OK, let’s get to the super/extensive WHY WE LOVE BASEBALL tour and preorder updates and then we can talk about the red-hot Dodgers, a red-hot Julio and a little state of baseball talk.
On the attendance thing, I think it makes sense that you see the difference there: first of all, it's all or nothing, either you attend or you don't. Whereas baseball on TV isn't that kind of commitment, nobody was ever forced to sit through 4 hours of batting glove theater (except during the playoffs, kind of).
But mostly, it's such a different time commitment: I can bike to PNC Park in ~20 minutes, and i knew that I was in for 4 hours away from the house *at best*. It was my entire night, and I'd leave before my family ate dinner and come home to everyone in bed (my wife reading, but still). God help me if it was a particularly slow game.
But the best part of the clock is that now even slow-seeming games, with tons of baserunners and scoring and pitching changes, *still* don't take 3 hours (I went to a 6-8 Pirates-Braves game with 23 hits plus 8 walks and 10 pitchers, and it was still just 2:58; that's a 3:45 game in 2022). Odds are I get home by ~10 pm, which isn't early, but it's not bedtime either. Just a totally different commitment.
To decrease strikeouts I am surprised no one is discussing a further lowering of the pitchers mound. When this was done several years ago it definitely had a positive impact on bringing back more hitting!
Not really sure how anyone who follows sports wouldn’t think the pitch clock would work as intended. Basketball’s shot clock did same, and basketball game is finite. Do I agree w pitch clock? At games, no. Once there I’m not looking to rush back out. On TV? Sure. Keeps open items on ‘honey, do …’ list short or blank.
My father, now 91, us a lifelong Dodgers fan who still watches the vast majority of their games. As might be expected for a man of his age, he is old school. He misses the days of pitchers throwing complete games and utterly loathes Dave Robert's for his frequent pitcher changes. He mockingly refers to Roberts as the "manager of the year" and just yesterday sent a text remarking how well the Dodgers are doing DESPITE Dave Roberts. I was tempted to forward this article to him then remembered the evenings we spent at Dodger Stadium in my childhood, eating Dodger dogs while he taught me how chart the game on a scorecard. Saturdays working in the yard and listening to Vin Scully. And most especially, teaching me how to choke up on a bat and hit singles when all my schoolmates had hit their growth spurt a couple years before I did.
This was meant to be a comment about my old school dad not appreciating Dave Roberts. I now realize has become a post about why I love baseball. And love my dad. Too late to call him tonight but I surely shall tomorrow.
Your mention of Candice Millard reminds me: her Destiny of the Republic (2011) is one of the best books I've ever read. Amazing. engaging, tragic history. Gotta go get me another of her books!
1. Love Julio R, but Bobby Witt Jr has been doing what Julio is doing for a lot longer and for a lousier team.
2. Does banning the shift have an equally neutral effect in BIG ballparks where homers are harder to come by? Do those bigger parks have more singles, doubles, and triples this year?
3. As far as strikeouts are concerned, the FIRST thing that needs to happen is electronic balls and strikes. Let's see if a consistent strike zone makes it easier for hitters!
On Baseball's Greatest Moments: I was musing the other day that one of the great things about baseball is the unpredictability of a game. There's always a chance to see something wild and crazy that you - or very few other people, for that matter - have seen before. An unassisted triple play to end a game (it's happened twice). A walk-off strikeout (which has happened more than you'd think). A walk turning into an inning-ending double play (7/29/2014, Pirates at Giants). A catcher's throw back to the pitcher hitting the batter's bat, and a run scores....(you know the one). So as a sort of "postscript" to the book, I would be so bold as to suggest an essay titled "Tomorrow's Game".
Joe's book will be fabulous, but I suspect it will be loaded toward momentous occurrences in historic games (e.g. Bobby Thompson's walk off that sent the Giants to the World Series, Kurt Gibson's pinch hit HR, etc.). I get just as excited at some feats almost no-one remembers. One game I attended was a May 6, 1988 game between the Mariners and the Yankees. Billy Swift pitched a complete game 6-1 and set a Major League record for ground ball outs with 22. Actually, 24 players were retired on ground balls but there were two double plays, each counted as only a single ground ball out. The other outs included two strikeouts and a line out to center field. Boggles my mind to this day. A masterful pitching performance and reminder of the value of great sinker ball.
