The foul ball thing can go both ways. Instead of giving a strikeout after a couple of foul balls, let’s penalize the pitcher who is unable to get the strikeout and give the batter an automatic walk.
Rather than trudging back to the dugout with nothing resolved, they should settle the tie like in soccer - with penalty kicks, or in this case, the batter gets to hit one off a tee (which periscopes out of the ground once the umpire pushes a button). The fielding team can put the tee at any height, so long as it's in the strikezone, and a foul is an out. Boom - more balls in play.
Joe, I’m curious if this season has made you reevaluate your 2025 AL MVP vote at all. The 2026 season is basically an AB test relative to 2025 wherein Cal Raleigh and Aaron Judge are in effect removed from their respective teams. The Yankees (of course) are 19 over without Judge. The Mariners without a functioning Raleigh are as you’ve just described.
I was fortunate to be at Dodgers Stadium for Alex Cora's epic 18 pitch at bat against Matt Clement, which ended with Cora taking Clement deep. As a Cubs fan I wasn't happy about the outcome but it is one of my favorite in person baseball memories. So, no to the stalemate.
MLB batting average has already decreased from ~.260 to ~.245 these past 20 years. Strikeouts have increased by 1.5 Ks per team per game in that same time frame.
Hitters need a new advantage, not a disadvantage such as X foul balls finally striking out the batter.
I want more balls in play, fewer three true outcomes.
So ... Four strikes for a strikeout! Yes, 100+ year tradition says four balls, three strikes. Unfair to the batter. Four balls, four strikes! If batting averages increase considerably, then, sure, all foul balls can be strikes.
Isn't the surprising thing that there are ONLY as many foul balls as balls in play? A plate appearance can have, at most, one ball put in play, but there's no limit to the number of foul balls it can have. I would've guessed there are more foul balls than balls in play.
That was my intuition, too, for the reason you mentioned and my unscientific observation that it *seems* like I'm seeing more of them over time. Specifically, fouling off four-seamers at the top of the zone feels feels more common.
Apparently, foul balls surpassed balls in play in 2017 and have been continuing to do so ever since:
Having watched the Mariner's all year, the assessment of their defense doesn't surprise me.
Other teams run on their outfielders constantly. At least once a game their infielders will throw a ball to first into the stands. You can generally count on an outfielder misplaying a single into a double every game.
Twice their outfielders have picked up a ball started to throw it to the cutoff man, only to have the ball slip out of their hands and land behind them.
I think they may lead the majors in giving up at least one run in the first inning. There was a stretch in June where I think they managed to do that 10 games in a row?
From the description you've given here, this seems like one of those rare cases where the blame for poor play of a team falls squarely upon the shoulders of the manager and his coaching staff, and justifies cleaning house and starting over. Defensive skills and heads up play are something that can be taught through effective coaching, moreso than hitting or pitching, which involves getting the most out of the talent that's already there.
It will be interesting to read about Care when JoeP has recovered from the TimeZoneWarp. I think that it can cut both ways - attention to detail vs. overthinking things. Content as a cow vs. the unexamined life isn't worth living. "Don't think; it can only hurt your team" is true. And it's false. So I look forward to the Poz analysis of magic.
This may or may not be off the point, but the mere fact that there are statistical formulas that actually reward players for influencing an umpire to make an incorrect call tells you everything you need to know about what's wrong with our game.
If you respect a catcher who is supposedly good at framing pitches, stop complaining about bad umpiring. Period.
I don't know why so many people think that pitch framing is about trying to deceive the umpire, "cheat," or make an incorrect call. It's not trying to get the ump to call a ball a strike; it's just as much, if not more, trying to get him to call a STRIKE a strike. It's trying to get the benefit of the doubt to go your way, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with it.
A batter is awarded a two base walk when a plate appearance results in 4 balls without a strike. Any runners advance as needed. If there is one runner on base he goes to or stays at third.
Think of the extended at bats involving multiple foul balls. Think of Whitey Ashburn. But maybe having a foul ball count as the third strike after a certain number of fouls is unfair to the hitter, so maybe he would get first base instead?
And a word about Seattle. Dave Niehaus said in the early 1990s that for the team to be at .500 for its history, they would need two undefeated seasons. Niehaus was the greatest Mariner (sorry, Junior and Randy and Edgar), and now Rick Rizzs is retiring after 44 years in MLB, 41 with the Mariners (and three in the impossible job of succeeding Ernie Harwell), and he sure deserved better than this.
The foul ball thing can go both ways. Instead of giving a strikeout after a couple of foul balls, let’s penalize the pitcher who is unable to get the strikeout and give the batter an automatic walk.
Is Seattle the worst franchise in MLB?
All time, maybe so
The invisible coin purse trick was insane. Highly recommend watching it.
