Baseball has GOT to change.

[TheyCallMePro]

Look I'm not a fan of baseball---I think it's a very slow, very boring game with little entertainment value, but I just can't help but notice that I'm far from being in the minority here. I think it's obvious that if baseball ever wants to become popular again, then it's going to have to make MAJOR changes, and since I've seen the issue raised recently on ESPN and other networks, I was just going to propose my own solutions, and see if yall agree with them.

1) For the love of God make the games go faster. I don't care if you have to cut 2 innings. Not even baseball purists want to watch 3 1/2 hour games. Casual fans will certainly never get involved with the sport if the games continue to be this long. If you're trying to attract new demographics, then the length of the games is by the far the biggest issue.

2) Shorten the season. 162 games is wayyyyyy too long. It serves to almost completely devalue the regular season and with so many games there's no lasting sense of good feeling associated with the teams. They play too much and the losses pile up. If you have 80 games, and a 60-20 team, then there's a real sense of accomplishment from the fan base. But when you play 162....and your team goes 100-62.....ehh not so much.

3) Fundamentally change the game. Yeah, this one will probably never happen, but you can't just have 9 guys just standing out there on the field for 3 1/2 hours not even moving. We watch sports to see great athletic feats. Not an outfielder scratch his ass for 3 hours. Somehow baseball has got to make their game more entertaining. It can't just be the pitcher and the batter dueling it out 95% of the time during the game. Maybe have the other team on the field trying to disrupt the other team from making a play on the ball and getting outs? I don't know. They have to do something.

4) Get on ESPN!!!!!!!!! Nobody watches Fox. Fox is boring. ESPN is young and hip. Young people watch ESPN. Old people watch Fox. I know ESPN has a Wednesday night baseball game, and a Sunday night baseball game, but that's nothing. Hell, College football has 16 games on ESPN networks alone every Saturday during the season. Even if ESPN pays you half of what Fox or other networks that nobody watches pays you---take it! Popularity is everything. The money will come later.

I know, I know. Baseball is never going to change their game. They'd rather suffer the embarrassment of empty stadiums and low TV ratings rather than change. But one of these days literally 0 people will show up to a Miami Marlins game and they'll have to eventually address the games flaws. Or they can just fade quietly away as they've been doing for the last 20 years. Their choice.

[dg7md]

Baseball is on ESPN, quite regularly in fact.

I agree that baseball needs to change, but not in all of the ways you've suggested. Really, all they need to do is shorten the season. Baseball is rather exciting in the later months of the season.

[Reck]

LOL someone who doesn't like the sport wanting a change. Fuck outta here.

Baseball purists have been, not only watched full cover to cover baseball for decades but also encourage the act.

I consider myself a casual fan and even I watch the games in its entirety the time I watch them.

The problem with shortening the season is that the off season would seen too long. Only way that works is if they move up opening day.

:lmao hyping that shit network ESPN.

Thank god for Fox Sports 1.

[Phillip]

I can watch 162 games of baseball, start to end, and not be bored for a single minute of it.

OP = faggot

[Reck]

I can watch 162 games of baseball, start to end, and not be bored for a single minute of it.

OP = faggot

:tu

I would watch Baseball more often if I had Red Sox coverage here.

[Clipper Nation]

The biggest change that needs to be made is for that senile, out-of-touch faggot Bud Selig to retire or be booted out by the owners, tbh....

After that, a salary cap and salary floor ought to be put in.... the salary floor is especially important to prevent scum-of-the-Earth owners like Loria from scamming any more taxpayers and destroying any more franchises....

Finally, eliminate the designated hitter.... if you're too fat, lazy, or incompetent to play defense, you don't belong in the major leagues (pitchers excluded from that criteria of course)..... the DH also prevents managers from having to strategize at all in the AL, making AL baseball boring as fuck.....

[Reck]

^ You're already contracting yourself.

Cant have one without the other.

If you have a beef with fat, lazy fucks, a fat lazy pitcher should not be exempt.

[Clipper Nation]

^ You're already contracting yourself.

Cant have one without the other.