All right I'll be that guy. I'm still not a huge fan of the pitch clock. I though the game was fine the way it was. I'm not going to argue that we need to get rid of it, but it absolutely needs some tweaking.
1. There should never be a violation to start an inning.
2. Pitchers need to be allowed a disengagement or two when there are no runners on.
3. Most importantly, there needs to be more time added after a team scores. This is more for the home team, but it obviously needs to be equal for both. It often feels like both fans and players simply don't have time to celebrate, particularly in big moments, without some big rush to get on with the game. And this is where we've lost something in the game. I don't miss pitchers taking 45 seconds between pitches as they shake off everything in their repertoire hoping to develop a new pitch in the interim. I do miss curtain calls and players waiting for the crowd to die down some before stepping into the box.
I was at what will almost certainly be Miguel Cabrera's last game in Fenway Park. When he came to bat in the 8th inning, the home plate umpire suddenly found something else to do so Miggy could get a proper farewell ovation from the crowd. He was given plenty of time to soak it in and tip his batting helmet before the umpire signaled for the clock to start.
Umpires have the ability to use discretion when it comes to clock management.
Discretion is all well and good until they don't exercise it. Which is how we got in this mess in the first place. There is a rule on the books that pitchers must make the next pitch within 12 seconds of receiving the ball. But umpires didn't enforce it and the league didn't make them. Letting umpires use their discretion always leads to more issues.
I’m guessing you’re a bit younger. Because the game the last number of years was not the same it used to be. Almost all of the time eliminated is of non -action: a batter steps out after every pitch to adjust his gloves, sometimes make a post on instagram, maybe email his mother. I mean it was awful. Pitchers taking too much time too, but the batters were the worst.
And when a pitcher threw to first 10 times, lazy throws not even trying to get the pickoff- basically just sending the message that I see you.
Did you see the post Joe made a few months ago? There were two videos going on next o each other. One was the entire running of the Kentucky Derby, one was a one pitch sequence that took longer to happen than the entire derby. EXCRUCIATING!!!
One of the most iconic games in the history of baseball, game 7 of the 1960 World Series was played in 2:36 minutes- lots of runs 10-9; lots of pitcher changes - 9 total pitcher changes. This is how I remembered baseball games were played.
And I’m starting to get concerned about all the celebrations taking place during tha game. Baseball seems to be evolving to an NFL world, where a receiver will strut like the cock of the walk when he catches an 11 yard pass with 2 minutes remaining and his team down by 30 points. What the hell is he celebrating?
I don’t think we need to go back to not showing any enthusiasm when you hit a home run, but it’s starting to be too much.
I haven't read the comments section yet but I anticipate there's a remark or two about your book promotion. I just wanted to say that I appreciate your enthusiasm AND your reminder about the CATCH25 offer had its intended effect.
I ordered the signed copy. Again. I ordered one for my dad with some scribbles about his being at Ted Williams last game (and filming his last homerun as a 16yo with a Reg8 windup camera; lovely historic color footage!).
And I asked my wife to order me an inscribed copy for my birthday (which is Sept 5!).
Alas, I don't think the message got through, though she may surprise me.
To hedge my bets, and make sure I have a copy of a book I am eagerly waiting to devour, I just ordered today.
I might be sitting on two copies if my wife came through -- and will happily gift it to a friend.
Long post about nothing, but congrats on the book. It's so wonderful that you have people eager to discuss your work and process and content. I think, as a writer or artist, there's no greater reward. Thanks for all you do.
I’ve gone to more games than ever this year, but watched about the same on TV. Why? Because they’ve trained me well that most games I want to see on TV aren’t available to me anyway. I want to see more baseball thanks to the pace improvement. TV makes it too hard though.
You really put a hex on Julio and the Mariners, Joe. He only went 4-5 (he reached on an error the other time up) and hit a solo home run in a 2-0 Mariners win that put them half a game up on the Blue Jays for the third wild card.
