If batting averages are too low, MLB may want to tweak the balls again. Seems like they do this every year with the manufacturing. I know they deny it but it would shock precisely no one if it came out they juiced the balls (or the reverse and deadened them).
I’m seeing that as a good thing, as it shifts the balance in favor of the batters. Pitchers should pitch longer, but the health impacts are too great to allow it.
The problem with baseball right now is that pitches are too fast. Too fast for batters to hit well and too fast for pitchers’ longevity. In my fantasy rules, I’d completely automate balls and strikes, and include a speed cap on the pitch. Any overspeed pitch is called a ball. That removes the incentive for a pitcher to damage his arm for a short-term advantage (similar to why some drugs are banned).
There’d have to be some tuning of the exact size of the strike zone and the speed cap. If that didn’t liven up the game, then I’d look at disallowing any substitutions in a game (even if it means playing short handed). As an aside, I’d stop the runner-on-base rule for extra innings, but require each team to remove one player each inning after the ninth. Yes, that means the 17th inning will be 1v1.
I’m not sure that pitch speed is what damages arms, or that throwing 99 is worse for your arm than 95. One’s ability to throw fast and remain healthy has a lot to do with a person’s physical size and the smoothness of their mechanics.
I’m not sure either. I recall hearing that the risk of injury to pitchers was from the unnatural arm motions required to throw breaking balls, not from maxing out a fastball.
That’s just a signal from the coach, right?
Fatigue can lead to injuries. Unsurprisingly there’s a lot of study and places looking into pitcher injuries and programs to lessen the amount.
So stuff like mechanics and conditioning and rest all play factors. If a pitcher takes off a bit of effort on their pitches, that can hopefully lead to fewer injuries.
One possible effect from a pitch clock could be the less time for recovery between pitches and that could in turn lead to pitchers not going max effort all the time.
If we were to look at games over the last few years, what percent of pitches would have been in violation?
That might be seen as a feature, not a bug.
I saw the game in Cleveland tonight. What a truly lovely ballpark.
Yes, I meant it as such (a feature), but didn’t say so directly.
The Brewers, dealing with several injuries to starting pitchers, decided that yesterday’s game against the Cardinals would be a “bullpen game” – use a reliever as the starting pitcher, have him pitch a few innings, and continue with relievers through the rest of the game.
Except that the “starter,” Matt Bush, had to leave the game after 15 pitches, due to groin discomfort. They wound up using a total of eight pitchers over the course of the game, which they won, 8 to 4.
I just read an interesting factoid.
Tony La Russa left the White Sox to have a medical procedure done on August 28. At the time, the ChiSox were 63-65 and trailed the Guardians by 5 games. Bench coach Miguel Cairo took over when La Russa left. Since that time, the Sox are 10-4 and are now 3 games back of Cleveland in the AL Central.
Perhaps it’s coincidental, perhaps not.
Which LaRussa has recently confirmed was for the installation of a pacemaker.
But, yes, it’s interesting that the team has played very well in his absence.
Just wanted to throw out these ridiculous numbers for Diaz, including one that actually doesn’t seem possible.
2022 ERA: 1.47
2022 FIP: 1.04 (that’s his “expected” ERA just based on strikeouts, walks, and home runs)
FIP Since June 1: 0.00
Yes, since the start of June, based just on his strikeouts, walks, and home runs Edwin Diaz would literally be expected to give up zero runs. That’s over 34+ innings. In that span he actually gave up 3 runs (not sure how - probably bad luck on hits and hit sequencing) with 67 Ks, 7 BBs, and 0 HRs against.
I guess striking out 2 batters an inning while walking nobody and giving up no home runs is a pretty effective way to pitch…
Curious. I had a pacemaker installed last February. Aside from not showering for a week, I resumed normal activities the next day.
Once they use automatic ball/strike calls, they will be able to make minor tweaks in the strike zone. And hitters will be able to take advantage of the consistency, which does not happen today.
It’s a level of performance that up until twenty years ago was literally impossible. No one did anything like this for that many innings.
When I was a kid, Goose Gossage had for some time been as fearsome a relief ace as you could imagine. Gossage’s career high for strikeouts per nine innings was 10.2 - a number that today would be scarcely noticeable.
In yesterday’s Blue Jays - Rays game, the home plate umpire blew at least ten calls, many of which were not close. I don’t know what this adds to the game of baseball.
I’m not particularly knowledgeable about pacemakers, but if that’s a typical sort of recovery time, it might also suggest that LaRussa’s heart issue may be more serious than just “he needed a pacemaker.” Either that, or the White Sox are looking for a way to gently ease him out the door.
Coming from tennis, I’m surprised the players aren’t demanding automated pitch calls. I could see some reticence from the umpires, but you’ll still need an official at home plate. Who won’t be subject to abuse from blown calls.
I heard they’re experimenting with a challenge system. Only the pitcher, catcher or batter can challenge. It takes about 6 seconds. Not sure if they’ll limit the number, but I guess they’ll have to play around with it in the minor leagues and see. Unless they just go with the automated strike zone, and then they won’t need it.
Tennis is my go to example for a sport that takes officiating seriously. Baseball does not.
Hell, even before they perfected the computer tech, hjow many officials do they assign to a big time match? By my count it’s eleven. There is an official for literally every relevant line on the court. Baseball has four umps in most games not because that makes sense - it doesn’t - but because they just always have.