MLB: September 2018

Hard to see how the “chink” in the armor is going to be problematic when 1) you’re talking about a Japanese fellow and 2) the phrase is quite common and has nothing to do with race.

Watching the Dodgers pitcher walk in a run by walking the opposing pitcher with his .044 batting average was a bit of fun that makes me long for the demise of the DH. Baseball was better then. But I think the shift poses a greater danger to the game- look how few .300 hitters there are these days. I thought the batters would adjust and learn to hit the other way. They haven’t. Baserunning is getting to be a lost art, as are sacrifice bunts. When’s the last time you saw a pitchout? Something needs to be done. I say make 2 infielders be on each side of second base. Bring back hitting for average, moving baserunners, and strategy. A bloop and a blast is boring baseball.

Yanks prove that Boston can be beat. Now with fresh confidence, 2 games in the Bronx.

You’'re blaming a lot of things on the shift that don’t really have anything to do with the shift. What the hell does baserunning and pitchouts have to do with it?

Indeed, I’m not even sure how you figure there’s a lack of .300 hitters due to the shift; its impact on batting average isn’t really that great. A higher emphasis on pitchers who strike men out has a lot more to do with that.

It’s not that walks and homers aren’t boring; they are, it’s just got nothing to do with shifts.

Right. Have a look at these stats, taken from here.



