Playoffs are set

[spiritof66]

Been thinking about last night's game. 

For me, it was a great reminder that baseball is at its best, most exciting and most entertaining when a ball is put in play with runners on base: fielders reacting to the batted ball, runners reacting to the fielders, fielders reacting to the runners, runners ignoring the coaches, everyone making split-second decisions  based on their estimates of their and their opponents' ability and their own, taking into account the score and the inning. No other sport has that kind of panoramic activity and uncertainty, with so many possible outcomes. 

I'll take that kind of action over a launch-angle ball hit 10 rows into the stands, followed by meaningless trotting around the basis, any day.

Baseball is losing that excitement, and nobody in authority seems to care.

 

 

[HowAboutThat]

17 minutes ago, spiritof66 said:

Been thinking about last night's game. 

For me, it was a great reminder that baseball is at its best, most exciting and most entertaining when a ball is put in play with runners on base: fielders reacting to the batted ball, runners reacting to the fielders, fielders reacting to the runners, runners ignoring the coaches, everyone making split-second decisions  based on their estimates of their and their opponents' ability and their own, taking into account the score and the inning. No other sport has that kind of panoramic activity and uncertainty, with so many possible outcomes. 

I'll take that kind of action over a launch-angle ball hit 10 rows into the stands, followed by meaningless trotting around the basis, any day.

Baseball is losing that excitement, and nobody in authority seems to care.

 

 

I could not have said it better myself, and I have tried. Well said!

Edited October 25, 2020 by Philip

[SteveA]

1 hour ago, spiritof66 said:

Been thinking about last night's game. 

For me, it was a great reminder that baseball is at its best, most exciting and most entertaining when a ball is put in play with runners on base: fielders reacting to the batted ball, runners reacting to the fielders, fielders reacting to the runners, runners ignoring the coaches, everyone making split-second decisions  based on their estimates of their and their opponents' ability and their own, taking into account the score and the inning. No other sport has that kind of panoramic activity and uncertainty, with so many possible outcomes. 

I'll take that kind of action over a launch-angle ball hit 10 rows into the stands, followed by meaningless trotting around the basis, any day.

Baseball is losing that excitement, and nobody in authority seems to care.

 

 

Yep, I've felt that way for several years now.

I don't blame teams pursuing optimal strategies for their success, and that has what has led to this.  But the unintended consequences is that the game is less interesting to a lot of fans, and that doesn't bode well for the future of the game.

I was never a huge tennis fan but I enjoyed it back in the Borg/Connors/McEnroe era.  But the players got stronger and the rackets better and the game became about super hard serves for aces and not as much about great volley points.  I lost all interest in watching men's tennis.

And I think a lot of others lost interest too.  There was a time when the weekly or biweekly tennis tournament, even when it wasn't a major, at least got mentioned on the sports page or SportsCenter.  Like the nonmajor golf tournaments still do.  Not anymore.  To any casual or even fairly dedicated sports fan, nothing even exists but the majors anymore.

I'd hate to see baseball just drift off and disappear into obscurity like that in 30 or 40 years.  Lucky for me it's unlikely I'll live that long.

[eddie83]

Glasnow isn’t sharp. Playing with fire longer he stays in. 
 

Like 2017 Kershaw has a lead in Game 5. No trash cans this year.  

[eddie83]

Already 2 runs allowed by Kershaw. Infield hit, rare bad play by Betts. 
 

[Frobby]

4 hours ago, spiritof66 said:

Been thinking about last night's game. 

For me, it was a great reminder that baseball is at its best, most exciting and most entertaining when a ball is put in play with runners on base: fielders reacting to the batted ball, runners reacting to the fielders, fielders reacting to the runners, runners ignoring the coaches, everyone making split-second decisions  based on their estimates of their and their opponents' ability and their own, taking into account the score and the inning. No other sport has that kind of panoramic activity and uncertainty, with so many possible outcomes. 

