# Let's fix baseball **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [June 17, 2014, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-fix-baseball/690991 "2014-06-17T15:24:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2014, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-fix-baseball/690991/101 "2014-06-18T19:05:03Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > If it’s such an easy thing to fix a perpetual hole in your lineup, then why does nobody do it? :dubious: Why are pitchers the only one who rate special treatment? Can we have designated fielders as well, for people like Manny Ramirez, who could bat fine but couldn’t field well at all? I mean, have such an obvious hole in left? ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2014, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-fix-baseball/690991/102 "2014-06-18T19:06:22Z")
Yeah, go ahead and make baseball a platoon game of 50 players constantly rotating in and out of the game. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2014, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-fix-baseball/690991/103 "2014-06-18T19:12:37Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > A counterpart thread to the “let’s fix soccer” thread. > > How would you “fix” baseball? > > Serious idea: robo-umpiring. All balls and strikes called by the electronic system currently used by broadcasters. Inconsistent strike zone is the worst thing about baseball currently, IMO. Umpires are very consistent in their strike zones. The pitchers and the hitters both know who’s behind the plate. Some umps may have a tighter strike zone than others, but in today’s game, Joe Blow is behind the plate, everyone know’s what Joe’s strike zone is. Tomorrow it might be Sam Smirk and he’ll have a slightly different strike zone. But it will be consistent for that game. They’ve experimented with the robo-umps for years. The humans are consistently better. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2014, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-fix-baseball/690991/104 "2014-06-18T19:18:08Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Why are pitchers the only one who rate special treatment? Because they’re the only position that consistently cannot hit, as a class. Plus, especially on cold days, having to go up to the plate interferes with keeping their arms warm, increasing risk of injury. It’s even worse if they actually get on base. None of that is true for any other position. > [@](#): > > Can we have designated fielders as well, for people like Manny Ramirez We do. They’re called pitchers. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2014, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-fix-baseball/690991/105 "2014-06-18T19:30:21Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > The whole point of baseball is that you have nine people and you have to make your choices based on their individual offensive and defensive capabilities. That’s part of the game. Please, that’s not part of the game, not for pitchers. Nobody uses batting skill as a metric to help decide which pitcher to put on the roster/in the game. They’re not good enough hitters for it to matter, it’s assumed (for strategic purposes) that they’re all worthless. Occasionally, when you get the rare pitcher who is slightly less worthless than the others, you may choose to leave him in rather than insert the “not a good enough hitter to have a full time job” pinch hitter, and force a pitching change. Interestingly, the Mets recently, for the very first time in their 50+ year history, batted a pitcher somewhere other than last. For 50 years they never had a pitcher good enough to warrant batting him ahead of the worst hitting position player in that day’s lineup. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2014, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-fix-baseball/690991/106 "2014-06-18T19:34:56Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > Umpires are very consistent in their strike zones. Oh that’s a good one! You should be a professional comedian. Some of them are not even consistent throughout the _same game_! And you don’t need robo-umping to be able to tell. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2014, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-fix-baseball/690991/107 "2014-06-18T19:38:30Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Interestingly, the Mets recently, for the very first time in their 50+ year history, batted a pitcher somewhere other than last. For 50 years they never had a pitcher good enough to warrant batting him ahead of the worst hitting position player in that day’s lineup. Sure they weren’t pulling the LaRussa idiocy of trying to get more RBIs for a specific batter? ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2014, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-fix-baseball/690991/108 "2014-06-18T20:34:33Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Please, that’s not part of the game, not for pitchers. Nobody uses batting skill as a metric to help decide which pitcher to put on the roster/in the game. They’re not good enough hitters for it to matter, it’s assumed (for strategic purposes) that they’re all worthless. So that’s the decision you have to live with. If you’re going to decide that it’s more advantageous to not train pitchers to hit, that’s the calculation you’ve made. You have to have a poor hitter in your lineup. If you can’t live with it, then start teaching pitchers to hit or change your scouting to pick up only pitchers that are decent hitters. There’s a reason that no one is doing this, however, and that is that they think that it’s more beneficial for them to take the best pitchers they can find regardless of hitting ability. So they’ve made their choice. By crying for a DH you’re just asking to keep the upside of your decisions without having to suffer the downsides. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2014, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-fix-baseball/690991/109 "2014-06-18T20:39:59Z")
