Cole67

I'm not going to say the weakness wasn't hitting, but that weakness has been league wide. The pitching will always have the advantage when the mentality for the offense (again league wide) has become trying to hit everything out of the park. When there are only a handful of players (5 to 7) hitting over 300 (and I think barely), something is wrong with the game. More often than not, hitters help the pitchers out, getting themselves out by swinging at bad pitches. How the hell is a 206 hitter, who shouldn't even be playing at the major league level hitting lead-off? What happened to the guys who could work the count, and get something they could put the bat on, and at the very least make a productive out? I've never seen so many strikeouts. So yes, hitters who try and hit everything out of the ballpark are helping pitchers out.

No, my lawns fine. The game on the other hand is a mess.

I know you weren't. It's a message board, fans are allowed to have their own opinions. :-) And I know the fans won't boycott, but I really wish they would. If anybody should be striking it's us. I do think attendance has been down in a lot of cities, but how cool would it be if the fans just realized that they are the ones in control, and decided to just stay home because they no longer wanted to help support a poorly built baseball team? The owners would have to come to us and listen to our demands. I would love to speak up on behalf of the fans.

Pitching has been excellent, because the entire league has been hijacked by a league of mediocre hitters who are up their trying to hit every pitch out of the park. You need a few guys who can hit the ball out, but you also need players who can get on base. Most of the time, hitters are at the plate helping the pitcher out by swinging at bad pitches. Don't believe me, just look at the averages. Jones is hitting 206, and was the lead-off hitter. I don't know about you, but to me, that's not major league baseball.

I agree, that's a problem as well. Two many teams does water down the talent. But everything I originally said is true as well.

They didn't choke, they aren't good. In fact, you could say the same for the entire league. Baseball has changed to the point that it's not really baseball anymore. No more science to the game. What happened to real lead-off hitters, guys who can actually work the count and get on base? The hit and run, players that can bunt, or hit the other way and move the runner along? How about a few more stolen bases. Everybody steps to the plate trying to hit the ball out. They're all pull hitters. Rob Deere, who barely hit over 200 (if he did), would make millions in whatever the game is today. And what exactly is the managers role? I don't know exactly how many players hit over 300, just know it wasn't a lot. Six, maybe seven? That's disgraceful. What have the owners done to the game I used to love? If it were real baseball, guys like Jones (and their are a lot of guys just like him), would be in some other line of work. It costs a lot of money (parking, tickets, concessions) to watch players who are unable to hit their weight stumble around the ballpark for nine innings. I would argue that the time spent watching this for free in front of the television is to expensive. Unless of course you have trouble sleeping. Just the fact that the owners are cool paying for whatever this is, should tell us that they don't really give a rats @zz about the fans, or winning or losing. Maybe the whole idea is to get the fans inside the ballpark, and then get them out as soon as possible. Baseball really needs a boycott.

This is the new MLB. And you're right, it is unacceptable.

How the heck is a 206 hitter, barely AA, hitting lead-off? What have they done to the game I loved?