BigBlue58
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Post by BigBlue58 on Jun 24, 2018 18:26:33 GMT -5
I’m 60 years old and I need some help identifying what I was watching on tv today.
Saw two teams on a diamond shaped field, using bats and baseballs, but the game they were playing bore little else in common with the game I grew up loving called BASEBALL!
They took out what I’m assuming is also called a pitcher after he pitched 5 innings, and they kept bringing in different people to throw the ball.
I’m guessing from the looks of it, that everyone gets a turn to throw the ball?
What I found odd was that the object of what I was watching, seemed to be to LOSE the game, because the boss kept removing pitchers who were getting guys out, until he finally found the pitcher who gave up hits and runs!!!! Very strange
Then I saw the guys on the infield all move to one side of the diamond, and the announcer said the “shift was on”. I guess the “shift” is when the batter tries to intentionally make an out, because the whole left side of the infield had no one guarding the bases, and since the object of the game is to lose, the batter made sure he hit it where the fielders were, not where it was wide open!
Very very strange.
What is this new game they were playing called???
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Post by Parademon1 on Jun 24, 2018 18:37:03 GMT -5
I stopped watching this trash back in 2007 bro. It's laughable that in today's game, these $100 million star pitchers are expected to only pitch 5-6 innings & then give way to the multitude of arms in the bullpen that usually come in & blow the game for the starter that should never have been pulled in the 1st place when he's only given up 1 run on 3 hits at the end of 6. Take DeGrom for example, guy should be like 11-1 but the BP has blown 3-4 games while the offense can't put up more than 1-2 runs in each of his starts.
It's an insult to pitchers like Seaver, Ryan, Palmer, Carlton, guys who would pitch 15-20 CGs a yr & strike out 300+ & win 20+ games a yr, but now you got guys pitching just 2-3 CGs a yr, winning 14 games while KOing just 244 & being paid $20mil a yr! 90% of todays pitchers couldn't carry the jockstraps of the 4 pitchers I mentioned.
What's this game of today called? It's called "boring ball".
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Post by Morehead State on Jun 24, 2018 21:19:19 GMT -5
I still love the game but it has changed so much. Players are all weightlifters instead of ball players.
Few of them can throw the ball in the outfield anymore.
It's all about the long ball too. Just as the NBA is now all about three pointers.
And it's SO slow. A game used to take about 2:20. Now games under 3 hours are less and less common.
But I do love it. There is nothing more fun for a kid to play. And I love my Bosox.
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BigBlue58
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Posts: 950
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Post by BigBlue58 on Jun 25, 2018 6:42:14 GMT -5
I stopped watching this trash back in 2007 bro. It's laughable that in today's game, these $100 million star pitchers are expected to only pitch 5-6 innings & then give way to the multitude of arms in the bullpen that usually come in & blow the game for the starter that should never have been pulled in the 1st place when he's only given up 1 run on 3 hits at the end of 6. Take DeGrom for example, guy should be like 11-1 but the BP has blown 3-4 games while the offense can't put up more than 1-2 runs in each of his starts. It's an insult to pitchers like Seaver, Ryan, Palmer, Carlton, guys who would pitch 15-20 CGs a yr & strike out 300+ & win 20+ games a yr, but now you got guys pitching just 2-3 CGs a yr, winning 14 games while KOing just 244 & being paid $20mil a yr! 90% of todays pitchers couldn't carry the jockstraps of the 4 pitchers I mentioned. What's this game of today called? It's called "boring ball". I couldn’t agree more! It was totally unwatchable and pretty damned depressing. |
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Post by Morehead State on Jun 25, 2018 7:00:56 GMT -5
I stopped watching this trash back in 2007 bro. It's laughable that in today's game, these $100 million star pitchers are expected to only pitch 5-6 innings & then give way to the multitude of arms in the bullpen that usually come in & blow the game for the starter that should never have been pulled in the 1st place when he's only given up 1 run on 3 hits at the end of 6. Take DeGrom for example, guy should be like 11-1 but the BP has blown 3-4 games while the offense can't put up more than 1-2 runs in each of his starts. It's an insult to pitchers like Seaver, Ryan, Palmer, Carlton, guys who would pitch 15-20 CGs a yr & strike out 300+ & win 20+ games a yr, but now you got guys pitching just 2-3 CGs a yr, winning 14 games while KOing just 244 & being paid $20mil a yr! 90% of todays pitchers couldn't carry the jockstraps of the 4 pitchers I mentioned. What's this game of today called? It's called "boring ball". Hitters work the count a lot more than they used to. Pitchers will often be over 100 pitches in a game by the 6th inning. Also, pitchers have more pitches than they used to so there is much more swinging and missing, which extends pitch counts.
