Posted on 03/16/2021 1:09:45 PM PDT by be-baw
Some big changes are coming to professional baseball this season.
From Triple-A down, every level of the minor leagues will see a rule change implemented in 2021. These rules and changes have been talked about for a few years, and now they will be tested for the big leagues.
We should all be paying attention to what is going on because if these rule changes go smoothly, we could see them in the major leagues as soon as next year.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxsports.com ...
Larger bases (Triple A) Pickoff/step off (low A) Pitch timer (low A West) Automatic ball/strike system (my favorite, Low A Southeast)
Sounds like the left-can’t leave well enough alone.
I hate the shift.
I was a bit sad, to see they completely changed the minor leagues. The Pacific Coast League no longer exists. Neither do the International League, or other historic minor leagues. The core of the Pacific Coast League is now called “Triple A West”. I’ve read a few articles, but haven’t been able to learn if “Triple A West” and “Triple A East” are actual leagues, or simply administrative divisions of organized baseball.
“Sounds like the left-can’t leave well enough alone.”
The left? What makes you think this has anything to do with left or right? Baseball has been changing rules, since major league baseball began, but ultimately I presume the Commissioner will decide with input from individual teams’ management.
However, I am concerned that they are looking as so many rule changes at a time. Too many, and any rules should not be changed hastily.
We were screwed here — Did away with the historic Appalachian League. We have one of the oldest parks in the League — JUST renovated — which is now orphaned.
Idiots.
Hoss
Back when I watched baseball, I would have agreed. People who complain that "baseball is boring" or "games take too long" are not baseball fans and never will be. It is pointless IMO to pander to non-fans who are never going to become fans. And rules that lead to more stolen bases will lead to more scoring and more scoring makes the games go longer.
When I watched baseball, I liked the laid-back slower pace of the sport. Even though it's kind of a slow pace, when the game is on the line the situation can become unbelievably tense.
But I don't watch any more, so they can do what they like.
It kills some good hitters, but that’s nobody’s fault but theirs. I would never have made it past HS bball if I hadn’t started switch hitting when I was 11.
I stepped into the batter’s box thousands of times over the course of my career. I could tell you when a pitch was a strike, and I could tell when a pitch was 2 inches off the plate. What became annoying was umpires rewarding pitchers by giving them pitches off the plate. It might be a good pitch, but if it quite literally isn’t on the plate, it should be a ball.
The guy is absolutely right about this, and whether it is a ball or strike is often the pitcher’s reputation.
I hate the shiftI'm not sure it is effective.
Interesting, but the editor was certainly asleep at the switch. 15 and 18 square inches are quite different from 15 and 18 inches square. And the pitcher isn’t trying to pick off the batters (that would be far too easy), they are trying to pick off base stealers AKA RUNNERS!
I agree with the limit on pick-off attempts between pitches as well. I’ve seen games that were dragged out because the pitcher wasted several minutes trying to pick off a runner leading off. One time particular time the pitcher must have thrown to first 10 times at least. Then he repeated it at second. aargh. PLAY THE GAME ALREADY!
As for the switch: Why shouldn’t the manager put his players where he wants to? If they know you are going to hit long left, they should be allowed to adjust their defense to counter that. That strategy has also been known to bite back when the batter does something other than what was expected.
Sounds like you hate baseball....as it is right now.
It’s about $$$$$$$
MLB is racist. They confessed continually all last year. I’m not watching until black batters get a fourth reparations strike.
Last year tanked them....Margins are smaller than people think,,,
...whether it is a ball or strike is often the pitcher’s reputation.
And, there you have the explanation for the success of the 1990's Braves.
I am constantly stunned that so many hitters have not made adjustments based on the shift—often leaving runners on base in scoring position when just making contact and hitting the ball to the opposite side of the infield would have driven in a run.
If the hitters made the adjustments in significant number of at bats in critical situations and the shift started to cost defensive teams some games, the shift would go away.
Baseball is a great game for kids to play when it is extremely hot and a big challenge to be running like in the sports.
Seems to me the shifting limits are to help one dimensional slugging left handed bats who used to get huge contracts for their one dimensional pull hitting style, but not so much now that there’s a couple more people in right field. Who cares if a team doesn’t want to field the left side of the infield?
All the new rules to help hitters and run production are to attract casual fans who think high scoring equals excitement. But in baseball more runs means longer games.
Freegards
It ain’t well enough. Ratings and revenue have been dropping for years. The game takes too long and nothing happens. It’s all strikeout, popouts, and home runs. Nobody gets on base, nobody steals base, none of what used to be called baseball happens. They need to fix it.
Snort..!!
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