What a start!

[Frobby]

9 minutes ago, LA2 said:

Yes, you are permitted twice on Sundays, but only 7 innings each, OK?

Works for me.    I always thought golf would be better if it was 14 holes, too.   

[Can_of_corn]

3 minutes ago, Frobby said:

Works for me.    I always thought golf would be better if it was 14 holes, too.   

But then you don't get to play the hole with the windmill.

[Frobby]

3 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

But then you don't get to play the hole with the windmill.

Just so long as I can play the one with the loop-the-loop.    

I am way better at miniature golf than I am at real golf.   Not that I play much of either these days.  
 

[OFFNY]

o

 

With their win over the Red Sox tonight, the) Seattle Mariners )are now tied with the Athletics for the best record in the Major Leagues, at 12-7 ...... so the Mariners need help from the Orioles this weekend, in order to establish themselves as the team with solitary possession of the best record in the Major Leagues.

 

o

[Beef Supreme]

1 hour ago, Frobby said:

Works for me.    I always thought golf would be better if it was 14 holes, too.   

Carrol Park, near OPACY, used to host a 12-hole course. Way back, you could "replay" the 12 holes at $2.00 for the back 12 to tally 24 holes overall. They have reverted to a 9-hole course. Fabulous urban course that is walkable for everyone. A few teeboxes are currently out of order, making the course easier because of the shorter lengths.

12 holes is the almost the best number of hole splayed for having a fun! It's a  quick shoot-about. Focus on hitting good shots over scoring as low as possible on the 18-hole scorecard -- that's often more fun : marking some great holes without the scorecard guilt. Twilight golf is really enjoyable! 

But MLB baseball games should never be scheduled for fewer than nine innings. The symmetry of a minimum of three times though the order - 27 outs - is critical to the integrity of the highest level of competitive baseball.

[Frobby]

10 hours ago, Beef Supreme said:

Carrol Park, near OPACY, used to host a 12-hole course. Way back, you could "replay" the 12 holes at $2.00 for the back 12 to tally 24 holes overall. They have reverted to a 9-hole course. Fabulous urban course that is walkable for everyone. A few teeboxes are currently out of order, making the course easier because of the shorter lengths.

12 holes is the almost the best number of hole splayed for having a fun! It's a  quick shoot-about. Focus on hitting good shots over scoring as low as possible on the 18-hole scorecard -- that's often more fun : marking some great holes without the scorecard guilt. Twilight golf is really enjoyable! 

But MLB baseball games should never be scheduled for fewer than nine innings. The symmetry of a minimum of three times though the order - 27 outs - is critical to the integrity of the highest level of competitive baseball.

While I would not want to see MLB reduce all games from 9 to 7 innings, the doubleheader rule has not bothered me.   As a spectator, 18 innings is a lot to sit through.   And, it is tough to manage a bullpen through 18 innings in one day the way that starters are used now.    So, I’m not going to say I’m a fierce advocate for the 7 inning doubleheader games, but I’m certainly not offended by it.  

[Beef Supreme]

50 minutes ago, Frobby said:

While I would not want to see MLB reduce all games from 9 to 7 innings, the doubleheader rule has not bothered me.   As a spectator, 18 innings is a lot to sit through.   And, it is tough to manage a bullpen through 18 innings in one day the way that starters are used now.    So, I’m not going to say I’m a fierce advocate for the 7 inning doubleheader games, but I’m certainly not offended by it.  

Some people are going to leave early regardless of how long games last. I doubt that shortening doubleheader games keeps more than an additional 1% of attendees from leaving prematurely, which is a negligible number. I certainly don't remember MLB saying this is the reason for the change.

Teams are allowed to bring up an additional pitcher so I can't find the argument "the way that starters are used now" to be a valid defense for the change. The difference between how starters are used in 2021 versus 2019 is insignificant. Managers can adjust to handling a pitching staff for a double header. Always have. I don't believe this has anything at all to do with MLB's decision. And MLB has not said it does.

Wasn't MLB's reason for 7-inning games Covid-related? Players had an interrupted ST and a short period to get ready for the 60-game season? That's not an excuse this year so there is no justification for continuing this travesty based on last year's uncommon events. MLB needs to explain why they are continuing to screw with the integrity of the game today. To continue with rule changes based on the events of last year is not reasonable nor justifiable.

[survivedc]

1 hour ago, Beef Supreme said:

Some people are going to leave early regardless of how long games last. I doubt that shortening doubleheader games keeps more than an additional 1% of attendees from leaving prematurely, which is a negligible number. I certainly don't remember MLB saying this is the reason for the change.

