Is Baseball Due for a Comeback?

[chugg21]

I don't see how the union won't protect the lefty specialist, etc.

The union actually makes out in this situation because there would still be 12 pitchers per roster but they would also gain 30 new jobs by expanding rosters from 25 to 26. Think they take that exchange all day long.

 

[Bayside44]

The union actually makes out in this situation because there would still be 12 pitchers per roster but they would also gain 30 new jobs by expanding rosters from 25 to 26. Think they take that exchange all day long.

Good point.

 

[shandeezy7]

Def don't mind the last idea for injury. I like the concept of maximum per game, but lets say a team is down to their last pitcher. Say its the closer and he is the last available pitcher. If he has a bad inning and is up to like 50 pitches (I understand this is unlikely, just a what if guy), are you going to require him to keep going? This seems like it would make people more prone to injury. Edit: Perhaps if a team is down to their last pitcher and this happens, they are allowed to use another if the pitcher gets to a predetermined pitch limit? Kinda like the mound visit rule? IDK

Yeah I think there is a way that smarter minds than me could make it work. I love baseball, but man, I just cannot deal with one freaking inning taking an hour. It's killing the watchability of the sport.

 

[UnknownOrange]

Baseball went away? Hadn't noticed

 

[KaiserUEO]

I agree with everything but the three hitter minimum for pitchers. I cannot express how much I can't stand the idea. Baseball is baseball because it is baseball. I still HATE the no pitch intentional walk. Three batter minimum would change the whole dynamic of the game, more than not pitching four balls to walk someone. .
Did I mention that I don't like that idea of a batter minimum? LOL.

I don’t like that either.

Coming soon...4 fouls and you’re out.

That’ll speed up those 4 & 1/2 hour Yankee sux games.

 

[Hoo's That]

Couple of observations -

It never hurts baseball's popularity to have a Yankees team worth the effort of hating.

One thing that could speed up the game, especially in the era of the one-batter reliever, reduce the number of warmup pitches that relievers get when they actually enter the game. They've been warming up in the bullpen for quite a while, so how many throws do they really need? Cut it down to 3 or 4.

I always love Chris Rock's routine in which he says he wants to be reincarnated as Buddy Groom. Groom sits in the bullpen all day. Sometime about the 5th or 6th inning, he comes in, gives up a grand salami on one pitch and he's taken out. Next game, he comes in, strikes the guy out on 3 pitches and he's taken out. What a life!

 

[NateW]

Baseball is baseball because it is baseball.

Yep - let’s not overthink this.

I’m all for speeding up the game but the ppl who are going to religiously watch baseball watch because they like what it is fundamentally.

Let’s not go blowing things up just because Twitter nation doesn’t have the attention span or the ability to grasp the strategy of multiple pitching changes.

I’d be appreciative of earlier playoff start times tho. Love the 7pm regular season game starts.

 

[shandeezy7]

Yep - let’s not overthink this.

I’m all for speeding up the game but the ppl who are going to religiously watch baseball watch because they like what it is fundamentally.

Let’s not go blowing things up just because Twitter nation doesn’t have the attention span or the ability to grasp the strategy of multiple pitching changes.

I’d be appreciative of earlier playoff start times tho. Love the 7pm regular season game starts.

I do get what you are saying, but it's not like baseball was always full of 4+ hour games. This is a new phenomenon and not one that is helping the sport. If a 9 inning game doesn't end in 3 hours or less, that's a problem.

 

[FreakTalksAboutSU]

Love all the rules changes except the 3 batters per pitcher thing. That seems an overreach that will affect too many of the games too dramatically.

 

[Melancer46]

I'm on board with all of the proposed rule changes personally.

 

[Alsacs]

All the proposed changes are awesome.
No problem with any of them and the universal DH would be great.

 

[Hoo's That]

I nearly forgot one thing that I always push - the umpires simply need to stop giving time out for the batter to step out of the box after every pitch. Just signal to the pitcher to pitch and call anything near the plate as a strike. They won't step out anymore. Just think of all the fun the spectators will have watching the manager and batter being thrown out for arguing balls and strikes the first time it happens.