Plus all those pitches put much more strain on the arms of these pitchers. It's easy to throw 4 seem fastballs and curves like they used to. It put less strain on the arm. The way pitchers pitched before was very simple. Now with the science of hitting it's completely different.
I get that it's harder to watch....I agree. But it doesn't have anything to do with pampering pitchers. You could throw 300 innings when you were throwing pitches that were easier to throw. An "inning" in the 60's required far fewer pitches than today. It's a grind now.
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BigBlue58
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Posts: 950
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Post by BigBlue58 on Jun 25, 2018 7:04:33 GMT -5
I still love the game but it has changed so much. Players are all weightlifters instead of ball players. Few of them can throw the ball in the outfield anymore. It's all about the long ball too. Just as the NBA is now all about three pointers. And it's SO slow. A game used to take about 2:20. Now games under 3 hours are less and less common. But I do love it. There is nothing more fun for a kid to play. And I love my Bosox. I envy your ability to still enjoy it! I miss the days when I would root for the Yankees as hard and as loud as I root for my Giants. So much of the game, as played today, makes no sense (the afore mentioned “shift”).... and all the strategy has been eliminated..... what with bunts going the way of spittoons and designated innings for starters to come out and endless relievers coming....completely missing the point of why a Relief Pitcher used to be brought in in the first place! And if all that’s not bad enough....you’re a Red Sox fan????? God....football can’t start soon enough for me! |
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Post by Morehead State on Jun 25, 2018 7:09:04 GMT -5
I still love the game but it has changed so much. Players are all weightlifters instead of ball players. Few of them can throw the ball in the outfield anymore. It's all about the long ball too. Just as the NBA is now all about three pointers. And it's SO slow. A game used to take about 2:20. Now games under 3 hours are less and less common. But I do love it. There is nothing more fun for a kid to play. And I love my Bosox. I envy your ability to still enjoy it! I miss the days when I would root for the Yankees as hard and as loud as I root for my Giants. So much of the game, as played today, makes no sense (the afore mentioned “shift”).... and all the strategy has been eliminated..... what with bunts going the way of spittoons and designated innings for starters to come out and endless relievers coming....completely missing the point of why a Relief Pitcher used to be brought in in the first place! And if all that’s not bad enough....you’re a Red Sox fan?  ? God....football can’t start soon enough for me! Don't hate me because I root for God's team..... |
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Post by TEM on Jun 25, 2018 17:18:29 GMT -5
It is a different game. I also see a marked change in football as well over the past decades.
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Post by Sarcasman on Jun 25, 2018 17:27:26 GMT -5
I envy your ability to still enjoy it! I miss the days when I would root for the Yankees as hard and as loud as I root for my Giants. So much of the game, as played today, makes no sense (the afore mentioned “shift”).... and all the strategy has been eliminated..... what with bunts going the way of spittoons and designated innings for starters to come out and endless relievers coming....completely missing the point of why a Relief Pitcher used to be brought in in the first place! And if all that’s not bad enough....you’re a Red Sox fan? ? God....football can’t start soon enough for me! Don't hate me because I root for God's team..... Oh, I definitely don't hate you for that. |
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Post by Delicreep on Jun 25, 2018 19:58:07 GMT -5
I still love the game but it has changed so much. Players are all weightlifters instead of ball players. Few of them can throw the ball in the outfield anymore. It's all about the long ball too. Just as the NBA is now all about three pointers. And it's SO slow. A game used to take about 2:20. Now games under 3 hours are less and less common. But I do love it. There is nothing more fun for a kid to play. And I love my Bosox. Here's the way you can define baseball: at the start of any play, give all the players their smartphones and ask everyone but the batter, pitcher and catcher, "who was the 5th person to sign the Declaration of Independence"? Then start the play.
