Tank McNamara by Bill Hinds for May 01, 2021

After Bob Gibson’s amazing ’68 season with the Cards MLB officials lowered the mound to 10 inches and shrank the strike zone to try and bring some more offense back to the game.

So if the pitcher in panel 3 had his way the batter would be a foot closer to the infielders if the rest of the diamond is unchanged, not sure if they would appreciate his suggestion…..

Baseball is rife with “eras” of one strategy or another, one approach or another. The same goes for hitting and position players. We have had eras of pitching dominance, base stealing, various hitting styles (e.g. Charlie Lau, Ted Williams, Tony Gwynn), power hitters, outfielders with the whole package (Mays, Aaron, DiMaggio). Teams have won over MLB’s many years with all manner of players and approaches. Success in any endeavor will be copied, so occasionally the trend is one direction or the other. But the ultimate champions always turn out to be well-balanced teams that can win in different ways.

TampaFanatic1 is correct about the rule changes after 1968. And it did increase the offense, as did the use of the DH. At some point, continued expansion of MLB into new cities had the effect of diluting the talent pool and pitching may have gotten a little thin. But pitching has been built back up through revamped bullpens, changing roles on the staff, player development and the CBA, so strikeouts are becoming big again. Hitters made a splash with their emphasis on “launch angle” and other metrics, and they feasted for a couple of years. Don’t worry about it. The game has a way of taking care of itself.

I long for the really old days.

I would like to see a return of the dead ball, along with pitchers who didn’t try to throw at light speed.

I think that it was Cy Young who said, “Let the batter get wood on the ball. That’s why you have a defense. Otherwise, you’ll wear your arm out.”

I like a lot of hitting and defensive plays, not strike outs and home runs.

Nothing like a wholesome game of baseball.

To me, the way Baseball is played in the US make it a very boring game. From kids playing Little League, to HS teams to College and MLB. Its boring. Now up until the late 60s early 70s, I liked the game. But no pitchers throwing a full game, every batter swinging for the fences, no bunts, pinch runners, the DH. Nope, not interesting. Now Japanese and Korean baseball games are played the way it used to be. Those games I watch

After adding DH and 7 inning games and siding with leftists over a false representation of a voting law, I think there is nothing baseball can do now to get me back. Started in 1964, quit after 2019.

It’s still REALLY early of course, but what’s actually up this season so far is the amount of batters hit by pitches

First the mound, then home plate, then the entire ballpark. Where, oh where will it ever end?

How about the terrible strike/ball zone that a couple of umps have – here’s looking at you A. Hernandez, among others. Another group that won’t eject a bad member thus ruining any standing with outsiders.

No matter how you look at it – baseball is boring!

So much for shortening games.

Is there still an Atlantic League? I thought all the old minor leagues went away when the major leagues rearranged things recently.