Teams are allowed to bring up an additional pitcher so I can't find the argument "the way that starters are used now" to be a valid defense for the change. The difference between how starters are used in 2021 versus 2019 is insignificant. Managers can adjust to handling a pitching staff for a double header. Always have. I don't believe this has anything at all to do with MLB's decision. And MLB has not said it does.

Wasn't MLB's reason for 7-inning games Covid-related? Players had an interrupted ST and a short period to get ready for the 60-game season? That's not an excuse this year so there is no justification for continuing this travesty based on last year's uncommon events. MLB needs to explain why they are continuing to screw with the integrity of the game today. To continue with rule changes based on the events of last year is not reasonable nor justifiable.

Last year Pitchers threw 1/3rd of the innings they will throw this year. It’s about protecting them, same as the extra innings rule. 
There have been 10 doubleheader’s already this year, most years it seems to be around 30 doubleheader’s. I’m a fan of doubleheader’s and two 7 inning games is more manageable to fit into your day, so I’m a fan and I don’t think messes with any integrity.

[Can_of_corn]

3 hours ago, survivedc said:

Last year Pitchers threw 1/3rd of the innings they will throw this year. It’s about protecting them, same as the extra innings rule. 
There have been 10 doubleheader’s already this year, most years it seems to be around 30 doubleheader’s. I’m a fan of doubleheader’s and two 7 inning games is more manageable to fit into your day, so I’m a fan and I don’t think messes with any integrity.

Any evidence that what they are doing is somehow protecting them?

Any evidence that an inning jump like many pitchers will see is harmful to most pitchers?

[Beef Supreme]

5 hours ago, survivedc said:

Last year Pitchers threw 1/3rd of the innings they will throw this year. It’s about protecting them, same as the extra innings rule. 
There have been 10 doubleheader’s already this year, most years it seems to be around 30 doubleheader’s. I’m a fan of doubleheader’s and two 7 inning games is more manageable to fit into your day, so I’m a fan and I don’t think messes with any integrity.

Did MLB say that the reason they are shortening games is to "protect" pitchers? Or are you tossing out your opinion not based on fact? I think the latter is the case. At no time did MLB release a statement that supports your opinion. I do remember MLB claiming the change would alleviate part of the burden of potentially rescheduling games that were postponed because of COVID-19 during the condensed 2020 season. Now that the schedule is back to normal, that justification has expired.

Also, when did MLB say that putting a runner on 2B in extra innings was implemented to "protect" pitchers? Hint: they never did. And, that doesn't make any sense. Managers continue in extras to remove pitchers judiciously until they end up with a position player on the mound. According to Jon Heyman last June, "Also this year the MLB plan is to use the Minor League rule with the runner on second to expedite extra-inning games ending, since the spring will be short, the schedule will be tight and there’s a desire to avoid 15-inning games and longer."

Would you agree that five inning games also would not "mess with the integrity of the game?" How about two outs per inning? That would "protect" pitchers too. Or two strikes for a strikeout. There are so many structural changes MLB could implement that would aid pitchers. And destroy the game as we have known it.

Finally, most doubleheaders are split gate; unless you have bought tickets to both games, the claim that shortened games are "more manageable to fit into your day" holds no water. Have you left doubleheaders early in the past? If so, you are likely to leave doubleheaders now, too. 

MLB's excuses for fundamentally changing the structure of the game last year are invalid this year. Football fans would be shitting bricks if the NFL shortened the fourth quarter to five minutes -- and rightfully so. 7-innning games are just a bastardization of a game that has been tremendously popular for 150 years. Baseball fans should be equally angry with MLB's disfigurement of the game for no good reason other than they have tricked themselves into thinking shorter games will bring in more fans. They won't.

 

 

[Moshagge3]

Does anyone get the sense that 7-inning doubleheaders make teams quicker to postpone games? Last week you had the Mariners in town. Ordinarily in that situation you're doing whatever you can to make sure you play through rain delays; Seattle only visits once so you can't make the games up later and everyone wants to avoid an 18 inning doubleheader. But with short doubleheaders, the O's postponed the series opener when there was a pretty clear window to play the game, I thought. I don't think that decision gets made under normal rules. And then they end up playing an entire four-game series under Little League rules. I know there have always been games shortened by rain, darkness, etc. but when playing a 7-inning doubleheader becomes an easy and attractive option, I think we're going to see a lot of postponements for drizzles and a lot of disparities between teams that will mess with integrity, frankly.

