Orioles on pace to shatter MLB team strikeout record

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

Just now, Can_of_corn said:

The main thing I want is to keep the batters in the box.  You don't need to call time, step out, adjust your gloves and cup yourself after ball one.

That would help some.  (Looking at you Yankees and Red Sox.)

[DrungoHazewood]

10 minutes ago, OsFanSinceThe80s said:

Unfortunately MLB is more likely to go with putting a runner on second base to start an inning in games tied after the ninth before considering any of your ideas.  

My fear is that the 73-year-old powers that be will be roused from their stupor, see attendance and cable revenues declining and hastily enact some ill-conceived solutions to address the perceived wants and needs of those gol-darned millennials.  And then you'll have a game that alienates the aging core fanbase, while looking to younger fans like a game that's been tailored to a 73-year-old's vision of what's cool.  Fonzie,  He's cool, right?  More motorcycles and leather.  That'll do it.

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, DrungoHazewood said:

My fear is that the 73-year-old powers that be will be roused from their stupor, see attendance and cable revenues declining and hastily enact some ill-conceived solutions to address the perceived wants and needs of those gol-darned millennials.  And then you'll have a game that alienates the aging core fanbase, while looking to younger fans like a game that's been tailored to a 73-year-old's vision of what's cool.  Fonzie,  He's cool, right?  More motorcycles and leather.  That'll do it.

Non-baseball question.

Has any business managed to reinvent themselves to cater to the millennial market successfully? 

[Frobby]

38 minutes ago, DrungoHazewood said:

So far baseball has shown no inclination to do anything at all about strikeouts.  I wonder if that goes on forever?  Baseball's default position on rules is that the game evolves as the game evolves.  God handed down the rules on stone tablets in 19-and-aught-four when the NL adopted the foul strike rule and no amount of anything is going to change that.  Except the DH rule, which the purists still self-immolate about almost half a century later.

Since I became a fan in 1979 the strikeout rate has gone from 4.77/team/game to 8.87.  In Ruth's time the rate was a low as 2.67.  Not tinkering with the rules has resulted in a game where there are 2.6 homers per game and 17.5 strikeouts, up from a low of 0.2 and 5.3.  Used to be a bit over five non-ball-in-play events a game (not counting walks, HBP, etc), now it's 20.

Although it's not that different in events per hour, since the game is twice as long.

Strikes me that it’s very difficult to legislate strikeouts without drastically changing the game.   What are the options?

1.    Takes 4 strikes for a strikeout?

2.     Foul balls aren’t strikes?

3.     Shrink the strike zone?

4.     Alter the ball to make velocity go down?   

All those options would have collateral effects.    

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, Frobby said:

Strikes me that it’s very difficult to legislate strikeouts without drastically changing the game.   What are the options?

1.    Takes 4 strikes for a strikeout?

2.     Foul balls aren’t strikes?

3.     Shrink the strike zone?

4.     Alter the ball to make velocity go down?   

All those options would have collateral effects.    

I think it will be very hard to decrease strikeouts without increasing walks.  And if there is anything more boring than a strikeout, it's a walk.

[Luke-OH]

3 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Non-baseball question.

Has any business managed to reinvent themselves to cater to the millennial market successfully? 

Netflix is doing pretty well, not sure if that's millennial driven though. Cord-cutting is definitely something pervasive among millennials as compared to the general population.

[Enjoy Terror]

5 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Non-baseball question.

Has any business managed to reinvent themselves to cater to the millennial market successfully? 

Nintendo is probably better off now than it ever has been.

[DrungoHazewood]

26 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

So no Ohtani under your rules?

What if a game goes 18+ innings?  The last guy in the pen just has to suck it up and pitch until his arm falls off?

Has Ohtani played a field position and pitched in the same game?  My plan also involves some kind of reality show shaming event for each instance of violating the spirit of the rules.  Air cannons shooting Hostess snoballs at the manager and players in question.  Eating of jellyfish.  Swimming in mildly toxic waste.  We'll take care of the violators.

And I'm not against allowing Chris Davis or Ryan Flaherty to pitch the 19th inning. We're not a vindictive revolution. But... Hostess snowballs if you're gaming the system to use 12 pitchers.

[Can_of_corn]

3 minutes ago, Luke-OH said:

Netflix is doing pretty well, not sure if that's millennial driven though. Cord-cutting is definitely something pervasive among millennials as compared to the general population.

 

2 minutes ago, Enjoy Terror said:

Nintendo is probably better off now than it ever has been.

Netflix hasn't had to reinvent themselves. 

I don't know if Nintendo qualifies either.  Maybe?  I don't think of them as chasing millennials so much as doing what they want to do.

[jabba72]

Theres nothing that can be done to dramatically shorten MLB games according to this BBreference chart. Average game time in 1985 was 2:44, about15 mins shorter than today. It varies somewhat around 5-10 minutes by season.

 

https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/MLB/misc.shtml

[Can_of_corn]

4 minutes ago, DrungoHazewood said:

Has Ohtani played a field position and pitched in the same game?  My plan also involves some kind of reality show shaming event for each instance of violating the spirit of the rules.  Air cannons shooting Hostess snoballs at the manager and players in question.  Eating of jellyfish.  Swimming in mildly toxic waste.  We'll take care of the violators.

You said the 25 man roster is divided between position players and pitchers.  You didn't say anything about being able to change those designations on a game by game basis.   So if you moved Ohanti from a position player to pitcher you would be forced to move a pitcher into a position player role for the game?  I'm assuming it would be the starter from the previous game?

[Luke-OH]

Just now, Can_of_corn said:

 

Netflix hasn't had to reinvent themselves. 

I don't know if Nintendo qualifies either.  Maybe?  I don't think of them as chasing millennials so much as doing what they want to do.

Maybe not a reinvention, but Netflix definitely shifted from solely purchasing content to creating it quickly and effectively.

[jabba72]

Teams are already moving away from the launch angle obsession. OBP will always be where the majority of runs are scored in MLB. Which means you have to draw walks.

[Luke-OH]

Just now, jabba72 said:

Teams are already moving away from the launch angle obsession. OBP will always be where the majority of runs are scored in MLB. Which means you have to draw walks.

Evidence of this?

[Can_of_corn]

Just now, Luke-OH said:

Maybe not a reinvention, but Netflix definitely shifted from solely purchasing content to creating it quickly and effectively.

Sure, but that isn't what I was talking about.

I'm talking more about how Ruby Tuesday went about chasing Millennials a few years ago only to pivot back when it didn't work.