My thoughts on the new MLB rules:
- Outlawing defensive shifts: dumb as fuck. If they want to put 7 guys in left field, let them. Maybe - just maybe - hitters should learn to hit the ball to both sides of the field.
- Increasing the size of the bases: idiotic. A couple guys got hurt during collisions, and we can't have that, so let's eschew 100+ years of tradition.
- Pitch clock: YES! And even better, the batter can no longer step out of the box and adjust every piece of equipment between every pitch. Make sure you got that velcro secure, right buddy? Might have loosened up since the last pitch. They got this one right.
Get off my lawn!
> A Professional Baseball Player should not make it to the Majors w/o knowing how to hit to both sides...let the other team shift however many players they want...make them PAY for it.
>Leave the bases alone...teach the players how to run them and slide into them.
>Pitch Clock...makes sense...let's not have "Quick Pitching" either.
Add one more...bring on the computerized strike zone.
btw, don't want to go anywhere near your lawn ;-).
Although I don’t care at all about the base size. I heard an in-depth, way-too-long discussion about how it will help cut down on injuries and increase stolen bases.
But I like the strategy that comes with the shifts. Some guys are now beginning to figure out how to hit the opposite way…Jeff McNeil is the best example. He has a higher batting avg vs the shift.
The real thing they ought to get rid of is putting a guy on second in the tenth. That screws with the integrity of the game.
They slow the hell out of the game and make it unwatchable at time. Add to that countless pitching changes. Millions of dollars paid to a guy to pitch to one maybe 2 batters. Starters going 5-6 innings and then the parade starts.
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It's like outlawing the blitz. The defense is giving you something wide open to take advantage of. If you can't do so because you only swing for maximum exit velocity, that's your problem.
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I think most batters from before 2010 or so back wouldn't have minded.
Letting them just rip it and tinkering with the swing to get them to go oppo. Kept me up some nights after tourneys.