If you have a beef with fat, lazy fucks, a fat lazy pitcher should not be exempt.
I'm mainly just saying if you can't catch, play defense, or pitch, you don't belong in the majors, tbh.... obviously pitchers shouldn't be lazy either, but I'm talking about position players....

[rascal]

The OP probably never played baseball or was never any good at it.

[baseline bum]

I would like if they limited the timeouts in baseball. Games seem like they take so much longer now than they used to in the 80s. I mean why does a batter have to step out of the box after every pitch?

[Emily Rose]

I don't mind teams who "try to buy championships." That method will fail, and the teams who do that end up regretting it pretty quickly. You win by developing your farm system and a few low risk trades/signings. Plus all the good players get locked up by their original teams. The game is fine as it is other than giving the team who wins the play in wildcard game the first 2 games at home. That shit better not happen again.

[TheyCallMePro]

Well I see I stumbled upon a lot of baseball lovers here who think there's nothing wrong with the game. Figures.

You guys are in denial. You may enjoy it. The casual fan does not. That's why baseball has empty stadiums and low TV ratings. That was my point. Either change or get left behind. Right now baseball is getting left behind.

You guys are honestly okay with where Baseball stands right now and where it's going? Hockey is even becoming more popular...Come on. They've simply got to do something. At least shorten the season. Speed up the games. Get on ESPN. At least do that. At least try to appeal to the younger generation and casual fans.

[Phillip]

Finally, eliminate the designated hitter.... if you're too fat, lazy, or incompetent to play defense, you don't belong in the major leagues (pitchers excluded from that criteria of course)..... the DH also prevents managers from having to strategize at all in the AL, making AL baseball boring as fuck.....

I don't mind the DH. But I think it puts AL at more of a disadvantage when playing in the NL. They both should have the same rules. IMO, the DH should be in both leagues. Pitchers should have no business batting. Having a guaranteed out in the lineup every 9 batters is much more boring and pointless IMO.

[Clipper Nation]

Pitchers batting adds challenge to the game and forces managers to strategize around that instead of being glorified cheerleaders like they are in the AL, tbh.....

[midnightpulp]

Look I'm not a fan of baseball---I think it's a very slow, very boring game with little entertainment value, but I just can't help but notice that I'm far from being in the minority here. I think it's obvious that if baseball ever wants to become popular again, then it's going to have to make MAJOR changes, and since I've seen the issue raised recently on ESPN and other networks, I was just going to propose my own solutions, and see if yall agree with them.

1) For the love of God make the games go faster. I don't care if you have to cut 2 innings. Not even baseball purists want to watch 3 1/2 hour games. Casual fans will certainly never get involved with the sport if the games continue to be this long. If you're trying to attract new demographics, then the length of the games is by the far the biggest issue.

2) Shorten the season. 162 games is wayyyyyy too long. It serves to almost completely devalue the regular season and with so many games there's no lasting sense of good feeling associated with the teams. They play too much and the losses pile up. If you have 80 games, and a 60-20 team, then there's a real sense of accomplishment from the fan base. But when you play 162....and your team goes 100-62.....ehh not so much.

3) Fundamentally change the game. Yeah, this one will probably never happen, but you can't just have 9 guys just standing out there on the field for 3 1/2 hours not even moving. We watch sports to see great athletic feats. Not an outfielder scratch his ass for 3 hours. Somehow baseball has got to make their game more entertaining. It can't just be the pitcher and the batter dueling it out 95% of the time during the game. Maybe have the other team on the field trying to disrupt the other team from making a play on the ball and getting outs? I don't know. They have to do something.

4) Get on ESPN!!!!!!!!! Nobody watches Fox. Fox is boring. ESPN is young and hip. Young people watch ESPN. Old people watch Fox. I know ESPN has a Wednesday night baseball game, and a Sunday night baseball game, but that's nothing. Hell, College football has 16 games on ESPN networks alone every Saturday during the season. Even if ESPN pays you half of what Fox or other networks that nobody watches pays you---take it! Popularity is everything. The money will come later.

