[BluesDuke]

I don't think the mound height now is quite as damaging as the inconsistent and rather tiny strike zone. If they re-opened the strike zone to the proper shoulders-and-knees dimensions, the mounds could stay at the heights they are now and you'd still balance the pitchers and the hitters, especially given the pitchers who like to live either on the corners or up and away in the zone; and, for those who like to go down, they're losing strikes when they hit the outer corners. Just rebalance the strike zone. The hitters will still get their hits. I mean, look at the Mets today: They've got themselves a lot of heavy lumber in the lineup and they spanked the Pirates with a nice game of little ball. Didn't stop Jay Payton from getting a nice pitch and going to the back of the bullpen. And you know Mike and Mo and Jeromy and Edgardo aren't going to wait too long before they start going yard...you could give those guys a strike zone from their ankles to their earlobes and they'd still take you downtown in a few New York minutes.

Mr. Sullivan's book on the Dodger controversy is still in print, in quality paperback. It is vital reading for anyone who cares to know the whole depth of that sorry episode.

[motzman]

I don't think the mound height now is quite as damaging as the inconsistent and rather tiny strike zone.

I think the umps are getting a bit better with actually enforcing the strikezone, but there's way too much variance between umpires. I mean, I always ask "Who's behind the plate?" prior to the game, and I don't mean who's catching.

I think raising the mound would help a little bit, and a little bit can make a huge difference in the overall scheme of things...