MLB lifers decry the state of the modern baseball: 'Unwatchable'

[DrungoHazewood]

7 hours ago, OriolesMagic83 said:

I would like to see the mound raised again.  Seems like that would swing the balance towards the pitchers more.  Would it effect HR numbers any?

That would be a great way to get to 13 K/9 and drive batting averages down into the .210s.  Overall homers might decrease a little, but homers as a percentage of hits would probably go up.

[DrungoHazewood]

Just now, drjohnnyfeva said:

We're seeing minions everywhere...  THAT makes it boring.  There used to be a variety of skill sets and abilities that were put together to work as a team.  I'm not certain that is the case now.

We know that certain types of players and styles of play are going extinct or already are.  A long time ago we lost the smaller guy who'd work the count and hit .320 with a ton of walks but little power.  We're losing the .300 line drive hitter.  Few players are of the Nick Markakis mold, with good contact skills but low to moderate power.  Hanser Alberto is kind of unique.  I don't think we've had a Boggs or Gwynn since Boggs and Gwynn.  Ichiro was wonderful, but he's the only one of that type since probably the 50s or 60s.  Billy Hamilton is one of the last of the pure speed guys like Vince Coleman.

If you don't have loft and max exit velocity, or the potential to get there, you're written off as a prospect.  I think that someone like Richie Ashburn would be retooled in A ball to swing hard and hit the ball in the air and ends up as a Joey Rickard.  An Eddie Yost type would have to hit more homers or be out of baseball. The Alou brothers would be 4th outfielder, role players.  Maybe Felipe with some power would have a shot.

[DrungoHazewood]

16 hours ago, sevastras said:

Fair enough, but this whole thread is speculation and absurd suggestions on how to make the game more interesting.  I think my argument has more merit than 3 balls equal a walk, foul balls in play are now fair, you can steal first, moving the bases, adding a base, moving walls in, no pitches over 93mph, dancing girls in cages at the park 

Maybe we need a competition.  The NL can have no DH, beanball wars, fistfights, catchers setting up 20' up the 3B line wrestling runners to the plate, no limits on takeout slides, and $50,000 bonuses for knocking an opponent out of the game.  No more extra innings, ties decided by a steel cage match.  The AL can continue on with wussified baseball.  We'll see who wins with ratings and attendance and revenues.

[atomic]

59 minutes ago, DrungoHazewood said:

We know that certain types of players and styles of play are going extinct or already are.  A long time ago we lost the smaller guy who'd work the count and hit .320 with a ton of walks but little power.  We're losing the .300 line drive hitter.  Few players are of the Nick Markakis mold, with good contact skills but low to moderate power.  Hanser Alberto is kind of unique.  I don't think we've had a Boggs or Gwynn since Boggs and Gwynn.  Ichiro was wonderful, but he's the only one of that type since probably the 50s or 60s.  Billy Hamilton is one of the last of the pure speed guys like Vince Coleman.

If you don't have loft and max exit velocity, or the potential to get there, you're written off as a prospect.  I think that someone like Richie Ashburn would be retooled in A ball to swing hard and hit the ball in the air and ends up as a Joey Rickard.  An Eddie Yost type would have to hit more homers or be out of baseball. The Alou brothers would be 4th outfielder, role players.  Maybe Felipe with some power would have a shot.

Scotty Mcgregor was drafted 14th overall back in the day.  I wonder how he would be drafted today.  

[DrungoHazewood]

1 minute ago, atomic said:

Scotty Mcgregor was drafted 14th overall back in the day.  I wonder how he would be drafted today.  

How hard did he throw in college?  I remember the 1980s McGregor who topped out around 86.  He probably would have been converted to a sidearm LOOGY in the minors.