unless i'm mistaken, average runs per game have been trending down the last 20 years, despite the recent home run surge
The push for home runs has diminished the strategic game, and skills of batters. While more prevalent now, there were always a few hitters to went for all or nothing. Years ago, while still with the Mets, Curtis Granderson struck out going for it all, when all that was needed was for him to simply move the runner from second to third. Granderson's remark afterwards: A strike out is just the same as any other out. It is not. The other night Boston failed to move the runner from 2nd to 3rd in the late innings and didn't score, eventually losing to the Dodgers. Put the ball in play, not in the catcher's mitt, that's baseball.
1
I find it so interesting to watch the game of baseball change overtime. I play baseball. As a pitcher, I prioritize location which ends up making my speed suffer. Obviously I don't play in the MLB ,but I do recognize the importance of speed over location because once in a while the batter figures you out and soon they take a ball out of the park.I like how smart and aware Verlander is, as he is one of the hottest pitchers at the moment. He saw the situation and constantly looks for solutions. He is very experienced and has seen the pitching game change. Because teams like the Yankees need better pitching, they have pitchers like Chapman, who is really good, but when I watch him I can't help but cringe as he pitches very wild in the triple digits. Speed is what he is known for and pitches end up outside the zone.
I like that Justin Verlander called out the league about the home run issue. I wonder how the players feel about the increased length of the games.. it has to effect concentration and get boring. I know it does for me.
1
Many years ago when a batter had two strikes they would choke up on the bat with the mindset of making contact. Now it is swinging for a home run on every pitch. Homeruns up and strikeout up
3
Reminds me of the pithy aphorism of Greg Maddux, a genius from a different era: "Make the strikes look like balls and the balls look like strikes."
1
Seems like any smart batter (or hitting coach) reading this should start racking up a lot of walks. If you can trust the umpire to call the zone accurately (and that's big "if") and you know that pitchers are actively trying to induce chasing, just don't chase. If it looks borderline, default toward letting it go.
If the league puts pressure on umps to tighten the zone back up this tendency will start costing pitchers and the pendulum will swing back the other way (it always eventually does) in the batter's favor. My guess is that the league's pressure is actually encouraging swinging to liven up the game. They've made no secret about their desire to do so. But dragging on even longer? Might be robbing Peter to pay Paul here...
5
@ACK One problem with your approach is that today's umpires have largely "personalized" the rule book strike zone and expanded it by several inches on the outside and inside edges of the plate. When batters see pitch after pitch called a strike that was clearly inside, eventually they're going to be even more likely to swing at pitches that miss the plate by even more. Pitchers are well aware of this trend and take advantage of it.
The only solution to this is to bring on the so-called "Robo-Umps" to call balls and strikes. They're already doing this in the independent Atlantic League, and so far the results look promising.
11
More batters are going for homers, which is one reason there are more strikeouts. Also, fouling off good but hard to hit pitches is now discouraged
@onlein
Why would anyone discourage fouling off borderline pitches? Doing so is 100% positive for the batter. I've never heard it discouraged and I can't imagine why it would be. If you're hearing differently I would be curious to hear the rationale.
5
The reason batters swing at pitches outside the strike zone is because umpires call them strikes, especially pitches that are low and outside. That's why pitchers nibble and try to expand the zone. On the other hand, umpires often don't call strikes on high pitches when the should. Crouching behind the catchers the way they do, home plate umpires are not in position to accurately judge balls and strikes. One remedy of an old-school type would be to bring back the balloon chest protector to make the umpire stand up and let them see home plate. It would mean fewer foul balls, fewer pitches, more pitches put in play, more action and faster games - and maybe fewer strikeouts and walks. If that doesn't work, then adopt the automated strike zone.
17
If pitchers have upped their velocity and it has resulted in a record number of home runs, why do they persist? Strikeouts don't subtract from the runs produced by the homers, they are just outs. Maybe increased velocity and swing-and-miss percentages are unproductive (except for hitters).
2
I wonder if the league collect statistics of the of outside close call are called strike compared to the past. From my biased small sample it looks higher.
8