MLB could raise the strike zone, change intentional walks for 2017 season

[Chris]

http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/strike-zone-change-intentional-walks-batter-knee-competition-committee-rob-manfred-052116

According to an ESPN report, the MLB's competition committee has approved a motion that would raise the strike zone to the top of the hitter's knees (from its current position at "the hollow beneath the kneecap").

In addition, the committee voted to do away with the need for teams to throw four balls when it wants to intentionally walk a batter. Instead, the batter would simply be awarded first base.

[Pelicans78]

This is only gonna reward big market/high spending teams in long-run.

[lefty20]

Don't really like the strike zone change. But the change in intentional walks is about 5 decades late.

[Pelicans78]

Don't really like the strike zone change. But the change in intentional walks is about 5 decades late.

yeah I like the automatic intentional walk. Don't care for the strike zone change.

[Chawaman]

I'm against the intentional walk, especially during the playoffs when the pressure is on. Makes a great game when runners on 2nd and 3rd and you have the pitcher throw a pitch too high. Glad about the strike zone change though.

[MultiTroll]

Don't really like the strike zone change. But the change in intentional walks is about 5 decades late.
+1.

Not sure if you are aware of this, but initial *MLB* was 9 balls and 3 strikes. The games were too long even for boring drunk beisball phan, so they came up with 4 balls.

Now why the hell not make it 3 and 3?
Can you imagine how much more action / how much quicker games would be? Significant in a lot of games. Certainly a lot of pitches as now so many are just waste pitches. Same with the unlimited number of throws over to 1st to hold the runner on. GUAFB.

Simpsons episode where Homer gave up beer for a while. At baseball game. "I had no idea how boring this was."

[ducks]

Need fox tract to call strikes

[midnightpulp]

This is only gonna reward big market/high spending teams in long-run.

A smaller strike zone would turn your team into a cheat code :lol

I'm in favor of it, though, since pitching has become stupidly dominant, and I say this as a Dodger fan, whose historical philosophy is to have the strongest pitching.

[Thread]

Need fox tract to call strikes

Absolutely.