Time of the game/pitch clock: I don't know how anyone doesn't like this. Once I knew they were extending it to batters I was all in. I attended a one hour 54 minute game this year. I can't remember the last time that happened. I even looked at the time of game on the 3 best pitching performances I have seen in past years (80s and 90s) to see if those were under 2 hours. They were not. It wasn't a 1-0 game or anything either. It was 8-4.
That being said, having not kept up with the average game time this year, it seems (this is anecdotal) to be creeping up. My Wife commented a couple of times that it felt like one of last year's games and I seemed to notice more generous amounts of time outs. Could have been a bad umpiring crew. But they need to watch it, because Umps and player will let the game creep up if they do not.
Stealing: While the steals are up, some of that is the success rate. They attempted the same amount of steals in 2012, and more in 2011.I was fine with the bases. I was fine with the bigger bases. I didn't initially like the two step off rule, I felt it should be three. I think it is funny that fans still boo this. as little as it happens now. (only opposing fans of course) but the one thing I haven't seen, and haven't missed at all are the lazy throw over to first. The one where they are not really trying to get anyone at all, just wasting time and what, letting the guy know that you know he is on base. Also, I wonder if the catcher, between this and the pitch com where some pitchers are calling more games, will change. They have been focused on pitch framing over guys with arms for at least a decade now. Teka that away if electronic umps are ever ready, add in the pitch come, and catchers will turn into the guy with the best arm.
Shift: I was never for the banning of the shift, I just wanted to ban moving infielders out of position, like playing the 2nd and third baseman on the right and leaving the SS on the left side. If you are going to play it that way, you have to leave the lesser range 3rd baseman over there so the players are in the proper order. I have to say I haven't missed it though, but it does directly lead to more.....
Strikeouts: I Guaranteed here and in other places that strikeouts and home runs would go up this year if they banned the shift. I repeated that in the spring after the deed had been done. I didn't guarantee more walks, but mentioned that would probably happen as well. You see, the shift was the natural defense against limited pull power three true outcome guys. The league had started to take PAs away from those guys and give them to more action contact guys. This led to three consecutive years of decreasing strikeout percentage after going up for 15 consecutive years before that. I also said that the percentage of balls in play would go down ( a full percent this year) but Babip would go up. All of these things have happened and it is probably not over. There will be an even higher percentage of TTO guys next year, Ks will go up again.
I find it funny that fans (and the MLB) who collectively asked to make a rule that guaranteed that Ks would go up are upset when the inevitable happened.
Oh how I miss those lazy throws to first base- especially when there were several in a row. How exciting! Rivaled batters adjusting their gloves after every pitch. :)
nah, i was all in on eliminating the shift, it was really getting obnoxious!
as for the pitch clock, etc., i think all of it is absolutely fantastic, and i really look forward to automated balls/strikes, we will surely see strikeout numbers down, contact up, and walks up!
I’m not a Dodgers fan. In fact, as an old Brooklyn Dodgers fan, I hate the Dodgers. But fans who want to fire Dave Roberts are clueless. Aside from the fact that managers, as the data have demonstrated, rarely make much of a difference, every manager is open to second guessing, because making decisions on the fly is tough no matter how smart you are. Joe Maddon was considered to be one of the all time greats, and he came dangerously close to blowing the first Cubs’ World Series victory since 1908 with his overmanagement of the bullpen.
i hate the Dodgers too! it's required in my family (6ht gen SF Bay Area native & lifelong Giants fan!) but damn are the cursed Dodgers relentlessly good, especially this year (although i certainly loved when we won a series at Chavez Ravine while winning 15-0 one game)- and really, Dave Roberts is a helluva manager (the praise uttered of course through obviously gritted teeth)
Was that you sitting behind home at the Dodger/Brewer game Thursday night? What a game!!! THAT'S why I love baseball - defense.🥰💙🥰 So excited for your book (part of the early custom autograph wave.)
On the attendance thing, I think it makes sense that you see the difference there: first of all, it's all or nothing, either you attend or you don't. Whereas baseball on TV isn't that kind of commitment, nobody was ever forced to sit through 4 hours of batting glove theater (except during the playoffs, kind of).