I know, I know. Baseball is never going to change their game. They'd rather suffer the embarrassment of empty stadiums and low TV ratings rather than change. But one of these days literally 0 people will show up to a Miami Marlins game and they'll have to eventually address the games flaws. Or they can just fade quietly away as they've been doing for the last 20 years. Their choice.

Yeah it can. That's the heart and soul of baseball. Furthermore, 95 mph fastballs, breaking balls, and sliders are "great athletic feats," which happen anywhere from 10 to 30 times an inning, but sadly ESPN has convinced your plebeian brain that "athletic" feats only come in the form of jumping real high and running real fast.

[Phillip]

Pitchers batting adds challenge to the game and forces managers to strategize around that instead of being glorified cheerleaders like they are in the AL, tbh.....

I don't disagree. But I would rather my pitchers focus entirely on pitching.

[Phillip]

Yeah it can. That's the heart and soul of baseball. Furthermore, 95 mph fastballs, breaking balls, and sliders are "great athletic feats," which happen anywhere from 10 to 30 times an inning, but sadly ESPN has convinced your plebeian brain that "athletic" feats only come in the form of jumping real high and running real fast.

This. People who appreciate the game, knows just how amazing some of the stuff pitchers do, and how difficult it is for hitters to try to figure and predict pitchers.

[JMarkJohns]

Hate the DH. Get rid of it. This will speed up the game some.

Replay needed on all scoring plays (HR and Safe/Out at home, only), but not other safe/out, fair/foul, ball/strike, and is determined by a replay ump independant of the game. Coach comes out to challenge, and the call goes up stairs for quicker review.

The rest is just fine.

I'm cool with random strike zones, ump errors, 162 3+ hour games.

I do think every team should have a minimum of 40 weekday home games a season (mostly during summer months), and at least one double-header a month. Love these.

[symple19]

Basically what CN said. Eliminate the DH and bring in some type of salary cap.

[BUMP]

Replay needed on all scoring plays (HR and Safe/Out at home, only), but not other safe/out, fair/foul, ball/strike, and is determined by a replay ump independant of the game. Coach comes out to challenge, and the call goes up stairs for quicker review.


Agree with this.

I don't care about whether or not the DH/pitcher hits but it should be the same in both leagues. The fact that it's the 21st century and certain teams play by different rules than others seems pretty retarded.

[Phillip]

Agree with this.

I don't care about whether or not the DH/pitcher hits but it should be the same in both leagues. The fact that it's the 21st century and certain teams play by different rules than others seems pretty retarded.

agreed

until then, stoops needs to get dooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwn

[Bill_Brasky]

Never got people who think baseball is easy or boring. I agree that not every game is exciting, but damn there is so much athleticism involved with playing.

That throw from third to first is hard as shit, plus on some grounders the infielder will make an off target throw and most of the time the first baseman will stretch out and make the catch like it's nothing. They make all that shit look so routine when really it's incredibly difficult.

Plus you have outfielders making crazy catches and cutoff throws, all these guys have laser arms. And have you ever tried to hit a 95 mph fastball? It's almost impossible for most.

[TIMMYtoZO]

I do think they need to get rid of the All Star game World Series rule where the winner automatically has homefield in the Fall Classic. The best win/loss record should ALWAYS determine that.

[BUMP]

I do think they need to get rid of the All Star game World Series rule where the winner automatically has homefield in the Fall Classic. The best win/loss record should ALWAYS determine that.

:lol yeah I like how Bud Selig implemented that after the Tie in 2002 as if it would magically solve the 'running out of pitchers' predicament

[JMarkJohns]

The WS home field rule is dumb. That can go.

I don't like the DH. Never have. Learn defense or punch hit as a bench player.

[Clipper Nation]

I don't disagree. But I would rather my pitchers focus entirely on pitching.
How are NL pitchers any less focused on pitching than their AL counterparts?

Kershaw, Harvey, Cain, Gonzalez, etc. are pretty damn good despite having to suffer the "distraction" of swinging a bat, tbh....