Big picture item: I’d like to see the players’ salary wealth spread out more. The minor league players ought to be able to join the players union and get more money. It isn’t just to have the MLB players have hot and cold running wine in the clubhouse while the minor leaguers get a pittance. I know there has to be incentive to get to the majors, but the winner take all, losers get none theory isn’t fair to the minor leaguers. Put a team back in Montreal. On the field: speed up the game. Limit the number of late inning pitching changes, so that barring injury a pitcher must face at least 2 batters, and stop the Hargrove-esq screwing around in the batters box. Keep interleague play but only for 3 games a year against a rival: Cubs/White Sox, Yankees/Mets etc. Teams without a natural rival can alternate against an opposing league team. Keep the DH in the AL. It has made for a lively discussion for 40 years, so why change now? ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2014, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-fix-baseball/690991/110 "2014-06-18T20:40:51Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > By crying for a DH you’re just asking to keep the upside of your decisions without having to suffer the downsides. I’m not crying for a DH. I have a DH. The downside is that pitchers in my favorite league have to face more competent batters. The upside is that I end up watching more competent players play. This pleases me. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2014, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-fix-baseball/690991/111 "2014-06-18T20:46:01Z")
Then why not make baseball a platoon sport? Why require any hitter to field or vice versa? ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2014, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-fix-baseball/690991/112 "2014-06-18T20:55:54Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Then why not make baseball a platoon sport? Why require any hitter to field or vice versa? Because it’s a game and game rules are not some sort of moral or ethical code which requires absolute consistency at all times lest someone go straight to hell. Games are an attempt to balance good results versus bad results. Your balance is at a different place than my balance. I think your way is less good and less fun. That’s all the justification needed. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2014, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-fix-baseball/690991/113 "2014-06-18T21:37:37Z")
What? Morality and ethics permeate every part of games and sports. Everything about the rules of games is soaked with concerns about what’s fair and right and just and proper. Without that consideration, no one can care about the outcome. ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2014, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-fix-baseball/690991/114 "2014-06-18T21:39:29Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Then why not make baseball a platoon sport? Why require any hitter to field or vice versa? Because the pitcher is a unique position of extremely specialized skill such that it is unlike any of the other positions. Why don’t we require NFL kickers to have a position on the offense for regular plays? ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2014, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-fix-baseball/690991/115 "2014-06-18T21:52:29Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > What? Morality and ethics permeate every part of games and sports. Everything about the rules of games is soaked with concerns about what’s fair and right and just and proper. Without that consideration, no one can care about the outcome. No. We care about whether someone follows the rules. The rules themselves are an attempt to find a pleasing assortment of actions that are fun. That’s all they are. And all decisions regarding the rules are utterly, completely arbitrary. They are the way they are because someone liked them better that way. The end. Pitchers get to have special rules for the same reason that goalies get to have special rules and catchers get to have special rules and punters get to have special rules: because the sport can be set up that way and people like the results. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2014, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-fix-baseball/690991/116 "2014-06-18T21:58:42Z")
And football is all platoons, and that seems to work out OK as far as football fans are concerned. I’m not sure what I want to happen with the DH, but I expect pitchers won’t be batting in the NL for much longer. The trend is clearly going that way because pitchers don’t hit at most other levels and now there’s year-round interleague play. The differences between the leagues are decreasing, and it’s far more likely there will be more DHing than less. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2014, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-fix-baseball/690991/117 "2014-06-18T22:01:34Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > The differences between the leagues are decreasing, and it’s far more likely there will be more DHing than less. True. And while I like the DH, I don’t really wish for the NL to have it. I like people having the choice. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2014, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-fix-baseball/690991/118 "2014-06-18T22:09:56Z")
There is not a damn thing wrong with the game. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2014, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-fix-baseball/690991/119 "2014-06-18T22:37:21Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > The question is whether a pitch clock would help or just be a pain in the ass, as opposed to the simpler fix of enforcing a rule against leaving the batter’s box. I’d rather try to latter before the former. Why not do both? Oh, I have another fix: Allow batters to step outside the box to swing at a pitch. So when the pitcher is trying to intentionally walk the batter, the batter can say “fuck this” and step outside the box and take a wild swing. More excitement that way. OR If you want to intentionally walk, just signal to the ref that you’ll be doing that and not go through the motion of throwing 4 balls. Out of all the pointless stuff baseball does, that is one of the most pointless. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2014, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-fix-baseball/690991/120 "2014-06-18T23:33:21Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > If you want to intentionally walk, just signal to the ref that you’ll be doing that and not go through the motion of throwing 4 balls. Out of all the pointless stuff baseball does, that is one of the most pointless. There is always the chance of a passed ball. That would allow base runners to advance and perhaps score. Keep everybody honest and require the ball to be thrown 4 times. Although I could be persuaded to allow batters to step across the plate to swing at a pitch-out. 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-fix-baseball/690991.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-fix-baseball/690991.md?page=7)