But mostly, it's such a different time commitment: I can bike to PNC Park in ~20 minutes, and i knew that I was in for 4 hours away from the house *at best*. It was my entire night, and I'd leave before my family ate dinner and come home to everyone in bed (my wife reading, but still). God help me if it was a particularly slow game.
But the best part of the clock is that now even slow-seeming games, with tons of baserunners and scoring and pitching changes, *still* don't take 3 hours (I went to a 6-8 Pirates-Braves game with 23 hits plus 8 walks and 10 pitchers, and it was still just 2:58; that's a 3:45 game in 2022). Odds are I get home by ~10 pm, which isn't early, but it's not bedtime either. Just a totally different commitment.
I think it’s fair to say Evan Longoria was one of those players who turned around a franchise for the Rays.
To decrease strikeouts I am surprised no one is discussing a further lowering of the pitchers mound. When this was done several years ago it definitely had a positive impact on bringing back more hitting!
Not really sure how anyone who follows sports wouldn’t think the pitch clock would work as intended. Basketball’s shot clock did same, and basketball game is finite. Do I agree w pitch clock? At games, no. Once there I’m not looking to rush back out. On TV? Sure. Keeps open items on ‘honey, do …’ list short or blank.
My father, now 91, us a lifelong Dodgers fan who still watches the vast majority of their games. As might be expected for a man of his age, he is old school. He misses the days of pitchers throwing complete games and utterly loathes Dave Robert's for his frequent pitcher changes. He mockingly refers to Roberts as the "manager of the year" and just yesterday sent a text remarking how well the Dodgers are doing DESPITE Dave Roberts. I was tempted to forward this article to him then remembered the evenings we spent at Dodger Stadium in my childhood, eating Dodger dogs while he taught me how chart the game on a scorecard. Saturdays working in the yard and listening to Vin Scully. And most especially, teaching me how to choke up on a bat and hit singles when all my schoolmates had hit their growth spurt a couple years before I did.
This was meant to be a comment about my old school dad not appreciating Dave Roberts. I now realize has become a post about why I love baseball. And love my dad. Too late to call him tonight but I surely shall tomorrow.
My dad, an old Brooklyn fan, is SAME. Can’t wait for Roberts to be fired. 🙂
Your mention of Candice Millard reminds me: her Destiny of the Republic (2011) is one of the best books I've ever read. Amazing. engaging, tragic history. Gotta go get me another of her books!
1. Love Julio R, but Bobby Witt Jr has been doing what Julio is doing for a lot longer and for a lousier team.
2. Does banning the shift have an equally neutral effect in BIG ballparks where homers are harder to come by? Do those bigger parks have more singles, doubles, and triples this year?
3. As far as strikeouts are concerned, the FIRST thing that needs to happen is electronic balls and strikes. Let's see if a consistent strike zone makes it easier for hitters!
Um, no.
On Baseball's Greatest Moments: I was musing the other day that one of the great things about baseball is the unpredictability of a game. There's always a chance to see something wild and crazy that you - or very few other people, for that matter - have seen before. An unassisted triple play to end a game (it's happened twice). A walk-off strikeout (which has happened more than you'd think). A walk turning into an inning-ending double play (7/29/2014, Pirates at Giants). A catcher's throw back to the pitcher hitting the batter's bat, and a run scores....(you know the one). So as a sort of "postscript" to the book, I would be so bold as to suggest an essay titled "Tomorrow's Game".
Joe's book will be fabulous, but I suspect it will be loaded toward momentous occurrences in historic games (e.g. Bobby Thompson's walk off that sent the Giants to the World Series, Kurt Gibson's pinch hit HR, etc.). I get just as excited at some feats almost no-one remembers. One game I attended was a May 6, 1988 game between the Mariners and the Yankees. Billy Swift pitched a complete game 6-1 and set a Major League record for ground ball outs with 22. Actually, 24 players were retired on ground balls but there were two double plays, each counted as only a single ground ball out. The other outs included two strikeouts and a line out to center field. Boggles my mind to this day. A masterful pitching performance and reminder of the value of great sinker ball.