And considering run support is a huge factor in successful pitching, pitchers should want to get good at hitting in order to help themselves out, tbh....

[Phillip]

I don't like the DH. Never have. Learn defense or punch hit as a bench player.

I don't get why people keep saying this.

Is the point of the DH to allow crappy defenders to play, or to have pitchers simply stick to pitching? I am under the impression that it is the latter...


How are NL pitchers any less focused on pitching than their AL counterparts?

Kershaw, Harvey, Cain, Gonzalez, etc. are pretty damn good despite having to suffer the "distraction" of swinging a bat, tbh....

And considering run support is a huge factor in successful pitching, pitchers should want to get good at hitting in order to help themselves out, tbh....

NL pitching will always look better too, since most starting pitchers in the NL face an extra 50-100 "easy outs" a season, that AL pitchers don't have the luxury of facing. Pitching in the AL presents its own set of challenges too.

[JMarkJohns]

Pitchers should have to hit for beanball retribution.

[Clipper Nation]

NL pitching will always look better too, since most starting pitchers in the NL face an extra 50-100 "easy outs" a season, that AL pitchers don't have the luxury of facing. Pitching in the AL presents its own set of challenges too.
But on the flipside, AL offenses are inflated by their ability to play an extra player who can't field at all but can get runs on the board....

I would also argue that the "easy outs" provided by NL pitchers batting is cancelled out by the lesser amount of run support caused by not having a DH, tbh...

[Reck]

Looks like the OP got bukakked on his own thread.

Serves the noob right.

[baseline bum]

Pitchers should have to hit for beanball retribution.

Yeah, that's my main complaint with the DH. If you're going to come inside on batters you gotta be able to take the heat yourself too.

[lefty]

ESPN is young and hip ?


Anyway, I agree, the games and regular seasons are wayyyyyyyyyyyy too long

[TheyCallMePro]

[QUOTE=lefty;6614921]ESPN is young and hip ?

Well everyone watches ESPN. Most of their audience consists of younger people who like to watch sportscenter and highlights. Fox doesn't have that.

[Clipper Nation]

People watch ESPN, but I wouldn't say it's "young and hip," tbh.... they only get high viewership because they have a monopoly on almost every sport, tbh.....

[Reck]

People watch ESPN, but I wouldn't say it's "young and hip," tbh.... they only get high viewership because they have a monopoly on almost every sport, tbh.....

Exactly. What else are you going to watch when ESPN is the only full time sporrts network?

That is why Fox Sports 1 will be a breath of fresh air. At least for the first few years.

[J.T.]

OP clearly doesn't understand baseball strategy, that's why he thinks it's boring. Also watches too much ESPN.

[Blizzardwizard]

I don't agree with the length of the season, and the long-ass adverts between every half inning. But you can't change Baseball. It's god damn baseball not some flashy superstar "cool" sport like Basketball or American Football where you can just make changes without hesitation.

I wish the season was shorter simply because it'd spare me the embarrassment of watching the White Sox for much longer. :lol

[irishock]

I'm in favor of trimming the season, tho.

Who the fuck wants to watch 18 games a year against the Indians, the Royals, the WSox and the Twins?

[Fabbs]

3 balls and 3 strikes would be a start.
Used to be 9 balls 3 strikes is what i was told.

Great Great Grandpa Simpson just picked 4 balls to make a walk out of the air.

[Clipper Nation]

I'm in favor of trimming the season, tho.

Who the fuck wants to watch 18 games a year against the Indians, the Royals, the WSox and the Twins?

I can see why a fan of a team whose divisional record is only 10-7 against those mediocre teams right now would want less divisional games :downspin:

[Reck]

I can see why a fan of a team whose divisional record is only 10-7 against those mediocre teams right now would want less divisional games :downspin:

Seem as how they make it a habit of giving up leads in the standing I see where he's coming from. lol

:cry I wish 2011 had a shorter season so my Sox wouldn't owned one of the biggest colapses in the sport. :cry

[FkLA]

Never got people who think baseball is easy or boring. I agree that not every game is exciting, but damn there is so much athleticism involved with playing.

