MLB 2019

[ledsox]

The great Frank Robinson has passed away. 83 years old. RIP.

[Dave (in MA)]

[Dave (in MA)]

Okay then. From my perspective, the DH is as obvious as bottled water. It's one of those "why didn't I think of that?" moments in the sport. It's a natural progression of how the game has evolved and relieves the pitcher from being the only "3-way" player in the game.

For a very long time I thought that the AL should go back to having all players bat, but then interleague play started about 20 years ago and I realized just how overrated the "strategy" aspect of having to deal with an automatic out in your lineup was. Whatever. They should just make it consistent across leagues, whichever way they go.

[ronmac]

RIP Frank Robinson.

I think something also needs to be done with owners who don't give a shit about winning. Pittsburgh is a perfect example and is losing fans because of a lack of commitment to winning. I know a guy who used to go to Spring Training every year. He's a lifelong fan and loves the game, in general. He's totally disgusted. And, while losing a fan in his 60s might not be something MLB cares about, that's also a guy who won't take his grandchildren to games. Of course, who the fuck can afford it, anyway?

[polmico]

Okay then. From my perspective, the DH is as obvious as bottled water. It's one of those "why didn't I think of that?" moments in the sport. It's a natural progression of how the game has evolved and relieves the pitcher from being the only "3-way" player in the game.

Perfect analogy.

I can't imagine anything more unnecessary than bottled water.

[progeezer]

I can't imagine anything more unnecessary than bottled water.

Tell the people in Flint, MI that.

[Tangram]

I disagree. The strategies are there, they have just changed. Did you watch the playoffs? Can you honestly watch some of those Brewers/Dodgers games and Sox/Astros games and say they were not bubbling over with strategic decisions?

If anything, one could argue that analytics and sports science has made the game TOO strategic - almost robotic. Go with what the numbers tell you and manage accordingly. Scouts size up players and potential recruits at a very young age. Every player's makeup is analyzed and projected. Young kids blow out their elbows regularly in an effort to overthrow the baseball. We have pitchers on pitch counts. We have probabilities for every possible strategic scenario available to the manager - and the players. Pitchers who know their competition's analytics know the tendencies of hitter on every ball/strike count scenario. The game has arguably become almost completely about probabilities and predicted outcomes, then just watching to see how it all plays out.

In fact, I can't quite understand how fans of traditional baseball can bring up the DH and Interleague play as the plagues of baseball and yet seemingly ignore how technology, sports science, money, and analytics have much more drastically altered that game.

Just take one example regarding analytics - the shift.

I watched the games and yes some of those were excellent. When I am talking about the strategy, I'm talking about how the game is played. With the smaller fields and strike zones, and bigger players etc. the game is getting homogenized. There is far too much reliance on the home run because it is easier to hit than ever before. I don't believe it is good for the game to have more strikeouts than hits, and plummeting batting averages. There is too much of the game where the ball is not put in play. The AL strikeouts are at all time highs. Batting averages hasn't been this low since the early 1970's but runs per game doesn't track the same. Walks per game are middling in historical terms but I would bet the number of pitches per AB is up. My point is that stolen bases, bunts, hit and runs, 'productive' outs are getting replaced by 'lets have most everyone swing for the fences' approach.

I'm fine with Interleague play, but wouldn't be if I was a Mets fan. The Yankees are usually a very good team and its really not fair for them to always to play them. I'm sure the Mets aren't the only ones in this situation but the sold out crowds probably make some of the pain go away.

The DH was usually an older guy who can still rake but couldn't field but lately some guys come up as DH's. I would rather see a well rounded player or the team takes a bit of a risk and puts a defensively challenged fielder on the field. Defense can to a point be taught. There are plenty of guys who did not come up as good fielders who eventually became very good or even excellent. Think Wade Boggs.