Using their smartphones, what is the maximum number of players on the field that could to come up with "Sam Adams" during the play, and not alter or effect the play?
As a bonus...how many of them could also be drinking a Sam Adams during that play?
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Post by Parademon1 on Jun 25, 2018 20:17:48 GMT -5
Bottom line, the game is boring to watch now.
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Post by DandyDon on Jun 25, 2018 23:36:26 GMT -5
Among the un-watchable Mets games recently, a night or so ago the "shift" was put on. It was a tie game, no outs, man on first, 8th or 9th inning. Because of the shift, one entire side of the field was open, and a bunt was the obvious play.
But somehow the 20-something-year-old guy at the plate "was never asked to bunt" in his minor league career, so the Met's manager was afraid to ask him to do it. He struck out on 3 pitches.
Today, I watched video online of the hitting coach of the Mets trying to teach Ahmed Rosario, a major-league player and supposed "future of the franchise" how to bunt, like he was in little league.
I'm probably more prone to notice these things because of how bad the Mets are, but this is what the game has become. Strikeouts and homers and shifts baseball is boring.
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Post by Morehead State on Jun 26, 2018 6:48:33 GMT -5
I have to tell you all though that attendance is very high these days.
Back in the 60's and 70's a team was doing something when it drew a million fans.
Now...that's a drop in the bucket.
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Post by jimmieray on Jun 26, 2018 8:43:44 GMT -5
I have to tell you all though that attendance is very high these days. Back in the 60's and 70's a team was doing something when it drew a million fans. Now...that's a drop in the bucket. There's something very odd about this, because I see an awful lot of empty seats, and everyone I know says it costs too much to attend. Is this ticket sales, or actual attendance? |
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Post by Morehead State on Jun 26, 2018 9:06:14 GMT -5
I have to tell you all though that attendance is very high these days. Back in the 60's and 70's a team was doing something when it drew a million fans. Now...that's a drop in the bucket. There's something very odd about this, because I see an awful lot of empty seats, and everyone I know says it costs too much to attend. Is this ticket sales, or actual attendance? Well go check attendance back in the "golden age" of baseball. Check attendance from 1967 to today. And today's ball parks are generally smaller. The Yankees struggled to get a million in a season. Now they push 3 to 4 MM. Teams like KC A's and the Twins were averaging 8,000/game back in the day.
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Post by DandyDon on Jun 26, 2018 9:37:09 GMT -5
There's something very odd about this, because I see an awful lot of empty seats, and everyone I know says it costs too much to attend. Is this ticket sales, or actual attendance? Well go check attendance back in the "golden age" of baseball. Check attendance from 1967 to today. And today's ball parks are generally smaller. The Yankees struggled to get a million in a season. Now they push 3 to 4 MM. Teams like KC A's and the Twins were averaging 8,000/game back in the day.
Its ticket sales, and they have also been declining: www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2018/05/27/attendance-drop-strikeout-rise-has-mlb-concerned/35423331/"NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball attendance is headed to its lowest average in 15 years. And it's not only because of the historically bad weather that's plagued the first third of the season. Strikeouts exceeded hits in a full calendar month for the first time in April and are on track to do so again in May. Five teams are on pace to lose 100 or more games in the same season for the first time." |
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Post by Parademon1 on Jun 26, 2018 12:38:59 GMT -5
That a professional baseball player making mega $ does not know how to properly lay down a simple bunt to the opposite field during a shift is a total joke. When's the last time you saw a player lay down a drag bunt for a hit? Dee Gordon of the Dodgers leads the majors with 12 bunt hits.