That throw from third to first is hard as shit, plus on some grounders the infielder will make an off target throw and most of the time the first baseman will stretch out and make the catch like it's nothing. They make all that shit look so routine when really it's incredibly difficult.

Plus you have outfielders making crazy catches and cutoff throws, all these guys have laser arms. And have you ever tried to hit a 95 mph fastball? It's almost impossible for most.

Stretching out to make a catch on 1st or making a throw from 3rd to 1st is some incredibly difficult. amazing athletic feat? You dont have to even be a professional to be able to stretch out or make any infield throw. :lol

Hitting isnt easy though. Thats one thing I do have respect for, I cant hit anything past like 50 mph...I can hardly even see 90 mph.

[FkLA]

Baseball is too damn long btw. Its nice to watch your team play every single day for weeks/months at a time if youre a diehard, but games also lose significance imo. The homestretch where teams are battling for playoff positioning and the actual postseason are fine...game 20 of 162 or 50 of 162 I dont really give a fuck about tbh.

[LnGrrrR]

Look I'm not a fan of TheyCallMePro---I think he's a very slow, very boring poster with little entertainment value, but I just can't help but notice that I'm far from being in the minority here. I think it's obvious that if TheyCallMePro ever wants to become popular again, then he's going to have to make MAJOR changes, and since I've seen the issue raised recently on SpursTalk and other boards, I was just going to propose my own solutions, and see if yall agree with them.

1) For the love of God make him go away faster. I don't care if you have to cut his posting limit. Not even Spurstalk purists want to watch 3 long posts. Casual fans will certainly never get involved with the board if the posts continue to be this long. If you're trying to attract new demographics, then the length of the posts by TheyCallMePro is by the far the biggest issue.

2) Shorten the thread. 162 posts is wayyyyyy too long. It serves to almost completely devalue the regular board and with so many posts there's no lasting sense of good feeling associated with the teams. TheyCallMePro posts too much and the losses pile up. If you have 80 posts, and a 60-20 post win count, then there's a real sense of accomplishment from the fan base. But when you post 162....and your post win count goes 100-62.....ehh not so much.

3) Fundamentally change the game. Yeah, this one will probably never happen, but you can't just have 9 guys just standing out there reading TheyCallMePro's post for 3 1/2 hours not even moving. We read the board to see interesting takes. Not TheyCallMePro scratch his ass for 3 hours. Somehow his thread has got to make their posts more entertaining. It can't just be TheyCallMePro and the good posters dueling it out 95% of the time during the game. Maybe have the other posters on the board trying to disrupt TheyCallMePro from posting bullshit? I don't know. They have to do something.

4) Get on an alias!!!!!!!!! Nobody reads TheyCallMePro. He is boring. An alias is young and hip. Young people read alias. Old people read TheyCallMePro. I know aliases have a Wednesday night troll game, and a Sunday night troll game, but that's nothing. Hell, BUMP has 16 troll games on NBA boards alone every Saturday during the season. Even if an alias posts half of what TheyCallMePro or other GNSFs post that nobody reads---take it! Popularity is everything. The e-cred will come later.

I know, I know. TheyCallMePro is never going to change his game. He'd rather suffer the embarrassment of empty threads and low viewcounts rather than change. But one of these days literally 0 people will show up to read a TheyCallMePro threads and he'll have to eventually address his posting flaws. Or he can just fade quietly away as he's been doing for the last 20 posts. His choice.

[LnGrrrR]

Oh, and as a Red Sox fan I'm highly opposed to getting rid of the DH... at least until Big Papi retires. :D

[Phillip]

I would also argue that the "easy outs" provided by NL pitchers batting is cancelled out by the lesser amount of run support caused by not having a DH, tbh...

Regardless, both sides have advantages and disadvantages that balance out... except when playing each other in interleague/WS games, where the NL have a massive advantage, which is crap.

[Phillip]

Baseball is too damn long btw. Its nice to watch your team play every single day for weeks/months at a time if youre a diehard, but games also lose significance imo. The homestretch where teams are battling for playoff positioning and the actual postseason are fine...game 20 of 162 or 50 of 162 I dont really give a fuck about tbh.

