OT: 2022 MLB Thread

[GASabresIUFAN]

I love that Beane is going for it this season before Josh Allen's contract becomes a huge cap weight.

I'm also very proud of the Braves GM who despite huge media and fan related pressure made the gutsy decision to move on from Freddie Freeman (who I really like as a player and person) to live within his budget and actually IMHO have a better team in the end.

By not re-signing Freeman but instead trading for Olson, AA freed up 15 to 18 mill to fix other holes in his World Series lineup.  So far he has used the savings to retain NLCS MVP Eddie Rosario and to pick up very solid reliever McHugh.  Gutsy and smart.  I wish Freddie great success in his future, but am looking forward to another run by my Braves.

Edited March 17, 2022 by GASabresIUFAN

[Eleven]

There is no 2022 MLB.  DH everywhere?  It should be nowhere.  Banning the shift?  Do they really hate strategy?  Strategy was the backbone of baseball, until last week.

 

I already was at the point where, yesterday, I had to look up who won the World Series last year.  I am not kidding.  It already had become that meaningless to me.  This sport--the one where I used to mangle my dad's newspaper (until I started delivering it) to look at the box scores in the summer, just as I did with hockey in the winter.  This sport.  It's dead.  

 

Thank you, everyone who wants home runs at the expense of real baseball with real strategy.  You'll be bored in five years.

 

I'm done.  F it, I'm done.  You freaking tools.

Edited March 17, 2022 by Eleven

[ubkev]

13 minutes ago, Eleven said:

There is no 2022 MLB.  DH everywhere?  It should be nowhere.  Banning the shift?  Do they really hate strategy?  Strategy was the backbone of baseball, until last week.

 

I already was at the point where, yesterday, I had to look up who won the World Series last year.  I am not kidding.  It already had become that meaningless to me.  This sport--the one where I used to mangle my dad's newspaper (until I started delivering it) to look at the box scores in the summer, just as I did with hockey in the winter.  This sport.  It's dead.  

 

Thank you, everyone who wants home runs at the expense of real baseball with real strategy.  You'll be bored in five years.

 

I'm done.  F it, I'm done.  You freaking tools.

The shift isn't banned until 2023, I believe. 

[Sabres Fan in NS]

The Jays appear to be going all in this year.

Not that I really care that much.

I hate the DH in the NL.  I agree with @Eleven that it should have been eliminated from the AL instead.

It's all about extending careers and payola and ...

[Eleven]

11 hours ago, ubkev said:

The shift isn't banned until 2023, I believe. 

That's eight and a half months.

 

Also, sorry about the rant, but I am angry.

Edited March 17, 2022 by Eleven

[SDS]

13 minutes ago, Eleven said:

That's eight and a half months.

 

Also, sorry about the rant, but I am angry.

You are straightening pictures on the Titanic. You’re at the bottom edge of the demographic that still cares. 

[WildCard]

I'm with Eleven it does feel like a different sport from even 20 years ago. Barely even watch it anymore 

[GASabresIUFAN]

The Braves built their new stadium a few miles from my house.  I am now able to attend games periodically and it has brought me back as a fan.  The game is still excellent in person.  I get that teams simply waiting for a home run can be very boring. I'd kindly suggest going to games again and see if you feel the same way.

[jsb]

Unlike football and other sports, baseball is primarily a regional sport that still gets its fans to follow a particular team and not necessarily the other teams. Hockey would love to have the revenue of baseball. It doesn't get a national audience until the playoffs. 

As for the shift it's not a total ban, the infielders have to be in the infield and not play like you're in slow pitch softball and the 3rd infielder (2nd baseman or SS) can't cross totally over second base. As for the pitch clock, it'll affect some hitters as much as the pitchers. Nothing worst then watching a hitter have to adjust his gloves and hat after every pitch whether he swings or not.

It's another example of the roboticization of sports thru analytics. You see it much more in how it changes baseball and basketball than hockey and football but it's there too.

Edited March 17, 2022 by jsb

[Claude Balls]

I've been tuned out since the end of last year. I thought the dumbest thing they did was putting a guy at 2nd base to start xtra innings. And then having to listen to clowns like Michael Kay always refer to the player on 2nd as the "ghost runner". No Mike, there is actually a player on the base. He is not a ghost, like we used to call the invisible players we had to pretend were on base, when we didn't have enough kids playing. 

Did they at least scrap that rule??

[Eleven]

2 hours ago, Claude Balls said:

Did they at least scrap that rule??

They're trying to make it permanent.

This just isn't the same game anymore.

[ubkev]

Pitch clock should be 10 seconds. Rock and fire, baby. Get the *****in ball and throw. 

Watching Aroldis Chapman take 27 minutes (not exaggerating) to retire 4 batters is completely unbearable!

(Signed, person who lives in a minor league town and the pitch clock makes the game much better)

[Claude Balls]

2 hours ago, Eleven said:

They're trying to make it permanent.

This just isn't the same game anymore.

Sure as hell isn't 

[SDS]

1 hour ago, ubkev said:

Pitch clock should be 10 seconds. Rock and fire, baby. Get the *****in ball and throw. 

Watching Aroldis Chapman take 27 minutes (not exaggerating) to retire 4 batters is completely unbearable!

(Signed, person who lives in a minor league town and the pitch clock makes the game much better)

I had the idea to tie readiness in hitting or pitching to your contract. Go back to the 70s and determine what it takes to make a major league baseball game 2.5 hours. Determine how long each person should have to get ready at the plate and how long each pitcher should have to get ready to throw the next pitch. Set those as targets. If you go over those targets on average over the course of a season, you lose a certain percentage of your salary. 

The idea is that you can let players have time if they need to, but in the end they know they just have to do their job and get the game moving or else it will financially cost them.