- Can't wait to see Jeffery Gaines at 'DST on Thursday evening.
_ I was hoping that they signed Gio Gonzalez a few years ago before hw went to the Nats
- I want it to be warmer now - for a guy that always wanted to live in Vermont/New Hampshire/Maine - I am hating on the Cold weather this year , and thinking maybe Kentucky/ Tennessee is more for me.
While this is not a political post, - I will say that things are completely out of control - while the Republicans have been asking for evidence of wrongdoing,,, and now all these check from the POTUS to Pornstars for hush money that were written after he was the President, the GOP chooses to turn away , and continue to defend him.
Now on to the REAL subject fo todays entry - Baseball Rule changes.
I will try to discuss all that I have heard about... Many are PACE OF PLAY issues.
1. The time clock - there is one now that gets Teams on and off the Filed Quicker - want to say its two or three minutes between innings. But the discussion is now around each pitcher. and each pitch - that they deliver it within 20 seconds. As you might expect Relievers are the top of the list as they take the longest in between pitches,, not surprising - they are pithing on critical times of the Games when it could be won or lost based on the next pitch..
2. Minimum batter Rule - When you bring in a pitcher they must pitch to least three batters. No more lefty or Righty specialist throwing to only that one batter. I think here you are significantly changing the game. Pitchers that pitched to night before to 3 batter how many pitches did they throw ? What happens if you every intention of letting them pitch to 3 batters , but one at bat goes consideraly longer he has to throw many more pitches,, (we will get to the foul ball rule in a minute) You want that pitcher to risk an injury because of this ? Are they going to "freeze" the batting order so that when you bring the guy in to pitch to 3 batters it MUST be to the 3 you have in the line up at the time of the pitching change ?? No pinch hitting till after that 3 ? Perhaps they need to adopt a sort of Mercy Rule - that you need to pitch to three batters if your team is ahead by 5 or more runs after 7 innings.... I know it does not solve everything,... but there is nothing Crazier than watching a team / Manager change pitcher after pitcher when they are up or down by 10 runs in the 8th inning.....
3. OK let's talk about the FOUL BALL RULE .....Today working the count, fouling off pitches , is a positive. It extends the pitchers pitch count. It allows the on deck batters to get a look at what "stuff" he is throwing, and increasing the possibility that the pitcher will make a mistake and leave something hittable over the plate. SO the Changes I have heard discussed are simply to limit the foul balls ,,, you get 2 strikes and 3 foul balls ,,, the 4th foul ball is Strike 3 ... now you change that Strike 3 on the 4th foul to whatever you like - foul ball #5, #3 #6,, This rule change is a mess...
WE used to do something similar when we did not have enough guys to have two nine player teams for a sandlot game.... we would use the Defenders in the field - sometimes Just 2 outfields and 2 infielders. the team batting would have to provide their own pitcher, and the Batter had to hit the ball to THEIR side of the field - AKA - right handed batters had to hit it to the LEFT of the Pitchers mound and Lefties had to hit it to the Right side of the mound or you were out....
4. the Batter Keeping one foot in the box, I actually thing they are spose to do this ,, but they don;t and you only see a few umpires try to enforce the rule.. I believe they get a strike called on them for that infraction..... I HAVE seen this called in Little League play.
5. Finally coming up with a standard for Designated hitter or NOT ... IMHO - the difference here is not fair to either the NL or the AL teams..... Every AL team plays an NL team in the National league park many times in a year. And visa-versa.. SO that pitchers that are certainly not used to hitting and running the bases are forced to do just that... Imagine a Defense lineman have to play on the Offense line 3 or 4 game a year - Stupid....and BTW - don;t think this matters as Chin Ming Wong - hurt his leg running the bases - effectively ended his baseball Career. Plus the NL is at a disadvantage - NO way they have a DH on the bench the Caliber of the DH's in the American League. Can't we all just Get along !
6. Positioning players on the Field.. This is the SHIFT rule... SO that you must play two infielders ion each side of Second Base... No more moving the Infielders to the Right or Left side based on if the Batter was a dead pull hitter. You see it today - mostly with Left handed batters - they swing the infield around so that either the Shortstop or 3rd baseman is playing where the 2nd baseman usually is and the 2nd baseman plays short right field - so that when the batter hits a grounder between 1st and 2nd - they get thrown out at First base by that 2nd baseman playin way out in the out field. And the argument is - hey - Just bunt the ball down the 3rd base line and you got it hit. 'Cept many of the players that they shift on Are being paid to hit extra base hits and homeruns,,,, at times the defense would gladly trade a bunt single for a dinger hit into the Bleachers !! I say - let 'em play the players anywhere the want to ..... let the pitcher pitch to the defense alignment, and the shift.
7. The 25 man Roster expansion to 40 on September 1st ,, OK they have to do something about teams keeping the playing in the minors so that they control them for an extra year - before they are free agents. Now - I will give credit to Jim Leland manager of the Pirates at the time - I 100% agree with this simple change. You can have all the players on your 40 man roster in the Dugout,,, essentially on the Team, However , for each game you need to designate the 25 that are eligible to play that day or that Series of games versus the same opponent. Of Course teams will bounce starting pitchers on and off the 25 man roster - But this will Stop the endless pitching changes that they are so so concerned about back in #2......
8. Today I read of Moving the Pitching Mound Back ! Are they insane. Pitchers from high school to college , AAA ,,, AA ,, A Ball,, have been used to 60 feet 6 inches... now what you want them to throw another 2 , 3 ,4 feet,,,, ya right - talk about arm injuries = maybe leave the mound where it is and Make Home plate Wider- make it 19 inches instead of 17. Oh - you want more offense. ?? Make the Plate smaller by 2 inches,,,
ETC..... How about this ,,, use an Automated Strike and ball caller... now you need the ump there for plays that the plate, Foul tips, Cather interference, calls at times at 1st or 3rd, and Fairball Foulball calls,,, however,, we have the technology to have an automated strike zone. Just transmit that data to the ump in real time and have him indicate the Ball or Strike. I believe they use this in Professional Tennis to call balls in play and out of play - why not Balls and Strikes.. They use replay all the time - this is not a far leap Balls and Strikes.
They are discussing moving the trade deadline earlier - Like Before the all star break
Expanding the roster to 26 players, and making the Team have 12 pitchers on the roster (not sure how you enforce that one ?? Cause I can call anyone a pitcher)
The CBA - Collective Bargaining agreement does not expire until December 1st 2021. so You and they have a few years to chew on the rule changes.
Let's go for some music today.....
Not sure if I ever posted this one,,,, but here is Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats..
S.O.B.
I'll give you one for Mardi Gras - Trombone Shorty