Games 20 of 162 and 50 of 162 are incredibly significant. It's the main reason the Angels keep missing the playoffs, because of their ridiculously slow starts, while fast starts by the Rangers have gotten them into the playoffs the last 2 seasons, one of them resulting in a World Series appearance.

[Bill_Brasky]

Stretching out to make a catch on 1st or making a throw from 3rd to 1st is some incredibly difficult. amazing athletic feat? You dont have to even be a professional to be able to stretch out or make any infield throw.

Yeah that throw is around 125 ft and needs to be thrown not only with the proper velocity to beat the runner but also on target to where the first baseman doesn't take his foot off the base to make the catch and it's way harder than it seems.

And yeah, the first baseman will make quite a few impressive stretch catches throughout the course of the game. It's not easy at all and if anyone could do it then they wouldn't get paid zillions of dollars.

[Phillip]

Stretching out to make a catch on 1st or making a throw from 3rd to 1st is some incredibly difficult. amazing athletic feat? You dont have to even be a professional to be able to stretch out or make any infield throw. :lol


You clearly have no clue what you are talking about :lmao :lmao :lmao :lmao :lmao

[DeadlyDynasty]

Baseball is fine.

The Marlins ownership needs to change though

[FkLA]

Games 20 of 162 and 50 of 162 are incredibly significant. It's the main reason the Angels keep missing the playoffs, because of their ridiculously slow starts, while fast starts by the Rangers have gotten them into the playoffs the last 2 seasons, one of them resulting in a World Series appearance.

Theyre not incredibly significant. Theres 160 games other than those two.


You clearly have no clue what you are talking about :lmao :lmao :lmao :lmao :lmao

You cant make an infield throw or stretch to make a catch ?


Yeah that throw is around 125 ft and needs to be thrown not only with the proper velocity to beat the runner but also on target to where the first baseman doesn't take his foot off the base to make the catch and it's way harder than it seems.

And yeah, the first baseman will make quite a few impressive stretch catches throughout the course of the game. It's not easy at all and if anyone could do it then they wouldn't get paid zillions of dollars.

:lol proper velocity and on target

I can make that throw and I am nowhere near a professional baseball player. Making that throw, stretching out at 1st, avoiding guy sliding trying to break up the double play at 2nd, all that shit is elementary tbh. There are certain things in baseball that are pretty incredible athletic feat but those arent imo and I dont think its even arguable that its the least athletic of the five major sports.

[JMarkJohns]

If you could do it at the same level, you would be.

You might be able to scoop a batting practice grounder and throw a 25-mph lob to 1B (or catch a 25-mph lob while at first), but you aren't doing anything close to a routine MLB defensive play.

[Reck]

If you could do it at the same level, you would be.

You might be able to scoop a batting practice grounder and throw a 25-mph lob to 1B (or catch a 25-mph lob while at first), but you aren't doing anything close to a routine MLB defensive play.

Yep, pretty much.

You could maybe do it once or twice but not at the level or consistency of what these guys do it every game.

My guess is after a couple of throws you'd want to quit doing it if you're not up to par.

[JMarkJohns]

I attempted to play 1B in high school in a position change (outfielder, typically left) and couldn't get used to it. Both the velocity and accuracy were all over the place. The hand-eye coordination to effectively scoop and pick out of the dirt low throws while making sure no stretch left me too awkward or exposed to incoming runner, I just didn't like it, and I'd been playing baseball for almost a decade at that point.

Game action, even at the 4/5A high school level, moves 5Xs faster than practice.

Can't even fathom doing what an MLB 1B is like.

And short and third are ridiculously more difficult than 1st.

[TheMACHINE]

Wanna make it fun...shorten all the base paths by like 4 feet.

[Bill_Brasky]

Theyre not incredibly significant. Theres 160 games other than those two.



You cant make an infield throw or stretch to make a catch ?