[survivedc]

4 hours ago, Beef Supreme said:

Did MLB say that the reason they are shortening games is to "protect" pitchers? Or are you tossing out your opinion not based on fact? I think the latter is the case. At no time did MLB release a statement that supports your opinion. I do remember MLB claiming the change would alleviate part of the burden of potentially rescheduling games that were postponed because of COVID-19 during the condensed 2020 season. Now that the schedule is back to normal, that justification has expired.

Also, when did MLB say that putting a runner on 2B in extra innings was implemented to "protect" pitchers? Hint: they never did. And, that doesn't make any sense. Managers continue in extras to remove pitchers judiciously until they end up with a position player on the mound. According to Jon Heyman last June, "Also this year the MLB plan is to use the Minor League rule with the runner on second to expedite extra-inning games ending, since the spring will be short, the schedule will be tight and there’s a desire to avoid 15-inning games and longer."

Would you agree that five inning games also would not "mess with the integrity of the game?" How about two outs per inning? That would "protect" pitchers too. Or two strikes for a strikeout. There are so many structural changes MLB could implement that would aid pitchers. And destroy the game as we have known it.

Finally, most doubleheaders are split gate; unless you have bought tickets to both games, the claim that shortened games are "more manageable to fit into your day" holds no water. Have you left doubleheaders early in the past? If so, you are likely to leave doubleheaders now, too. 

MLB's excuses for fundamentally changing the structure of the game last year are invalid this year. Football fans would be shitting bricks if the NFL shortened the fourth quarter to five minutes -- and rightfully so. 7-innning games are just a bastardization of a game that has been tremendously popular for 150 years. Baseball fans should be equally angry with MLB's disfigurement of the game for no good reason other than they have tricked themselves into thinking shorter games will bring in more fans. They won't.

 

 

MLB announced the rule changes last year and this year as part of “Health and Safety Protocols.” You are right that there is no official MLB press release stating that these rule changes are an attempt to protect pitchers (though the President of MiLB did say as much about the extra innings rule when it was first tested out in 2018). However, there are a plethora of articles out there that draw the same conclusion, not to mention interviews with players and coaches that echo this as well. If you can’t find any after a quick google search, send me a PM and I’ll be happy to send you a series of links. 

I apologize that my previous post made you so upset.

[now]

Okay, so it's still April, and we know the O's won't be contenders (just like last year, right?... oh wait...), but after tonight's 4-2 "laugher" over the MFY's, we're keeping pretty good company around the .500 mark:

Baltimore 10-12
Tampa Bay 11-12
Toronto 10-11
Skankees 9-13
Cleveland 10-11
Houston 11-11
Philadelphia 11-11
Atlanta 10-12
Washington 8-11
St Louis 11-11

[LocoChris]

On 4/23/2021 at 7:50 PM, Beef Supreme said:

Did MLB say that the reason they are shortening games is to "protect" pitchers? Or are you tossing out your opinion not based on fact? I think the latter is the case. At no time did MLB release a statement that supports your opinion. I do remember MLB claiming the change would alleviate part of the burden of potentially rescheduling games that were postponed because of COVID-19 during the condensed 2020 season. Now that the schedule is back to normal, that justification has expired.

Also, when did MLB say that putting a runner on 2B in extra innings was implemented to "protect" pitchers? Hint: they never did. And, that doesn't make any sense. Managers continue in extras to remove pitchers judiciously until they end up with a position player on the mound. According to Jon Heyman last June, "Also this year the MLB plan is to use the Minor League rule with the runner on second to expedite extra-inning games ending, since the spring will be short, the schedule will be tight and there’s a desire to avoid 15-inning games and longer."

Would you agree that five inning games also would not "mess with the integrity of the game?" How about two outs per inning? That would "protect" pitchers too. Or two strikes for a strikeout. There are so many structural changes MLB could implement that would aid pitchers. And destroy the game as we have known it.

Finally, most doubleheaders are split gate; unless you have bought tickets to both games, the claim that shortened games are "more manageable to fit into your day" holds no water. Have you left doubleheaders early in the past? If so, you are likely to leave doubleheaders now, too. 

MLB's excuses for fundamentally changing the structure of the game last year are invalid this year. Football fans would be shitting bricks if the NFL shortened the fourth quarter to five minutes -- and rightfully so. 7-innning games are just a bastardization of a game that has been tremendously popular for 150 years. Baseball fans should be equally angry with MLB's disfigurement of the game for no good reason other than they have tricked themselves into thinking shorter games will bring in more fans. They won't.

 

 

Great post

[OFFNY]

o

 

I was unaware of this until the) Athletics announcers )pointed it out on) NBC SPORTS-CALIFORNIA )at the end of tonight's game ...... the Orioles are over .500 on the road so far this year, at 8-4.

 

o