Thank God... at least someone agrees with me.

[Antonin]

I don't think players are thinking about exit velocity and launch angle. When somebody is throwing 85-100 mph, who really has time for such calculations? I think players--power hitters and everybody else--are just trying to make contact.

Some people complain about the slowness of the game of baseball, but is baseball really that slow and boring? People actually watch golf and poker on television.

[ThePretender]

You sure about that? I haven't even finished reading https://www.washingtonpost.com/graph...=.809689755e2d and it's pretty clear players are thinking about launch angle and exit velocity when they swing, or are trying to modify their swing to recognize the benefits.

[TheMaus2]

the big problem with analytics isnt that its use is dumb, more like it took a lot out of the fun of the game. when was the last interesting MLB talking point you heard? It could probably be solved by stats.

[Matt Arnold]

Originally Posted by TheMaus2

the big problem with analytics isnt that its use is dumb, more like it took a lot out of the fun of the game. when was the last interesting MLB talking point you heard? It could probably be solved by stats.

My only problem with analytics is that it's taken the mystery out of the game. So before, you see a guy who breaks out and hits .320 one year, and you wonder if that's his new norm. But now, you see he did it with a .380 BABIP and you know next year he's back to a .260 hitter.

I think the biggest problem right now is that the players are simply too good. So many pitchers throw 100 now that you look at a reliever tossing 96 and you wonder if his arm is tired that day. And between that and analyzing everyone's hit profiles, players are simply too well positioned always. I can't tell you how many times I watch a guy hit a ball up the middle, but the fielder is right there. It's like players just can't find a hole anymore. And since guys who are 5'6 are strong enough to hit 30+ HR a season now, it just makes it not worth it to find holes anymore.

I don't know what the right fix is - change the mound? Ban the shift? Change the ball? Make it cheaper? Maybe it will solve itself too. I still love the game, but definitely there needs to be some changes or they risk a real collapse.

[Le Grande Orange]

Another article similar in theme to the one mentioned in the opening post:

'I Find It Very Difficult' to Watch: Why MLB Greats Think Baseball's in Trouble

[Orcin]

Originally Posted by Le Grande Orange

Another article similar in theme to the one mentioned in the opening post:

'I Find It Very Difficult' to Watch: Why MLB Greats Think Baseball's in Trouble

Yeah, but it’s just a bunch of old men. What do they know?

[ThePretender]

Oy some of the complaints are so sad in that article. Just so poorly written.

[Le Grande Orange]

Originally Posted by Orcin

Yeah, but it’s just a bunch of old men. What do they know?

Complaints about the contemporary brand of baseball are as old as baseball itself.

Originally Posted by ThePretender

Oy some of the complaints are so sad in that article. Just so poorly written.

I have a few questions about it.

For example, it mentions the lack of pennant races in the AL, other than the AL West. True enough. But it neglects the NL, which currently has a race in all three of its divisions, and for the wild card, five teams are separated by just three games for the two spots (with three teams just half a game apart for the second wild card).

Then there's this: "'Every box score you read, it's 5.1 innings pitched for the starter,' Hall of Fame manager Bobby Cox says." My first impression is that seems like confirmation bias combined with sample size. As I have been saving the box score for every major league game this season, the number of pitches thrown, batters faced, and innings pitched for every pitcher used in each individual game could be determined right after the regular season is concluded. (I've been saving every minor league box score this season as well, except for the DSL, so the same analysis could be run for minor league pitcher usage.)