I still love the game but it’s a joke to see leadoff hitters striking out over a hundred times a season. They obviously don’t teach contact hitting anymore.
The difference is that almost every pitcher throws a 90+ mph fastball. They bring in 5 different relief pitchers just to pitch to specific batters. There are multiple pitchers that throw over 100 mph. The Yankees pitcher Chapman has recorded 105 mph.
Pitchers used to pitch the whole game. Now if you are not throwing well you are out after the first inning.
The number one reason the games are too long is that the other team stealing signs. Then the team in the field has to change their signs throughout the game. This is why the batter is always stepping out of the box and the catcher is always going to the mound. The other reason is the commercial breaks.
Quite right.
Joe Sewell struck out 114 times in his entire career! In 1925 in 608 at bats he struck out all of 4 times.
And even Babe Ruth never struck out over 100 times in a season.
As for the 2018 season there were more strikeouts than hits for the first time in baseball history. (41,207 strikeouts, 41,019 hits).
In 2018 - there were 41,207 Strikeouts, topping last year’s 40,104.
There were 6,105 home runs in both leagues last year, a record.
Since the year 2000, there have been 97,343 home runs.