Former Met, Lee Mazilli was an excellent bunter and had an amazing( no pun intended) 35 bunt base hits on 40 attempts in his career.
Former Dodger great & power hitter, Steve Garvey had 46 bunt hits on 56 attempts in his career.
Brett Butler holds the record of most bunt hits in a season with 29 on 51 att. in 1992 & most bunt hits in a career with 188.
Mickey Mantle had 80 career bunt hits as well.
Like I said, baseball today is boring and most players can't bunt.
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Post by Morehead State on Jun 26, 2018 13:42:51 GMT -5
Not sure I would say it's boring. It hard to watch because of the pace. But today's game is much more about power. Power at the plate and power on the mound.
You can argue either way about the benefits of that. Fans DO like HR's and strike outs.
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Post by DandyDon on Jun 26, 2018 14:12:43 GMT -5
Not sure I would say it's boring. It hard to watch because of the pace. But today's game is much more about power. Power at the plate and power on the mound. You can argue either way about the benefits of that. Fans DO like HR's and strike outs. Homers maybe, but the lack of other action because of strikeouts and shifts? Not this fan. |
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Post by Morehead State on Jun 26, 2018 14:41:11 GMT -5
Not sure I would say it's boring. It hard to watch because of the pace. But today's game is much more about power. Power at the plate and power on the mound. You can argue either way about the benefits of that. Fans DO like HR's and strike outs. Homers maybe, but the lack of other action because of strikeouts and shifts? Not this fan. Not sure what the objection is to shifts. It's smart baseball. They shifted against Ted Williams 70 years ago. |
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Post by BronxBomberBlue on Jun 26, 2018 16:15:35 GMT -5
I envy your ability to still enjoy it! I miss the days when I would root for the Yankees as hard and as loud as I root for my Giants. So much of the game, as played today, makes no sense (the afore mentioned “shift”).... and all the strategy has been eliminated..... what with bunts going the way of spittoons and designated innings for starters to come out and endless relievers coming....completely missing the point of why a Relief Pitcher used to be brought in in the first place! The Baby Bombers are so exciting and enjoyable to watch these days. I pity your inability to enjoy Yankees baseball. They were a lot more entertaining to watch in 2017 than our New York Football Giants!! |
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Post by BronxBomberBlue on Jun 26, 2018 16:23:33 GMT -5
Not sure I would say it's boring. It hard to watch because of the pace. But today's game is much more about power. Power at the plate and power on the mound. You can argue either way about the benefits of that. Fans DO like HR's and strike outs. My opinion is, the more you know about the game of baseball, the more you'll enjoy it and less boring it will be. If all you see is a hitter up at the plate and you're waiting for him to hit the ball then baseball will be boring to you. However, if you realize the importance between a 2-1 count and a 1-2 count, who's on deck, does this hitter have speed and if he gets on base what a headache he will be. If you're aware of just a few of these points, you'll be at the edge of your seat with your BP being raised. But if you're saying to yourself, "C'mon, hit the ball already!" then you just don't see the beauty of baseball. |
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Post by Morehead State on Jun 26, 2018 17:08:04 GMT -5
Not sure I would say it's boring. It hard to watch because of the pace. But today's game is much more about power. Power at the plate and power on the mound. You can argue either way about the benefits of that. Fans DO like HR's and strike outs. My opinion is, the more you know about the game of baseball, the more you'll enjoy it and less boring it will be. If all you see is a hitter up at the plate and you're waiting for him to hit the ball then baseball will be boring to you. However, if you realize the importance between a 2-1 count and a 1-2 count, who's on deck, does this hitter have speed and if he gets on base what a headache he will be. If you're aware of just a few of these points, you'll be at the edge of your seat with your BP being raised. But if you're saying to yourself, "C'mon, hit the ball already!" then you just don't see the beauty of baseball. Pretty good point. I watch games and always guess what and where the next pitch will be. I'll say it out loud, even though I'm by myself. "1-2?..Gotta come up and in off the plate then the slider in the dirt". I think you're right about baseball knowledge. Remember the book by George Will?