 

[Ryand877]

All the proposed changes are awesome.
No problem with any of them and the universal DH would be great.

I agree with you about universal DH, but don’t you think a three batter minimum drastically changes the dynamic of the game ? I feel like a team should be able to use its roster as it sees fit. I get speeding the game up. I love baseball for what it is.

 

[Alsacs]

I agree with you about universal DH, but don’t you think a three batter minimum drastically changes the dynamic of the game ? I feel like a team should be able to use its roster as it sees fit. I get speeding the game up. I love baseball for what it is.

Yeah it will cost situational lefties there jobs out of the bullpen which will increase offense or force lefty specialists to be able to get out right handlers as well.

 

[KaiserUEO]

Yeah it will cost situational lefties there jobs out of the bullpen which will increase offense or force lefty specialists to be able to get out right handlers as well.

Managers & GMs will adjust, but controlling substitutions is just stupid.

The sport which gave us the double switch, is now going to force 3 batters faced???!!!

Fluck that.

My crazy rule is to limit the shift.

You must start with 2 infielders on each side of 2nd.

The ‘shiftee’ Must have his foot on 2nd till the windup begins, then he can run to wherever they want him.

I hate the shift.

It’s like legal offsides.

It won’t happen because the damn millennials want outs, so they can get home quickly to their cats, chat rooms and latte’s.

 

[jncuse]

I don't think so, but it is possible.

Baseball is slow, but it also arguably fits in with the multi-tasking generation of today that likes to do several things at one.

Many kids don't necessarily want things that are fast moving -- They want to do multiple things that interest them at the same time. And the pace of baseball can work with that.

Baseball is slow to watch, but as a fan it is still one of the best sports to discuss with others.

 

[Hoo's That]

Managers & GMs will adjust, but controlling substitutions is just stupid.

The sport which gave us the double switch, is now going to force 3 batters faced???!!!

Fluck that.

My crazy rule is to limit the shift.

You must start with 2 infielders on each side of 2nd.

The ‘shiftee’ Must have his foot on 2nd till the windup begins, then he can run to wherever they want him.

I hate the shift.

It’s like legal offsides.

It won’t happen because the damn millennials want outs, so they can get home quickly to their cats, chat rooms and latte’s.

The quickest way to kill the shift is for lefties to get off their high horse, stop swinging for the fences, and put it on the ground near 3rd for easy double. Keep doing it enough times and you'll force the defense to play straight-up.

 

[MSOrange]

The quickest way to kill the shift is for lefties to get off their high horse, stop swinging for the fences, and put it on the ground near 3rd for easy double. Keep doing it enough times and you'll force the defense to play straight-up.

Exactly. Maybe guys just need to figure out how to hit? They are major leaguers for crying out loud.

 

[KaiserUEO]

The quickest way to kill the shift is for lefties to get off their high horse, stop swinging for the fences, and put it on the ground near 3rd for easy double. Keep doing it enough times and you'll force the defense to play straight-up.

Exactly. Maybe guys just need to figure out how to hit? They are major leaguers for crying out loud.

Problem is, these guys have likely already had their swing ripped to shreds and started over 1x or 2x already in the minors. To then tell them in the bigs to ‘just hit it to the opposite field you multimillionaire’ doesn’t work.

I’m ok with flipping corner outfielders every at bat, if you want to put Kelly Leak in center and tell him catch everything, fine.

Just no shift.

 

[kirbivore]

It might stay popular in very specific areas where you are born into it but don't see it ever really mattering nationally to the current levels of the NBA & NFL. Seems like those 2 are definitely in control year round. Soccer has never made it and who knows if it ever will, NASCAR and NHL both already peaked and returned to being more niche then anything. UFC may have peaked as well. Not sure what sport settles in at #3 but seems like it's MLBs to lose.

Soccer has the opportunity b/c the running clock counters the limited attention spans. Games are over in two hours.

 

[Cowtown]

Don't call it a comeback.

Agreed, baseball has always been top shelf stuff for me.