I was reminded last week by a dear friend to try and not act like the guy who always yells, “Hey you kids get off my lawn” when I do my post, but I like that guy, so here goes.
I bashed the NFL last week and today I will take a swing at Major League Baseball. My dad was a baseball purest, he played and coached at several different levels, and I always enjoyed watching and listening to his little lessons of the game tutorials. The last few years of my dad’s life, he couldn’t watch an MLB game, it just wasn’t baseball as he knew it.
I was part of a Major League Baseball survey during spring training, and I had to ask the folks conducting the survey, what’s with all these changes, pitch clock, no shift, limited pick off attempts just to name a few. I was told that people weren’t watching or attending the game, so we implemented this to win them back. I said, “You’re changing rules for people who don’t like the game”, seems a little silly to me.
Let’s review a few of these changes:
The Ghost Runner, now this was implemented in 2020 but it is a stupid change. In all regular-season extra-inning games, a runner will be placed on second base to begin the 10th inning, and in every subsequent extra inning after that, until a winner is determined. What? MLB teams don’t have to hit a guy to second, let’s just put him out there, this is something you see in little league, not at the professional level. This one is bush league!
The pitch clock, there’s nothing inherently problematic about this proposal in and of itself, as excising dead time is at least a noble goal. What isn’t particularly noble, though, is the ability for games to get derailed because of a pitch clock violation. Having a game be known as the “Pitch Clock Game” because a key plate appearance swung on taking 21 seconds instead of 20, per an umpire’s discretion, is something I hope never happens. I’m all for speeding up the game but this problem stems from this ridiculous new breed of player who must adjust everything from his batting gloves, helmet, and his crotch between every pitch in an at bat. Really, the umpires should just stop granting these guys time and tell them to get the hell in the box and hit! Same thing with the pitchers! I can’t wait for the first big game that is decided by a pitch clock infraction, I can hear it now, score tied, bases loaded, two outs, 3-2 count, the runners will be moving, oh wait, the batter wasn’t in the box, game over. That will be right up there with the Kurt Gibson and Bobby Thomson home run calls.
I won’t go into all the details, but part of the pitch clock changes also involves “disengagements,” which refers to pitchers stepping off. It is unclear whether bona fide pickoffs count as disengagements. If they do, then pitchers only get two pickoffs, and the third is a balk unless it succeeds at throwing the runner out. If they don’t, then it’s far less consequential, but an MLB with only two pickoffs per plate appearance is basically going to be handing out free doubles to a bunch of batters. It’s also going to result in more pickoffs as nearly every runner pushes the pitcher to their limits, trying to get that sweet, free balk over to second. I honestly don’t understand this change, but I know one thing you will not see the type of action like the one in the game below. I had to throw my Red Soxs comeback over the Yankees in for good measure.
Oh yeah, no more shift and oh boy, bigger bases. Joy!
Finally, I read the other day that Major League Baseball is looking to expand. Really? I mean, the talent level is awful currently so let’s bring some more below average players into the mix. Don’t believe me, the Oakland A’s are 6-26, Chicago White Soxs, 10-22 and the KC Royals, 8-24. I attended a Phillies-Diamondback game in Arizona, the stadium holds around 30,000 folks, they were lucky if there were 2500 people there. Look at some these pictures, a Yankees game, behind home plate, fans disguised as empty seats. Baseball doesn’t need to expand; it needs to downsize and get rid of some of these awful teams!
I won’t rant and rave too much but MLB much like the NBA and NHL expanded playoffs and these ridiculous changes is a clear message to me to stop watching this game. MLB used to reward teams who were strong and durable and won their divisions but now just like the rest, it’s giving away the integrity of the game to try and please folks who don’t like or watch it.