"Before each pitch, 1000 decisions are being made"
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Post by TEM on Jun 26, 2018 21:33:26 GMT -5
Homers maybe, but the lack of other action because of strikeouts and shifts? Not this fan. Not sure what the objection is to shifts. It's smart baseball. They shifted against Ted Williams 70 years ago. On the Fan today Mike Francesa said the league was completing creating a rule making the shift an illegal fielding formation, |
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Post by Sarcasman on Jun 26, 2018 22:30:53 GMT -5
Not sure what the objection is to shifts. It's smart baseball. They shifted against Ted Williams 70 years ago. On the Fan today Mike Francesa said the league was completing creating a rule making the shift an illegal fielding formation, I'd hate that. But I guess he's speculating that the league has decided that the game won't evolve naturally. If I was managing, my whole team would be bunting against the shift nearly every at bat it was used, unless the situation dictated otherwise. I'm not a huge baseball guy so someone may educate me on why this is a bad idea, I don't now, it seems pretty simple to me. The idea that a team like the Mets - that is so overmatched on talent - refuses to adapt and do things like this to steal a win here or there is outrageous to me. That said, in my view legislating it out is just plain lazy. |
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Post by jimmieray on Jun 27, 2018 5:31:45 GMT -5
Homers maybe, but the lack of other action because of strikeouts and shifts? Not this fan. Not sure what the objection is to shifts. It's smart baseball. They shifted against Ted Williams 70 years ago. And what was his strategy, back at that? |
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Post by jimmieray on Jun 27, 2018 5:37:23 GMT -5
Not sure I would say it's boring. It hard to watch because of the pace. But today's game is much more about power. Power at the plate and power on the mound. You can argue either way about the benefits of that. Fans DO like HR's and strike outs. Homers maybe, but the lack of other action because of strikeouts and shifts? Not this fan. I know you're a Mets fan, so you probably can't stand the name Ricky Henderson. But he sure was an exiting player to watch, once he got on the base paths. I used to buy tickets for games against the A's, just to see him. The split screen thing they always did on channel 11, showing him vs. the pitcher trying to concentrate on the next batter, was riveting. |
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Post by Morehead State on Jun 27, 2018 6:44:50 GMT -5
Homers maybe, but the lack of other action because of strikeouts and shifts? Not this fan. I know you're a Mets fan, so you probably can't stand the name Ricky Henderson. But he sure was an exiting player to watch, once he got on the base paths. I used to buy tickets for games against the A's, just to see him. The split screen thing they always did on channel 11, showing him vs. the pitcher trying to concentrate on the next batter, was riveting. He pulled everything into the shift and was still the greatest hitter in baseball history. |
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Post by TEM on Jun 27, 2018 7:03:20 GMT -5
On the Fan today Mike Francesa said the league was completing creating a rule making the shift an illegal fielding formation, I'd hate that. But I guess he's speculating that the league has decided that the game won't evolve naturally. If I was managing, my whole team would be bunting against the shift nearly every at bat it was used, unless the situation dictated otherwise. I'm not a huge baseball guy so someone may educate me on why this is a bad idea, I don't now, it seems pretty simple to me. The idea that a team like the Mets - that is so overmatched on talent - refuses to adapt and do things like this to steal a win here or there is outrageous to me. That said, in my view legislating it out is just plain lazy. When I played in Little league. My coach said if there is a hole in the defense . That is where you hit the ball. If I could go the other way with the ball when I was 12 .There is no excuse a major league player should not be able to. |
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Post by jimmieray on Jun 27, 2018 7:28:55 GMT -5
I know you're a Mets fan, so you probably can't stand the name Ricky Henderson. But he sure was an exiting player to watch, once he got on the base paths. I used to buy tickets for games against the A's, just to see him. The split screen thing they always did on channel 11, showing him vs. the pitcher trying to concentrate on the next batter, was riveting. He pulled everything into the shift and was still the greatest hitter in baseball history. Wrong post quoted, and that's not the lesson we needed to hear. |
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