Analytics are part of the game but it doesn't tell the whole story. Too many managers go by the book err notepad instead of using some intuition. Can't tell you how many times I saw this:

Lefty batter Hideki Matsui would be up late in the game. Automatically because the analytics say ON AVERAGE that a lefty pitcher would have better success against him and must come in. I would be grinning, the Yankee bench is smirking and the Yankee announcers would be laughing because Godzilla hits lefties very well. So they remove the righty pitcher for a lesser pitcher because he is lefty. Then he is the lefty who lost the lead. A better manager might not make the auto change.

I have no problem with the shift. If a guy can not take a free single or double by just tapping the ball the other way, then he doesn't deserve the job. If his number of homers doesn't counter balance the anemic batting average, then it is time to go.

Baseball is evolving as it always does. My main beef is that everything for the last 20 years at least has been for the hitter and specifically the homer. Add to what I had posted before the 60- 100 new baseballs used per game, The body armor, the warnings for pitching inside. But the biggest change is the fields. Curve ball pitchers are becoming very rare because a hanger has too much of a chance to fly out. Same goes for the change up. They are easier to throw than a splitter and less trouble on the elbow. Everyone is caught up with the radar gun so more pitches are fastball, sinker, slider, splitter. All thrown at max effort. With all the technology, medicine, trainers, groomers and pitch counts and 2/3 the work load, one would think the pitchers would be healthier. But they are not. Tons of guys have Tommy John surgery and some have had two of them.

And most of the problem is the small parks. I'm a Yankee fan to the end and the new Stadium looks great but it is a way too small. I know that many believe that the short right field porch in the original Yankee Stadium was a big advantage to Babe Ruth. His home vs away home run splits where almost identical. Lefty hitting Lou Gehrig hit more HR's on the road. That's because left center to right center were huge. Roger Maris hit more HR's on the road than at home in 1961. When the Stadium was reopened in 1976, they moved the fences in in the power alleys and center and pushed them out at the corners. Then they move the fences in center and left center in again. And left center a third time. Yankee Stadium III has the same dimensions as YS II (where there were measurements on the wall) but in right center the wall is straight instead of bowing out making the fence up to 10 feet shorter in spots. The home run even more attractive. Now Judge and Stanton can both hit the ball out of Yellowstone but 7 guys had over 90 K's. The Yankees are not an outlier, its just how the game is today. Citi Field moved its fences in 3 times in 3 years. Many have recently built tiny parks or pulled in the fences.

That playoff game with 15 K's on one team and 10 on the other when you're hanging on every pitch is a lot different than a mid July game where most nothing happens except where the game has 3 homers but 18 strikeouts.

Obviously I don't like the homer or strikeout approach. I don't see anyone taking out seats to make the fields bigger. I don't want the shift to be outlawed. If you expand the strike zone, or call it as it is supposed to be, it would probably take a while for the hitters to adjust and there would be even more K's. Maybe a less juiced ball so teams could not rely so much on the HR. It will be interesting as to what the owners do or don't do.

Sorry got on a roll

[Poisoned Youth]

Thanks for the reply. It's a little too much to unpack, but that's an interesting comment about the historically low BIP%. I would suggest that the shift (and other analytic factors) makes HR swings more attractive and is likely a large contributor to "3 outcome hitting".

[Poisoned Youth]

The Phillies have acquired JT Realmuto for their #1 pitching prospect, Sixto Sanchez, and their starting catcher, Jorge Alfaro.

Can't say that I'm happy about this. Sixto was untouchable, IMO. If they can somehow get Harper and Keuchel, I would feel better about it. But I wouldn't be giving up such an electric young arm for a player that isn't automatically delivering a WS.

I like the trade for the Phillies. They got the best young catcher in the game in exchange for a middle of the road catcher and an unproven top prospect. When you consider that Marlins were looking for proven young MLB talent (like Kingery had he delivered), Bellinger, Buehler, Soto, Snell, etc., the Phillies got a good deal. Add the health scares that Sixto has had in the last season and he was anything but a sure thing.