Year	R/G	H	2B	3B	HR	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	TB
2018	4.45	8.44	1.7	0.17	1.15	8.48	0.248	0.318	0.409	0.728	13.93
2017	4.65	8.69	1.73	0.16	1.26	8.25	0.255	0.324	0.426	0.75	14.51
2016	4.48	8.71	1.7	0.18	1.16	8.03	0.255	0.322	0.417	0.739	14.23
2015	4.25	8.67	1.7	0.19	1.01	7.71	0.254	0.317	0.405	0.721	13.78
2014	4.07	8.56	1.67	0.17	0.86	7.7	0.251	0.314	0.386	0.7	13.17
2013	4.17	8.66	1.69	0.16	0.96	7.55	0.253	0.318	0.396	0.714	13.54
2012	4.32	8.65	1.7	0.19	1.02	7.5	0.255	0.319	0.405	0.724	13.78
2011	4.28	8.7	1.73	0.18	0.94	7.1	0.255	0.321	0.399	0.72	13.61
2010	4.38	8.76	1.75	0.18	0.95	7.06	0.257	0.325	0.403	0.728	13.71
2009	4.61	8.96	1.8	0.2	1.04	6.91	0.262	0.333	0.418	0.751	14.26
2008	4.65	9.06	1.86	0.18	1	6.77	0.264	0.333	0.416	0.749	14.29
2007	4.8	9.25	1.89	0.19	1.02	6.62	0.268	0.336	0.423	0.758	14.59
2006	4.86	9.28	1.88	0.2	1.11	6.52	0.269	0.337	0.432	0.768	14.88
2005	4.59	9.05	1.82	0.18	1.03	6.3	0.264	0.33	0.419	0.749	14.33
2004	4.81	9.17	1.84	0.18	1.12	6.55	0.266	0.335	0.428	0.763	14.74
2003	4.73	9.07	1.82	0.19	1.07	6.34	0.264	0.333	0.422	0.755	14.48
2002	4.62	8.92	1.79	0.19	1.04	6.47	0.261	0.331	0.417	0.748	14.22
2001	4.78	9.03	1.81	0.19	1.12	6.67	0.264	0.332	0.427	0.759	14.6
2000	5.14	9.31	1.83	0.2	1.17	6.45	0.27	0.345	0.437	0.782	15.05
1999	5.08	9.33	1.8	0.19	1.14	6.41	0.271	0.345	0.434	0.778	14.93
1998	4.79	9.15	1.8	0.18	1.04	6.56	0.266	0.335	0.42	0.755	14.44
1997	4.77	9.15	1.77	0.19	1.02	6.61	0.267	0.337	0.419	0.756	14.38
1996	5.04	9.33	1.76	0.19	1.09	6.46	0.27	0.34	0.427	0.767	14.76
1995	4.85	9.17	1.72	0.2	1.01	6.3	0.267	0.338	0.417	0.755	14.33
1994	4.92	9.29	1.79	0.22	1.03	6.18	0.27	0.339	0.424	0.763	14.62
1993	4.6	9.05	1.64	0.21	0.89	5.8	0.265	0.332	0.403	0.736	13.77
1992	4.12	8.68	1.56	0.2	0.72	5.59	0.256	0.322	0.377	0.7	12.8
1991	4.31	8.69	1.54	0.21	0.8	5.8	0.256	0.323	0.385	0.708	13.07
1990	4.26	8.75	1.55	0.21	0.79	5.67	0.258	0.325	0.385	0.71	13.07
1989	4.13	8.62	1.5	0.21	0.73	5.61	0.254	0.32	0.375	0.695	12.72
1988	4.14	8.63	1.52	0.2	0.76	5.56	0.254	0.318	0.378	0.696	12.82
1987	4.72	9	1.61	0.21	1.06	5.96	0.263	0.331	0.415	0.747	14.22
1986	4.41	8.77	1.55	0.2	0.91	5.87	0.258	0.326	0.395	0.721	13.44
1985	4.33	8.74	1.53	0.23	0.86	5.34	0.257	0.323	0.391	0.714	13.3
1984	4.26	8.88	1.48	0.23	0.77	5.34	0.26	0.323	0.385	0.708	13.14
1983	4.31	8.88	1.53	0.24	0.78	5.15	0.261	0.325	0.389	0.714	13.25
1982	4.3	8.93	1.5	0.23	0.8	5.04	0.261	0.324	0.389	0.713	13.3
1981	4	8.66	1.43	0.24	0.64	4.75	0.256	0.32	0.369	0.689	12.49
1980	4.29	9.06	1.51	0.26	0.73	4.8	0.265	0.326	0.388	0.714	13.28
1979	4.46	9.03	1.53	0.25	0.82	4.77	0.265	0.33	0.397	0.727	13.52
1978	4.1	8.68	1.47	0.24	0.7	4.77	0.258	0.323	0.379	0.702	12.75
1977	4.47	9.04	1.53	0.28	0.87	5.16	0.264	0.329	0.401	0.73	13.73
1976	3.99	8.66	1.35	0.25	0.58	4.83	0.255	0.32	0.361	0.681	12.24
1975	4.21	8.75	1.41	0.23	0.7	4.98	0.258	0.327	0.374	0.701	12.71
1974	4.12	8.73	1.34	0.22	0.68	5.01	0.257	0.324	0.369	0.693	12.55
1973	4.21	8.75	1.34	0.2	0.8	5.24	0.257	0.325	0.379	0.704	12.9
1972	3.69	8.19	1.25	0.2	0.68	5.57	0.244	0.311	0.354	0.664	11.88
1971	3.89	8.4	1.27	0.21	0.74	5.41	0.249	0.317	0.365	0.682	12.3
1970	4.34	8.63	1.35	0.24	0.88	5.75	0.254	0.326	0.385	0.711	13.1
1969	4.07	8.37	1.24	0.22	0.8	5.77	0.248	0.32	0.369	0.689	12.46
1968	3.42	7.91	1.19	0.21	0.61	5.89	0.237	0.299	0.34	0.639	11.37
1967	3.77	8.17	1.26	0.24	0.71	5.99	0.242	0.306	0.357	0.664	12.05
1966	3.99	8.42	1.28	0.25	0.85	5.82	0.249	0.31	0.376	0.686	12.75
1965	3.99	8.3	1.29	0.24	0.83	5.94	0.246	0.311	0.372	0.683	12.57
1964	4.04	8.51	1.31	0.23	0.85	5.91	0.25	0.313	0.378	0.69	12.84
1963	3.95	8.35	1.27	0.24	0.84	5.8	0.246	0.309	0.372	0.681	12.61
1962	4.46	8.8	1.33	0.26	0.93	5.42	0.258	0.326	0.393	0.719	13.43
1961	4.53	8.76	1.39	0.26	0.95	5.23	0.258	0.328	0.399	0.727	13.55
1960	4.31	8.67	1.39	0.27	0.86	5.18	0.255	0.324	0.388	0.712	13.18
1959	4.38	8.74	1.4	0.24	0.91	5.09	0.257	0.324	0.392	0.716	13.35
1958	4.28	8.75	1.37	0.27	0.91	4.95	0.258	0.325	0.394	0.719	13.38
1957	4.31	8.85	1.37	0.27	0.89	4.84	0.258	0.324	0.391	0.715	13.45
1956	4.45	8.74	1.35	0.29	0.93	4.64	0.258	0.331	0.397	0.729	13.45
1955	4.48	8.76	1.32	0.28	0.9	4.38	0.259	0.332	0.394	0.726	13.34
1954	4.38	8.86	1.4	0.32	0.78	4.13	0.261	0.333	0.39	0.723	13.24
1953	4.61	9.06	1.45	0.3	0.84	4.12	0.264	0.336	0.397	0.733	13.62
1952	4.18	8.58	1.37	0.27	0.69	4.19	0.253	0.327	0.37	0.696	12.56
1951	4.55	8.96	1.45	0.29	0.75	3.77	0.261	0.336	0.386	0.722	13.23
1950	4.85	9.11	1.5	0.32	0.84	3.86	0.266	0.346	0.402	0.748	13.76
1949	4.61	8.94	1.45	0.31	0.69	3.61	0.263	0.344	0.384	0.728	13.07
1948	4.58	8.99	1.49	0.34	0.63	3.64	0.263	0.341	0.382	0.723	13.04
1947	4.36	8.85	1.44	0.32	0.63	3.68	0.261	0.336	0.377	0.713	12.82
1946	4.01	8.68	1.44	0.32	0.49	3.9	0.256	0.328	0.36	0.688	12.22


Strikeouts have been increasing steadily over the past four decades, with some of the fastest increases in K rates happening over the past 10 years.

Astros join the Brewers in the LCS round, making a solid Cleveland team look bad in the process.

BobLibDem:

In my experience, users of that particular slur apply it to East Asians of pretty much any specific nationality - or aren’t readily able to distinguish Chinese from Japanese, Korean, etc so either think they’re Chinese or don’t care.

I vividly recall when kids in my high school made a big deal of this slur when we were studying Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and one of the actors had to be a “chink in the wall”.