

3.27 Jenkins

3.36 Rick Jones (3.00 as SP)

3.53 Wise

 

(Dick Pole was 4.33, Kreuger 4.06 and Lee was 5.63.)

 

[moonslav59]

1976 Brawl:

 

 

1967:

 

Pedro-Zimmer:

 

VTek-ARod

 

Rice v Yankee hat stealer:

 

One more...

 

 

 

 

[mvp 78]

On MLB Gameday this year, an awful lot of pitches are being identified as "sweepers"!

 

The worst.

[moonslav59]

How about the Mets rotation?

 

They've started 9 pitchers, including Denyi Reyes.

 

8.56 Carrasco (on IL)

7.34 Peterson (6 GS)

5.56 Scherzer (5 GS, has neck spasms, now: I wonder why)

4.43 Lucchesi (4 GS)

Verlander has 1 GS

 

Megill 4.33 in 7 GS

Senga 3.38 in 6 GS

 

 

[mvp 78]

Dustin May left Wednesday's game after one inning due to an undisclosed injury.

Bad, bad news. May averaged 94.7 mph with his sinker in the first inning, down two mph from his average on the year.

 

He's going to get to 100 innings someday!

[Bellhorn04]

Seems like more injuries to pitchers all the time.

[moonslav59]

Seems like more injuries to pitchers all the time.

 

Lots of talk down here in HOU that it's related to the pitch clock.

[Bellhorn04]

Lots of talk down here in HOU that it's related to the pitch clock.

 

I think it's been getting worse for years, mainly because of increases in velocity and spin, but that might be a new factor.

[notin]

Lots of talk down here in HOU that it's related to the pitch clock.

 

And not related to the fact that any pitcher who doesn’t have a signature ungodly breaking pitch and can’t top 96mph repeatedly is stuck in AAA purgatory?

[mvp 78]

Seems like more injuries to pitchers all the time.

 

When is Dustin May not injured?

 

Is DeGrom's injury due to the pitch clock? Rodon's? Whitlock's?

 

I think injuries have ticked up more and more in recent years. I can't blame the pitch clock on this one.

[moonslav59]

When is Dustin May not injured?

 

Is DeGrom's injury due to the pitch clock? Rodon's? Whitlock's?

 

I think injuries have ticked up more and more in recent years. I can't blame the pitch clock on this one.

 

It might have some effect on the total numbers, but it is not likely to be as major as people down here seem to think it is.

 

BTW, the Astros SP'ers have been dropping like flies, but they keep bringing up young studs that end up not being a downtick.