All right I'll be that guy. I'm still not a huge fan of the pitch clock. I though the game was fine the way it was. I'm not going to argue that we need to get rid of it, but it absolutely needs some tweaking.
1. There should never be a violation to start an inning.
2. Pitchers need to be allowed a disengagement or two when there are no runners on.
3. Most importantly, there needs to be more time added after a team scores. This is more for the home team, but it obviously needs to be equal for both. It often feels like both fans and players simply don't have time to celebrate, particularly in big moments, without some big rush to get on with the game. And this is where we've lost something in the game. I don't miss pitchers taking 45 seconds between pitches as they shake off everything in their repertoire hoping to develop a new pitch in the interim. I do miss curtain calls and players waiting for the crowd to die down some before stepping into the box.
I was at what will almost certainly be Miguel Cabrera's last game in Fenway Park. When he came to bat in the 8th inning, the home plate umpire suddenly found something else to do so Miggy could get a proper farewell ovation from the crowd. He was given plenty of time to soak it in and tip his batting helmet before the umpire signaled for the clock to start.
Umpires have the ability to use discretion when it comes to clock management.
Discretion is all well and good until they don't exercise it. Which is how we got in this mess in the first place. There is a rule on the books that pitchers must make the next pitch within 12 seconds of receiving the ball. But umpires didn't enforce it and the league didn't make them. Letting umpires use their discretion always leads to more issues.
I’m guessing you’re a bit younger. Because the game the last number of years was not the same it used to be. Almost all of the time eliminated is of non -action: a batter steps out after every pitch to adjust his gloves, sometimes make a post on instagram, maybe email his mother. I mean it was awful. Pitchers taking too much time too, but the batters were the worst.
And when a pitcher threw to first 10 times, lazy throws not even trying to get the pickoff- basically just sending the message that I see you.
Did you see the post Joe made a few months ago? There were two videos going on next o each other. One was the entire running of the Kentucky Derby, one was a one pitch sequence that took longer to happen than the entire derby. EXCRUCIATING!!!
One of the most iconic games in the history of baseball, game 7 of the 1960 World Series was played in 2:36 minutes- lots of runs 10-9; lots of pitcher changes - 9 total pitcher changes. This is how I remembered baseball games were played.
And I’m starting to get concerned about all the celebrations taking place during tha game. Baseball seems to be evolving to an NFL world, where a receiver will strut like the cock of the walk when he catches an 11 yard pass with 2 minutes remaining and his team down by 30 points. What the hell is he celebrating?
I don’t think we need to go back to not showing any enthusiasm when you hit a home run, but it’s starting to be too much.
Under the old rules, I wonder what the average time of game would be for two teams, each with nine Mike Hargroves in their line-up?
Joe,
I haven't read the comments section yet but I anticipate there's a remark or two about your book promotion. I just wanted to say that I appreciate your enthusiasm AND your reminder about the CATCH25 offer had its intended effect.
I ordered the signed copy. Again. I ordered one for my dad with some scribbles about his being at Ted Williams last game (and filming his last homerun as a 16yo with a Reg8 windup camera; lovely historic color footage!).
And I asked my wife to order me an inscribed copy for my birthday (which is Sept 5!).
Alas, I don't think the message got through, though she may surprise me.
To hedge my bets, and make sure I have a copy of a book I am eagerly waiting to devour, I just ordered today.
I might be sitting on two copies if my wife came through -- and will happily gift it to a friend.
Long post about nothing, but congrats on the book. It's so wonderful that you have people eager to discuss your work and process and content. I think, as a writer or artist, there's no greater reward. Thanks for all you do.
I'm seeing so many more families with kids at the Phillies games I attend. I think the quicker pace of play is a big selling point for families.
I’ve gone to more games than ever this year, but watched about the same on TV. Why? Because they’ve trained me well that most games I want to see on TV aren’t available to me anyway. I want to see more baseball thanks to the pace improvement. TV makes it too hard though.