I like the trade for the Marlins as well. I'm not sure why they felt they needed someone like Bellinger in return. Getting a MLB ready catcher with upside in return as well as a top prospect will help them later, not now.

[ronmac]

I like the trade for the Phillies. They got the best young catcher in the game

One of them.

[Scott Bails]

One of them.

He's pretty much the best, by most measures.

[Tangram]

Thanks for the reply. It's a little too much to unpack, but that's an interesting comment about the historically low BIP%. I would suggest that the shift (and other analytic factors) makes HR swings more attractive and is likely a large contributor to "3 outcome hitting".

My comment is exhibit "A" for going to sleep earlier. Too many thoughts jumbled together. Yes, the shift definitely is playing a part in "3 outcome hitting". Can't wait for opening day.

[ronmac]

He's pretty much the best, by most measures.

Well, let's see if Gary Sanchez gets his shit together this season and then talk about offense.

[polmico]

Tell the people in Flint, MI that.

Ugh. Can’t really argue with that.

[polmico]

In a real and (I’ll humbly apologize for earlier snarkiness) still somewhat contrarian response to the DH question, does anyone really think it’s not going to happen? Or even that it shouldn’t happen?

We may pine for the NL run and spray game of the ‘80s, but it seems unlikely to return. And with that game being gone, shouldn’t we also say goodbye to pitchers hitting?

I’d like to see the leagues kept different and so to their styles, but I think that ship has sailed. I may dislike it, but it’s time for the NL to adopt the DH.

Of course, a miraculous return to the game I grew up watching (and I’m guessing most of the NL fans here grew up watching) might return, so maybe the NL should hold out.

[Jerjo]

No matter how much we complain about these changes in baseball, it's still not as bad as the crappy product the NFL trolled us with this past season.

[moecurlythanu]

In a real and (I’ll humbly apologize for earlier snarkiness) still somewhat contrarian response to the DH question, does anyone really think it’s not going to happen?

I heard on the radio today that it's a done deal. Don't recall the year for certain, but it was 2021 or 2022.

Or even that it shouldn’t happen?

I can't get too apoplectic because it's only Baseball, but hell no it shouldn't happen.

[Lou]

I heard on the radio today that it's a done deal. Don't recall the year for certain, but it was 2021 or 2022.

I heard the same.

[Poisoned Youth]

There’s an unsubstantiated rumor going around that the Yanks offered Machado something like $225m over 7 or 8 years.

[ronmac]

There’s an unsubstantiated rumor going around that the Yanks offered Machado something like $225m over 7 or 8 years.

All reports I've seen are that no offer was made.

[polmico]

Fans of prog rock are well familiar with Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s “Karn Evil 9.” The song, which is on the seminal 1973 album Brain Salad Surgery, includes the line, “Welcome back my friends, to the show that never ends.” Nearly 30 minutes long, Karn Evil 9 has been described, thematically speaking, as a battle between humans and computers.

Which brings us to the first major league free agent signed by the Orioles new-and-geeky front office regime. On Thursday, Mike Elias, Sig Mejdal and Co. welcomed Nate Karns back to The Show, inking him to a reported $800,000, one-year deal.


https://blogs.fangraphs.com/sunday-n...dFyJdX344_k2Jg

[ronmac]

Can you feel it?

[ronmac]

Game 7 of the '68 World Series at Busch Stadium.

Notice the natural grass. They didn't switch to turf 'til 1970.

Roger Maris is the hitter. His last game.

Appears to be Mickey Lolich on the mound and Bill Freehan catching.

[MudShark22]

Even the injured Tanaka doesn't want the DH to go away.....

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/2...n-nl-ballparks

[Scott Bails]

Even the injured Tanaka doesn't want the DH to go away.....

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/2...n-nl-ballparks

The way I'm reading, he doesn't want the National League to adopt the DH, not that he doesn't want the DH to go away.