Toggle sidebar

OT: MLB Thread XLVII

  • Xenforo Cloud will be upgrading us to version 2.3.5 on March 3rd at 12 AM GMT. This version has increased stability and fixes several bugs. We expect downtime for the duration of the update. The admin team will continue to work on existing issues, templates and upgrade all necessary available addons to minimize impact of this new version. Click Here for Updates
Status
Not open for further replies.
nyr2k2 said:
Yeah, I know most people are on the robo-umps train with respect to balls and strikes (I am, too), but I also remember what the strike zone used to look like. It was basically like anything above the belt was a ball, and 6"-9" off the plate was the norm for every pitcher. And then the good guys as you mentioned with Carlton would just push it wider and wider.

If people are interested in this kind of stuff, I would strongly encourage following Umpire Scorecards on Twitter. You'll get this for every game:

It's interesting because these results were probably below average. There are many nights where umpires get 98%+ of the calls right. They're actually pretty damn good now, and it's the fact that they're as good as they are that makes the bad calls stand out even more.
Click to expand...

I always remember the zone being from the letters to the knees.
 
  • Like
Reactions: romba
mjolnir said:
I always remember the zone being from the letters to the knees.
Click to expand...
Well that's basically what it's supposed to be--the point between the top of the shoulder and the top of the pants, which is basically the letters, to the bottom of the knees. It's been slightly different over time but generally in that range.

I may be misremembering but I remember those Braves guys having a shorter strike zone but one that was a mile wide. I don't go back to Gibson, so IDK what that zone looked like.
 
nyr2k2 said:
Well that's basically what it's supposed to be--the point between the top of the shoulder and the top of the pants, which is basically the letters, to the bottom of the knees. It's been slightly different over time but generally in that range.

I may be misremembering but I remember those Braves guys having a shorter strike zone but one that was a mile wide. I don't go back to Gibson, so IDK what that zone looked like.
Click to expand...
I did some checking regarding the strike zone...here is what I found:

In ’62, the strike zone went from the batter’s armpits to the top of the knees; but then baseball decided to expand it for the 1963 season…to help pitchers.
Why? The thinking was that since MLB had added four new teams (the Mets, the Colt .45s, the Angels and the Senators) over the previous two seasons, some pitchers who wouldn’t have otherwise succeeded in the Majors were now on MLB rosters. A bigger strike zone would help them out, so baseball made the rule change.
From ’63 to ’68, the strike zone was bigger. It went from the top of the batter’s shoulders to the knees.
 
The zone that I grew up with (90s) was knees to letters. During the steroid era (00s) it seemed to shrink to knees to belt. Now it’s back to knees to letters.
 
I read that one of the solutions to the current batting/pitching imbalance right now is adjusting the strike zone. A strike zone that is more horizontal and less vertical would be more conducive to making contact.
 
NYR94 said:
I read that one of the solutions to the current batting/pitching imbalance right now is adjusting the strike zone. A strike zone that is more horizontal and less vertical would be more conducive to making contact.
Click to expand...
I think swinging to put a ball in play would vastly increase the chances of making contact.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Crease
mjolnir said:
I think swinging to put a ball in play would vastly increase the chances of making contact.
Click to expand...

Yep, guys are up there swinging out of their shoes with two strikes. Can’t remember the last time I saw anyone choke up on the bat.
 
Crease said:
Yep, guys are up there swinging out of their shoes with two strikes. Can’t remember the last time I saw anyone choke up on the bat.
Click to expand...
And let's not forget those "launch angles" -- sheesh!!!
 
mjolnir said:
And let's not forget those "launch angles" -- sheesh!!!
Click to expand...
I get the launch angles thing. That's why there are more homers than ever. Guys know if they want to get paid, the best way to do so is to hit home runs. It's more lucrative to be a guy who hits 15-20 homers than a guy who hits 5-10 homers and legs out infield singles or whatever. I bet 20 years ago Lindor would hit .300 every year but would hit 10 homers.

Of course it also impacts the contact rate and guy strike out more. Double-edged sword. More XBH, less contact.
 
I like that Rojas showed faith in Fam but after he lost Profar, that needed to be it. Fam is not a guy who can throw 40+ pitches in an appearance. That's poor management.

I'd rather have Barnes facing Pham than Barnes facing Tatis. This is where it gets away from you.
 
nyr2k2 said:
I like that Rojas showed faith in Fam but after he lost Profar, that needed to be it. Fam is not a guy who can throw 40+ pitches in an appearance. That's poor management.

I'd rather have Barnes facing Pham than Barnes facing Tatis. This is where it gets away from you.
Click to expand...
And there you go. You make Pham beat Barnes not f***ing Tatis. Stupid.
 
Barnes is the new Doug Sisk. Doug Sisk was my most hated Met of all time. Rojas really mucked this game up today.

please DFA Barnes the moment this game ends.
 
  • Like
Reactions: nyr2k2
East Coast Bias said:
Why is Sean Reid-Foley in the minors while Barnes continues to serve up meatballs?
Click to expand...
I think it's because they don't want to DFA Barnes and SRF has options.

Regardless, Barns was not the call there. You have someone like May, hei has been up and down but is far better and more proven, and Castro with his rubber arm. Just pissed the game away.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Baby Duck Homme
Yankees are certainly showing they are a trash team that Cashman has assembled. So many fragile players that spend more time on the IR list, then on the field. He needs to be fired along with Boone.
 
  • Like
Reactions: LeetchisGod
Crease said:
Mets did what they needed to do, taking 2 of 3 against the Pads in Queens.

Now 3 games ahead of the Phillies with *checks notes* 6 games in hand.
Click to expand...
You're absolutely right that winning the series was the goal. Still, it was such a dispiriting loss. The sweep was right there. I feel bad for Fam, he's catching a lot of shit on Twitter and other places, and it really wasn't his fault. I know he has pitched two innings before, but we know that's not what he is--he's a high-leverage, high-energy, one-inning setup guy.

I was okay letting him try to get through that inning. Once he started to labor, and I hear that they had Jacob Barnes up in the pen, I was like, f*** my life. And then when he lost Profar, I was like, okayyyy, time to get him out. I hated Rojas' explanation--"he threw him three good chase pitches and still looked like he had good command." Profar is hitting below the Mendoza line and Familia is overpowering, you don't need him to throw chase pitches. He clearly wasn't comfortable/able to put him away. Even if he has command, you still get him out of there. Familia is always a bit wild, do you trust him to not walk Pham? I don't. And then the call to the worst guy in your pen against one of the best hitters in the game in a huge spot.

I'm not normally one to be hyper-critical of managers but that was just fail after fail after fail. Shoulda been a sweep. Or at least, they should have gotten out of that inning.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Greg02
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest posts

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Top Bottom