2021 MLB Season Thread

[mrkajz44]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

So PETA wants to change the name "bullpen" because it is insensitive to cows. And normally you'd roll you eyes at PETA, but in a textbook "Even a broken clock", their alternative name is actually.....great?

Tweet

Imagine a life where you wake and decide that the term bullpen is a problem in society. I honestly had not even made that sort of connection until they pointed it out (Streisand effect!)

I'm down with arm barn though.

[bluejays]

Arm barn sounds alright. Pretty good for an organization that goes about rogue ways to prove a point as they came up with a productive alternative.

[Strange Brew]

Read an article on espn+ that talks about the end of the "opener" and how MLB is considering rules to extend the use of starters, including reducing the number of pitchers a team can carry on their roster. This potential rule was also floated:

"The designated hitter rule -- generally expected to extend to the National League next year -- could be tied to the use of starting pitchers. Each team would start a DH in every game, but would lose the DH with the removal of the starting pitcher. This would incentivize managers to keep the starting pitcher in the game as long as possible. (And yes, would help all batters, because starting pitchers -- working deeper into games, out of necessity -- would be more vulnerable late.)"

This seems like a bad idea. Yes I want shorter games. But if your starter is struggling and you pull him, you also lose a bat in your lineup? Comebacks are fun and that just makes it harder.

[Roof-Daddy]

Good grief.

So what happens if your starter is getting shelled? Have to leave him in and bury your team until he's pitched so many innings? And then you lose your DH?

Lol

Some really stupid ideas being floated around. Wow

[Senator Clay Davis]

Considering how bad the ratings are for this World Series it's gonna be interesting to see how far they go with gimmicks to try and pump up the ratings.

[bluejays]

I like the idea of shortening the pitching roster size, as you do want to see teams not changing pitchers every two seconds. Not sure how I feel about the DH pulled when the starter is pulled. Seems the "haves" with crazy money would load up even more on their starting five. I'm sure it's all talk if it has to go through the PA, considering there has to be a give and take when it comes increasing or decreasing the amount of players employed.

[mrkajz44]

The obvious and easy solution is the pitch clock. I was reading an article about all sorts of wild things they were trying: https://www.theringer.com/mlb/2021/1...ague-robo-umps

At this point, only seven—yes, seven—of the 1,508 players who appeared in the majors last year have had no exposure to the pitch clock in an affiliated, domestic league: Kyle Cody, Kris Bubic, Garrett Crochet, the Astros’ Luis Garcia, Shohei Ohtani, Andrew Vaughn, and Ha-Seong Kim. Exclude 2019 MLB spring training, and the count climbs to 37. Exclude that spring training and set a minimum of more than five pitching appearances or 15 non-pitching appearances—which rules out some veterans who had brief rehab assignments or assorted other stints in a pitch-clock-equipped league—and the tally tops out at 184, or only 12.2 percent of 2021 major leaguers.

Pretty much everyone who is playing in the MLB today has some exposure to a pitch clock with the vast majority having regular exposure. Just put in already and stop with more gimmickier ideas. It should satisfy everyone - the casual fan gets quicker games with more ball in play and the more experienced fan is satisfied that the rules are not changing so much to ruin the "tradition" of the game.

[KootenayFlamesFan]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1453901408453922822

[GirlySports]

Not sure about pitch clocks. If the pitcher is in a hurry he'll just lose control. You'd get more walks and the game would be longer anyways.

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Not sure about pitch clocks. If the pitcher is in a hurry he'll just lose control. You'd get more walks and the game would be longer anyways.

Pitchers would adjust, and the ones that can't will be out of MLB. And it'll be better than watching guys like Dolis take eons between pitches which is frustrating as hell to sit through.

[troutman]

How about hitters can't re-adjust their batting gloves after every pitch?

And NBA - no need for players to fist bump after every free throw.

[flamingred89]

Pitch clocks, abolish crazy defensive shifts, penalize teams for looking at their cheatsheets(learn the plays! If football players can do it so can baseball), limit the amount of switches/double switches a team can do in 9 innings. It's really not rocket science and a lot of it has to do with reversing the damage Joe Madden and his coaching tree have done.

[Da_Chief]

If you have pitcher clock you have to have a batter clock too.
If pitcher doesn't pitch in given time, ball is called.
If hitter isn't ready to hit in given time, strike is called.

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by Da_Chief

If you have pitcher clock you have to have a batter clock too.
If pitcher doesn't pitch in given time, ball is called.
If hitter isn't ready to hit in given time, strike is called.

I'm pretty sure the clock would be one in the same. It's a pitch clock. If the pitch isn't delivered by the time it runs out then whoever is the cause of that, pitcher or batter, will be penalized accordingly.

[GirlySports]

Wow cold in Atlanta. 50 degrees and 90% humidity.

[flamingred89]

Yeah I feel like this weather is more akin to Chicago or San Fran. I think it will probably favour the Braves as the fog will interfere with Houston relaying signals and the such...

[GirlySports]

This allergy of pitchers going 3rd time through the order is real.

[Drake]

Taking a pitcher out in the World Series with a no hitter through 5. Have got to be kidding me. Analytics is dumb.

[flames_fan_down_under]

Originally Posted by troutman

How about hitters can't re-adjust their batting gloves after every pitch?

And NBA - no need for players to fist bump after every free throw.

Ya the batter stepping out off the box between every pitch, I am sure you know, used to actually NOT be a thing. Now, every single AB, between every pitch: step out of the box, drop bat between legs, adjust gloves, grab bat, upper body rotation, hold bat vertical in front of their body, deep breath, step back into box. Meanwhile the pitcher, steps off the rubber, gets new ball, rubs the seems, checks back to the 2B for positions, grab rosin bag, rub seems again, and steps back onto the rubber, adjusts hat, leans over for sign. It is insane.

I counted about 45-50 seconds between pitches tonight.

[Drake]

I have zero sympathy for Alex Bregman for taking that off the ankle there...