Rather than trudging back to the dugout with nothing resolved, they should settle the tie like in soccer - with penalty kicks, or in this case, the batter gets to hit one off a tee (which periscopes out of the ground once the umpire pushes a button). The fielding team can put the tee at any height, so long as it's in the strikezone, and a foul is an out. Boom - more balls in play.
Joe, I’m curious if this season has made you reevaluate your 2025 AL MVP vote at all. The 2026 season is basically an AB test relative to 2025 wherein Cal Raleigh and Aaron Judge are in effect removed from their respective teams. The Yankees (of course) are 19 over without Judge. The Mariners without a functioning Raleigh are as you’ve just described.
Unfortunately Raleigh has been crushing the ball for the last couple of weeks, and the Mariners still stink.
I was fortunate to be at Dodgers Stadium for Alex Cora's epic 18 pitch at bat against Matt Clement, which ended with Cora taking Clement deep. As a Cubs fan I wasn't happy about the outcome but it is one of my favorite in person baseball memories. So, no to the stalemate.
That home run still haunts me.
Ha! In another reality, we're still there and Cora is still fouling off sliders.
MLB batting average has already decreased from ~.260 to ~.245 these past 20 years. Strikeouts have increased by 1.5 Ks per team per game in that same time frame.
Hitters need a new advantage, not a disadvantage such as X foul balls finally striking out the batter.
I want more balls in play, fewer three true outcomes.
So ... Four strikes for a strikeout! Yes, 100+ year tradition says four balls, three strikes. Unfair to the batter. Four balls, four strikes! If batting averages increase considerably, then, sure, all foul balls can be strikes.
Isn't the surprising thing that there are ONLY as many foul balls as balls in play? A plate appearance can have, at most, one ball put in play, but there's no limit to the number of foul balls it can have. I would've guessed there are more foul balls than balls in play.
That was my intuition, too, for the reason you mentioned and my unscientific observation that it *seems* like I'm seeing more of them over time. Specifically, fouling off four-seamers at the top of the zone feels feels more common.
Apparently, foul balls surpassed balls in play in 2017 and have been continuing to do so ever since:
https://www.thescore.com/mlb/news/3197557/the-quiet-scourge-of-the-foul-ball
Having watched the Mariner's all year, the assessment of their defense doesn't surprise me.
Other teams run on their outfielders constantly. At least once a game their infielders will throw a ball to first into the stands. You can generally count on an outfielder misplaying a single into a double every game.
Twice their outfielders have picked up a ball started to throw it to the cutoff man, only to have the ball slip out of their hands and land behind them.
I think they may lead the majors in giving up at least one run in the first inning. There was a stretch in June where I think they managed to do that 10 games in a row?
Good times.
From the description you've given here, this seems like one of those rare cases where the blame for poor play of a team falls squarely upon the shoulders of the manager and his coaching staff, and justifies cleaning house and starting over. Defensive skills and heads up play are something that can be taught through effective coaching, moreso than hitting or pitching, which involves getting the most out of the talent that's already there.
It will be interesting to read about Care when JoeP has recovered from the TimeZoneWarp. I think that it can cut both ways - attention to detail vs. overthinking things. Content as a cow vs. the unexamined life isn't worth living. "Don't think; it can only hurt your team" is true. And it's false. So I look forward to the Poz analysis of magic.
The Red Sox should be ashamed, trying to get hits and score runs when they were down 9-1. Don't they know the game is over at that point?
Oh, it doesn't work that way too? Interesting.
This may or may not be off the point, but the mere fact that there are statistical formulas that actually reward players for influencing an umpire to make an incorrect call tells you everything you need to know about what's wrong with our game.
If you respect a catcher who is supposedly good at framing pitches, stop complaining about bad umpiring. Period.
I don't know why so many people think that pitch framing is about trying to deceive the umpire, "cheat," or make an incorrect call. It's not trying to get the ump to call a ball a strike; it's just as much, if not more, trying to get him to call a STRIKE a strike. It's trying to get the benefit of the doubt to go your way, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with it.
lol
As a former catcher, I wholeheartedly disagree
A batter is awarded a two base walk when a plate appearance results in 4 balls without a strike. Any runners advance as needed. If there is one runner on base he goes to or stays at third.
Joe, great picture of the Na Pali coast. We were there last week. A terrific experience.
I give Josh credit for creativity. Beyond that... no.
Think of the extended at bats involving multiple foul balls. Think of Whitey Ashburn. But maybe having a foul ball count as the third strike after a certain number of fouls is unfair to the hitter, so maybe he would get first base instead?
And a word about Seattle. Dave Niehaus said in the early 1990s that for the team to be at .500 for its history, they would need two undefeated seasons. Niehaus was the greatest Mariner (sorry, Junior and Randy and Edgar), and now Rick Rizzs is retiring after 44 years in MLB, 41 with the Mariners (and three in the impossible job of succeeding Ernie Harwell), and he sure deserved better than this.