I'll take that kind of action over a launch-angle ball hit 10 rows into the stands, followed by meaningless trotting around the basis, any day.

Baseball is losing that excitement, and nobody in authority seems to care.

Every time someone wants to adjust something to tilt the game that way, the traditionalists recoil in horror.    God forbid any rule get changed ever!

Teams that play launch angle ball are winning.  That’s the problem you have to solve.  

[eddie83]

Very good game tonight. Both pens were real good. 

[Just Regular]

Back to the Snell/Fairbanks/Anderson/Castillo even numbered game quartet to try and set up Buehler (and Kershaw?) v. The World Wednesday night.

The Dodgers have clearly dented the relief aces, but I don't look for any process change in Game 6.

This feels like it should be over 4-1 but for the gods putting their thumbs on the scale last night - an excellent bonus baseball gift.

[Frobby]

On 10/24/2020 at 11:34 PM, Moose Milligan said:

This game is bananas.  

Apparently you are not the only one who thought so.

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/historically-speaking-game-4-was-absolutely-bananas/

[OFFNY]

On 10/24/2020 at 11:26 PM, OFFNY said:

o

 

For some reason this particular game is reminding me of the 1979 All-Star Game, a wild affair which the National League won by a score of 7-6.

 

https://www.baseball-reference.com/allstar/1979-allstar-game.shtml

 

o

o

 

And for the entire series, it reminds me just a tad of the 2003 ALCS between the Yankees and the Red Sox. 

The Yankees were the favorites, and they twice got a leg up on the Red Sox by going up 2 games to 1, and 3 games to 2 ...... but the Red Sox (like the Rays in this series) kept themselves within reasonable striking distance by winning Games 4 and 6 to force the fateful/memorable Game 7.

 

https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/2003_ALCS.shtml

 

o

[Sports Guy]

We may have just witnessed the worst managerial decision in the history of the World Series.

[Just Regular]

Just caught up on the DVR and we're gonna have the mother of all anecdotes for TTOP contrarians.

It was something to behold - Snell the game of his life.   I paused to listen to the Cash dugout interview Top 4, and he was just like, "Yeah, he's going great, and now the offense needs to support him".   1000% - that is code for my decision matrix insists relief aces get Mookie at batter 19 if the game is close.  Reinforced after the move happened as Buck/Smoltz reported Cash was not bashful in pregame production meeting saying this is what would happen in this scenario.

Watching Snell fluster at the move very human - he had to know it was coming, even if he got Barnes out on #18, he was only earning gray area with Mookie as the tying run.   It doesn't help the process Anderson looks used up like mid-June Brach in a bad Buck year.

This completely plays into my Rays psychobabble that for all the 2% edges - is Snell really going to live and die with this team?

The preponderance of the evidence says the science of the decision indubitably correct, but boy, I may have to go looking for some Buck post game.

(In 2021, if we care about maximizing Wins at the major league level, it won't be correct much for any Orioles SP to get 19 on unless the score is lopsided, but I'm sure growing arms will get some leash).

Had the Rays won this series with this decision portfolio, it woulda been interesting to see how much copycat utilization happened right away next year.

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

To Kevin Cash

[Just Regular]

So much easier on the eyes Mookie in the Dodger blue.   Delighted for Kershaw to escape the Peyton/Ovechkin box.

[OFFNY]

2 hours ago, OFFNY said:

o

 

And for the entire series, it reminds me just a tad of the 2003 ALCS between the Yankees and the Red Sox. 

The Yankees were the favorites, and they twice got a leg up on the Red Sox by going up 2 games to 1, and 3 games to 2 ...... but the Red Sox (like the Rays in this series) kept themselves within reasonable striking distance by winning Games 4 and 6 to force the fateful/memorable Game 7.

 

https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/2003_ALCS.shtml

 

o

o

 

The Dodgers won it in 6 ...... next time just shut up and watch the game, you windbag.

 

o