:lol proper velocity and on target

I can make that throw and I am nowhere near a professional baseball player. Making that throw, stretching out at 1st, avoiding guy sliding trying to break up the double play at 2nd, all that shit is elementary tbh. There are certain things in baseball that are pretty incredible athletic feat but those arent imo and I dont think its even arguable that its the least athletic of the five major sports.
No, you can't, because if you could you would be making tens of millions of dollars to play a children's game.

[Phillip]

Theyre not incredibly significant. Theres 160 games other than those two.

If you miss the playoffs by 1 game, and in the first game of the season you have an 8 run lead in the 9th, and somehow blew it and lost the game, then I'm pretty sure the team will be looking immediately to how they let that game get away from them. Every game matters.




You cant make an infield throw or stretch to make a catch ?



:lol proper velocity and on target

I can make that throw and I am nowhere near a professional baseball player. Making that throw, stretching out at 1st, avoiding guy sliding trying to break up the double play at 2nd, all that shit is elementary tbh. There are certain things in baseball that are pretty incredible athletic feat but those arent imo and I dont think its even arguable that its the least athletic of the five major sports.

:rollin :rollin :rollin :rollin :rollin

[lefty]

:lol another doping scandal
:lol baseball
:lol need steroids for hitting a ball and running a few bases twice in a game
:lol "sport"

[The Reckoning]

cut it down to 7 innings and play less games in a season. baseball games are so damn long that we'd tailgate in the arlington parking lot until the 5th inning, grab food and more beer, take a piss, get to our nosebleed seats and still leave before the 9th because the girls were too hammered by that time :lol.

DH rule should be out. pitchers need to start hitting again.

[JMarkJohns]

You can't fundamentally change the game. It should still be three outs, three strikes, four balls, nine innings.

You can speed up the game with little things, like making easy outs by getting rid of DH.

[Reck]

Or you can tell certain pitchers to stop taking 30 seconds breaks in between pitches.

Yes, Beckett, Looking at you.

The DH is unique to the American League as the Pitcher hitting is unique to the National League.

IMO, they should do something about not making the Pitcher hit and be an automatic out before they do something about the DH.

[JMarkJohns]

Not sure how a pitcher can be singled out for between-pitch delays when players like Garciaparra were notorious for their delay tactics. New Diamondbacks SS Didi Gregorious takes like two timeouts an at bat.

[Reck]

Not sure how a pitcher can be singled out for between-pitch delays when players like Garciaparra were notorious for their delay tactics. New Diamondbacks SS Didi Gregorious takes like two timeouts an at bat.

Between the pitchers and all of the players stepping out of the box every few at bats adds up.

Eliminate that and they'll probably save like 20-25 minutes or more per game.

Sometimes the batter would step out 2 or 3 times and the pitcher would also reset and do his little ritual or whatever. Before you know a good minute and change goes by and not one picth has been thrown. :lol

I think overall if you limit 1 timeout per at bat the game will go that much faster without alteraring any major rules.

[JMarkJohns]

But who is penalized? How can it be enforced? It's not like a shot clock or game clock.

[Reck]

But who is penalized? How can it be enforced? It's not like a shot clock or game clock.

One simple way to do it is have the pitcher make his throw once the batter take his batting stance. If the batter happens to call timeout once the pitcher is already in his throwing form, that's a strike no matter.

Guys make it a habit of calling ill fated timeouts when the pitcher is already throwing the ball. That only ends up hurting the Picther and also delays the game.

Often the umps grant the batters too many timeouts too.

[JMarkJohns]

You could have a 15 second batter clock and 20 second pitchers clock, the penalty being a strike or ball respectively after a one-time player warning.

[TheyCallMePro]

Wanna make it fun...shorten all the base paths by like 4 feet.

Now there's an idea. Except it would make the games longer because more hitters would make it on base.

And by God if that isn't the last thing baseball needs. Still, between the length of the game and the excitement of the game...at least you're making one of them better.

[snicker licker]

football only has 11 minutes of actual action.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704281204575002852055561406.html

baseball has 18 minutes
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323740804578597932341903720.html

[irishock]

Actual action is overrated tbh