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2021 Around MLB: Return of the Dead Ball Era

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Then why do so many players pull the ball even in the minors? I know I am probably going a bit overboard in a sense, but it does feel like the bat to ball skills aren't as great as they used to be as a whole...
Let's see if we can get a better understanding. They pull the ball because pitchers are pounding them inside. At the same time analytics suggest that placing everyone on the right side of the diamond against a LHH while pitching them inside is effective at reducing hits. This isn't theory Coach. It's data driven results. In response to this, the data suggests that the best way to beat this strategy is to get the ball in the air. I'm not arguing with you here, you're arguing with the analytics. I'd rather see good hitters rewarded more. The way MLB is being played right now is not good for the type of hitters you appreciate other than the absolute elite.
Nonsense. In one paragraph you talk about players and their physicality being better than ever before, but now the skills aren't "common place." The skills are not commonplace because they are not valued. You want to beat shifts, you work at it. You don't, then you won't. It's up to players and organizations to beat shifts, not changing the rules to enforce something people refuse to do.

If there's a new inefficiency that shifting has created, good organizations will exploit it.
Well, you're entitled to your opinion, but it has no factual basis and I think that in an era when analytics are used more than ever your "old school" ideology would be used if it worked. It doesn't and therefore we have the current means of baseball strategy. What you are right about is that it's up to players and organizations to beat the shifts, and guess what, the data tells them that the current approach is the most beneficial. Good organizations do exploit it with guys that hit a lot of homeruns, walk a good amount, and don't concern themselves with K's. What are the chances that all of professional baseball just doesn't have a grasp on things like you do. They just don't realize yet that in order to beat the shift you have to "work at it".
 
Let's see if we can get a better understanding. They pull the ball because pitchers are pounding them inside.
Wrong. That's absolutely wrong. They pitch players AWAY from their power, not inside. They can throw the ball away because they KNOW with 100% certainty they aren't going to go with the pitch, that they are going to pull the outside pitch and often hit weak grounders right into the shift. They can leave the opposite field with one fielder because they know hitters will continue to swing from the heels, which is fine for players who can access their power, but when you see Chang and Bauers and other mediocritries go pull, pull, pull, please, don't lecture to me about the "realities" of the modern game. That's just sucking as a hitter, refusing to take what defenses give you. It's not like you have to put the ball in a corner pocket, for god's sake. Big strong guys like Cruz and Abreu shorten their swings all the damn time and take what's given them. It's why they are good, productive hitters, not just because they are gifted, but because they are SMART. Even the dumbest guy can hit to the opposite field, trust me, if they were PREPARED to go with the pitch. But nooooo, they load up, start their swing early so they can access your precious power instead of staying back so they can take offspeed pitches and breaking balls the other way. But go ahead, tell me again how shifts are killing the sport. Stupidity is killing YOUR sport. Me, I just laugh at players too dumb to adjust to MY sport.
 
Clearly Jose needs to be traded soon since if he was a good hitter he wouldn't keep hitting the ball to the 2B playing in short RF.
 
Bauer and Tatis are good for the game.

Was at the game last night, Bauer and the Padres had way to much fun.

He, Machado, Hosmer and Tatis were just outstanding from an entertainment value - K's, Bloops and Blasts - all must see TV. In the end I think everyone won. Dodgers got the victory they needed. Bauer got the win so he can still hang that over the Padres heads. Tatis and Hosmer got to poke fun at Bauer which was just hilarious. And Machado "got had" for a F...ing change by Bauer after owning him for forever. And the reporters got great footage to report on.

Can't wait for Bauer to start roasting Tatis, for looking back at the catcher to see the signs, before the second HR that he hit, a slider about nine inches off the plate. Just more social media fun leading up to the next installment of Padre/Dodgers. Bauer is definitely good for the game.

 
Was at the game last night, Bauer and the Padres had way to much fun.

He, Machado, Hosmer and Tatis were just outstanding from an entertainment value - K's, Bloops and Blasts - all must see TV. In the end I think everyone won. Dodgers got the victory they needed. Bauer got the win so he can still hang that over the Padres heads. Tatis and Hosmer got to poke fun at Bauer which was just hilarious. And Machado "got had" for a F...ing change by Bauer after owning him for forever. And the reporters got great footage to report on.

Can't wait for Bauer to start roasting Tatis, for looking back at the catcher to see the signs, before the second HR that he hit, a slider about nine inches off the plate. Just more social media fun leading up to the next installment of Padre/Dodgers. Bauer is definitely good for the game.


I dont know allot about the traditions, i do think setting up cameras and things to steal signs is cheating, but if a batter can steal a sign by sneaking a peak or looking back? Then more power too that batter, its the reason you have signs instead of yelling what to pitch, i think that is part of the game personally.
 
pads/dodgers this weekend has been great - tonight pads have tied in 9th after trailing 7-1
 
Wow Braves swept by Dbacks in DH shutout in both games with 1 hit total
 
So MLB schedules second games of double headers for 7 inning contests and Mad
Bums' complete game in not a no-hitter?

Asinine.
 
KC Royals win another game by one run. Twice in late innings the Tigers had a runner on 3rd with no one out and didn't score. Once Badoo hit a ball off the top of the fence that miraculously bounced back in to the field of play and instead of a homer it was a leadoff triple. He didn't score. The Royals are having insane luck and haven't lost a one-run game this year.

On the Lindor front, he's having the worst April of his career, and he's had some poor Aprils. His barrel percentage is a career worst 1.8%, which helps explain his poor BABIP. His ground ball rate is up and his launch angle is down nearly 5% from his lousy 2019. All bad news for those rooting for Lindor to win the "challenge," although Amed is stinking up the joint and Andres is not taking advantage of his playing opportunity to solidify his advantage.

Updated:

Lindor bWAR: 0.1

Gimenez 0.4 + Rosario -0.2 = 0.2
 
So MLB schedules second games of double headers for 7 inning contests and Mad
Bums' complete game in not a no-hitter?

Asinine.
Less asinine than split admission 7-inning doubleheaders if you ask me. But yeah, this is all just so stupid.
 
So MLB schedules second games of double headers for 7 inning contests and Mad
Bums' complete game in not a no-hitter?

Asinine.
MLB schedules both games of double headers as 7 inning games, dont they? the only difference in the two braves/dbacks games is that the braves got a hit in the first game
 
MLB schedules both games of double headers as 7 inning games, dont they? the only difference in the two braves/dbacks games is that the braves got a hit in the first game
You are right on both games being 7 innings.

MLB runs with the ease of the pre-oiled Tin Man.
 
MLB schedules both games of double headers as 7 inning games, dont they? the only difference in the two braves/dbacks games is that the braves got a hit in the first game
No, I'm talking about split admission doubleheaders, the kind that aren't played back to back, where patrons have to leave and pay again to come in to see a seven inning game. I think the rationale of the back to back seven inning doubleheader has already worn off, but hey, at least they aren't charging separate admissions for two so-called complete games...unless one is a no-hitter, of course. Then the game is "not worthy", evidently.
 

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