Well, I guess I was wrong about the ejections - guys appear to be following the rules which surprises me a bit. Agree with Kasi though, it seems to be having an immediate effect.
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Much like a sports ticker, you may feel obligated to read this
Yet it’s working, just the threat of this happening dropped spin rates back to 2017 levels and offense immediately rebounded. Do they have room to make the procedure better sure, but getting spin rates back under control is going to lead to more enjoyable baseball.
Curious where you are finding spin rates tracked by game like that. Wonder if it's too soon to make a conclusion (2 games for each team?) but I do hope we are seeing a difference.
Still an issue with hitters and their all or nothing approach at the plate and lack of attention to baserunning.
But agree with you that anything that gets more balls in play is helpful.
Spin rates may be down a bit, which is great, but keeping them down is a different story.
It's like trying to clamp down on interference in hockey - you can start calling stuff tighter and it will reduce things for a while, but then it slowly creeps back to where it was.
Tighter strike zones sounds like a good idea - more offense - but I think in reality, it would be a terrible idea.
A smaller strike zone means more balls, more walks, starters not lasting as long, more bullpen pitchers, and more time waiting for pitching changes.
In other words, a game that already goes north of 3 hours most days, and north of 4 hours fairly often, would actually slow down and play significantly longer.
Tighter strike zones sounds like a good idea - more offense - but I think in reality, it would be a terrible idea.
A smaller strike zone means more balls, more walks, starters not lasting as long, more bullpen pitchers, and more time waiting for pitching changes.
In other words, a game that already goes north of 3 hours most days, and north of 4 hours fairly often, would actually slow down and play significantly longer.
No thank you.
I think the biggest thing isn't to squeeze the strike zone, it is to standardize by introducing robo-umps that only ever call strikes that catch any part of the plate from right at the base of the kneecap to right below the chest. Have your sensors in place and have a consistent strike zone every game for every player.
I don't know what it is but the umpires have been atrocious this year when calling strikes and balls.
I think the biggest thing isn't to squeeze the strike zone, it is to standardize by introducing robo-umps that only ever call strikes that catch any part of the plate from right at the base of the kneecap to right below the chest. Have your sensors in place and have a consistent strike zone every game for every player.
I don't know what it is but the umpires have been atrocious this year when calling strikes and balls.
Yes, I am fine with robo umps (though I am not holding my breath), I was referring specifically to smaller strike zones, which are generating a lot of interest and often go hand in hand with robo umps.
Curious where you are finding spin rates tracked by game like that. Wonder if it's too soon to make a conclusion (2 games for each team?) but I do hope we are seeing a difference.
Still an issue with hitters and their all or nothing approach at the plate and lack of attention to baserunning.
But agree with you that anything that gets more balls in play is helpful.
Lots of interesting stuff in there but main thing was tracking of spin/velocity ratios. I can post the chart they had but basically last three weeks before that article spin rates dramatically dropped starting from all time highs to thre most recent week being below 2015 levels.
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Tighter strike zones sounds like a good idea - more offense - but I think in reality, it would be a terrible idea.
A smaller strike zone means more balls, more walks, starters not lasting as long, more bullpen pitchers, and more time waiting for pitching changes.
In other words, a game that already goes north of 3 hours most days, and north of 4 hours fairly often, would actually slow down and play significantly longer.
No thank you.
I personally don't believe a tighter strike zone necessarily means more walks. Pitchers will find the strike zone, with hopefully less spin and velocity and we will ultimately see more contact.
It's the K that is burying the game right now, not walks. So I'm interested in seeing the effects of a tighter strike zone before writing it off.
Words can’t describe how ####ty I feel for Mike Soroka. I hope he’s getting the right treatment for the mental anguish he must be facing right now. He’s too young to have to worry about a potential career ending injury.
Words can’t describe how ####ty I feel for Mike Soroka. I hope he’s getting the right treatment for the mental anguish he must be facing right now. He’s too young to have to worry about a potential career ending injury.
Just horrible luck for a young guy with the brightest of futures. I really hope surgery goes well and we can see him on the bump again. One of Calgary's brightest athletes that's for sure.
Horrible news for Soroka but hopefully he can come back next year. I've never heard of an achilles injury (or any lower body injury) be career ending for a pitcher, so hopefully he'll be able to have a long career with less miles on his arm as he gets older.
I read he re-injured it walking to the clubhouse -- that must be such a sickening feeling.
Hector Santiago is the first player to be ejected for violating MLB’s new foreign-substance policy.
Santiago said he wasn't using anything sticky when his glove was confiscated and he was ejected. He said it was a combination of rosin and sweat. He has not been told whether he will be suspended or not.