You really put a hex on Julio and the Mariners, Joe. He only went 4-5 (he reached on an error the other time up) and hit a solo home run in a 2-0 Mariners win that put them half a game up on the Blue Jays for the third wild card.
Time of the game/pitch clock: I don't know how anyone doesn't like this. Once I knew they were extending it to batters I was all in. I attended a one hour 54 minute game this year. I can't remember the last time that happened. I even looked at the time of game on the 3 best pitching performances I have seen in past years (80s and 90s) to see if those were under 2 hours. They were not. It wasn't a 1-0 game or anything either. It was 8-4.
That being said, having not kept up with the average game time this year, it seems (this is anecdotal) to be creeping up. My Wife commented a couple of times that it felt like one of last year's games and I seemed to notice more generous amounts of time outs. Could have been a bad umpiring crew. But they need to watch it, because Umps and player will let the game creep up if they do not.
Stealing: While the steals are up, some of that is the success rate. They attempted the same amount of steals in 2012, and more in 2011.I was fine with the bases. I was fine with the bigger bases. I didn't initially like the two step off rule, I felt it should be three. I think it is funny that fans still boo this. as little as it happens now. (only opposing fans of course) but the one thing I haven't seen, and haven't missed at all are the lazy throw over to first. The one where they are not really trying to get anyone at all, just wasting time and what, letting the guy know that you know he is on base. Also, I wonder if the catcher, between this and the pitch com where some pitchers are calling more games, will change. They have been focused on pitch framing over guys with arms for at least a decade now. Teka that away if electronic umps are ever ready, add in the pitch come, and catchers will turn into the guy with the best arm.
Shift: I was never for the banning of the shift, I just wanted to ban moving infielders out of position, like playing the 2nd and third baseman on the right and leaving the SS on the left side. If you are going to play it that way, you have to leave the lesser range 3rd baseman over there so the players are in the proper order. I have to say I haven't missed it though, but it does directly lead to more.....
Strikeouts: I Guaranteed here and in other places that strikeouts and home runs would go up this year if they banned the shift. I repeated that in the spring after the deed had been done. I didn't guarantee more walks, but mentioned that would probably happen as well. You see, the shift was the natural defense against limited pull power three true outcome guys. The league had started to take PAs away from those guys and give them to more action contact guys. This led to three consecutive years of decreasing strikeout percentage after going up for 15 consecutive years before that. I also said that the percentage of balls in play would go down ( a full percent this year) but Babip would go up. All of these things have happened and it is probably not over. There will be an even higher percentage of TTO guys next year, Ks will go up again.
I find it funny that fans (and the MLB) who collectively asked to make a rule that guaranteed that Ks would go up are upset when the inevitable happened.
Oh how I miss those lazy throws to first base- especially when there were several in a row. How exciting! Rivaled batters adjusting their gloves after every pitch. :)
nah, i was all in on eliminating the shift, it was really getting obnoxious!
as for the pitch clock, etc., i think all of it is absolutely fantastic, and i really look forward to automated balls/strikes, we will surely see strikeout numbers down, contact up, and walks up!
I’m not a Dodgers fan. In fact, as an old Brooklyn Dodgers fan, I hate the Dodgers. But fans who want to fire Dave Roberts are clueless. Aside from the fact that managers, as the data have demonstrated, rarely make much of a difference, every manager is open to second guessing, because making decisions on the fly is tough no matter how smart you are. Joe Maddon was considered to be one of the all time greats, and he came dangerously close to blowing the first Cubs’ World Series victory since 1908 with his overmanagement of the bullpen.
Watch much? Good & bad managers make a difference.
i hate the Dodgers too! it's required in my family (6ht gen SF Bay Area native & lifelong Giants fan!) but damn are the cursed Dodgers relentlessly good, especially this year (although i certainly loved when we won a series at Chavez Ravine while winning 15-0 one game)- and really, Dave Roberts is a helluva manager (the praise uttered of course through obviously gritted teeth)
Was that you sitting behind home at the Dodger/Brewer game Thursday night? What a game!!! THAT'S why I love baseball - defense.🥰💙🥰 So excited for your book (part of the early custom autograph wave.)