Brownie19

Springer in CF?

As Hurl said - do you expect teams to just ignore this information? I'm not saying we 'need' it. I'm saying that is what's going to happen if you ban the cheat sheets. Next you'll ban signals from the bench to give an advance to those who can memorize data better than others? I just don't see it happening. As pointed out, a 15 second pitch clock probably helps curve a lot of this and keeps the game moving - which we all agree would be awesome.

You're going to mandate against teams having bench coaches who send in signals to a catcher? It has to come from the Manager? All because you want more offense in baseball? I think there are much better ways to tackle this 'issue'.

Do you say that because you think Chuckles is a moron? Obviously if they implemented new rules and pitch calls had to come from the bench - they would hire someone who's sole responsibility would be to 'call games' - just like you see in football with defensive and offensive coordinators. These guys would have an iPad in their hands with even more information available to them. I fully suspect it optimize pitching even more. If your primary purpose for eliminating this is to increase the amount of contact at the plate and offense across baseball, then I suspect there are better ways to go about that (as I fully expect if you remove cheat sheets, you'll see pitching coordinators on the bench calling games - which would be counter productive to increasing offense).

I think you're overstating this. We accept the time it takes for a coach to send a signal to a 3rd base coach, who then sends a signal to a batter after every pitch (with runners on base)...but the catcher can't check his cheat sheet during that time? We also give the batter time to step out, adjust his s***, collect himself and think about the patterns this pitcher has (which he just studied off an iPad before coming to the plate), but the pitcher/catcher shouldn't be given the same opportunity? We have a pitch clock in place - whatever you do in that time should be up to you.

They are? HR celebrations and bat flips are skyrocketing. It certainly appears that Pitchers policing the game doesn't actually work.

I mean - they do...but it happens before the game (when facing the SP) and in the dugout before they face a RP. They are looking at Ipads to review release points and that pitchers tendencies early in the count and when they are ahead/behind. For a batter - they only have to remember a few things at once. For the catchers, they would have to remember every batter and the differences for each different pitcher they use. It's too much. The alternative is a coach calls the game from the dugout - simply relaying the pitch call. You do see that. That would be somewhat similar to what we see in the NFL.

The counter to this is that NFL QB's have a binder on their wrist and both the QB and the defensive captain have headsets so the team can call in a play. I've never heard anyone complain about that. Personally, I enjoy the back and forth strategies implemented within the game (in most/all sports). It's easy to say "well develop pitchers who can get both lefties and righties out" and "well develop better defensive players" - but why don't we say "well develop more advanced hitter who can exploit defenses and eliminate tendencies that allow shifts to be effective?" Teams/Players using advanced technologies to gain an edge is definitely here to stay. Ipads are on the bench of all major sports now to provide instant feedback on what the other team is trying to do. Golfers now have books with slope %'s and such. I watched a video this morning of Brycen explaining how he uses slope, distance and speed to calculate where to aim. That said - I'd rather it not effect the pace of the game...but we already have to wait for the 3rd base coach to give some signs after every pitch. If a catcher uses that time to reference his arm band - then I don't have an issue with that. The pitchers going to their hat and changing the signs regularly is annoying - but that happens because teams have staff who are assigned to watch video and steal signs so their players can then steal signs while on 2nd base. Again - I doubt you're going to stop that....maybe we should throw more baseballs at players. Police the game yourself and send a message. I'm sure that will work

The Cubs and Rays did some variation of this a few years back....but the RP just stayed in the game while a new RP came in...then they went back to pitching after a batter or two. Similar, just without using a positional player to pitch.

Do you mean they'd play their best defender (say their shortstop) on the left side v. RHB and then move him over to the right side v. LHB? And move their best defensive OF between LF and RF depending on the batter? Man - that would really slow down the game, but I get it and am surprised nobody has ever done that. If it's the bottom of the 9th in a tie game and the winning run is at 3rd with 1 out and a pull hitter comes up.....I definitely want to put my best 'arm' in LF and would like to switch the LF and RF if one has a significantly stronger arm than the other.

These 2 will be 3rd basemen by the time they hit the majors.

That is f***ing horseshit.

Who are we saying is the best hitter of all time? Ted Williams? Are we saying it's Mike Trout, who's career wRC+ is 172 - just 1 point below Bonds. Or are we going back to the 1920's to the Ironhorse and Ruth?

Luis Roberts is really good. 60 games played, 3.1 WAR 160 wRC+

I'm not sure this is true. Don't score/shot with less than 24 seconds left if the game is out of reach is the same as don't bunt or steal late if you're up big. There are all kinds of showboating, trash talking and unsportsmanlike s*** that happens in basketball. Then there are the ****s who move their feet under the shooter to try and injure them. Again - if you're message doesn't make them reconsider or change their actions - that's a pretty s***** message. I have to think reputations would actually impact a players decision more than any petty retaliation ever would. There will always be players who don't give a s*** and stay in the league because they get under players skin, but for the most part, nobody wants to be remembered as a ****.

If the goal is to use violence to show the opponent that you won't stand for their unsportsmanlike behavior - then shouldn't the violence be substantial enough that the person/team would actually think twice about doing it again? Players have thrown at each other for decades - is there any evidence that it changed players actions? Did bat flips decrease because showing off like that resulted in getting hit with a baseball? Do you think KK thought for one second that he better not grab and take that paper because the consequences outweigh the rewards? Do you think the Astros (or other cheating teams) thought that maybe they shouldn't cheat because they'll wear one in the ribs? This has been baseballs way to 'police the league' for 100 years and, IMO, it's really ineffective....but just keep on doing it because it's tradition right? That makes sense The only time I see it being effective is when a players actions result in one of their teammates getting hit. Nobody wants to pay the price because some ******* on your team bunted or stole a base in the 8th inning when you're winning by 10 runs. Would a teammate be OK wearing one if that piece of paper had real information that would help the Rays beat the Jays in the WC game? I suspect they would - especially when the unwritten rule is to just plunk him in the middle of the back where it doesn't do any real damage. Having to wear a 97 MPH off the head might actually change your though process....but then again, I don't think throwing baseballs at people is the right thing to do in the first place.

It doesn't allow fighting. Fighting is a penalty. Do you also consider boarding and hitting from behind to be 'allowed'? Fighting is just allowed in the sense you don't get kicked out of the game (at the NHL level). But what's your point? Are you going to suggest a player shouldn't punch someone in the face because baseball doesn't allow it? Turns out they don't allow you to purposely bean someone either. Football is also a high contact sport and they don't need to "allow" fighting so players can 'police the game themselves' - in fact there's very little if any retaliation after unsportsmanlike celebrations (their version of a bat flip), chop blocks, helmet to helmet hits, low hits (or even just massive hits) on the QB. I just think throwing a baseball at someone is a pussy move. I've done it several times over the years and after the adrenaline wears off, I always reflect and think - f*** what a pussy move that was. It didn't change or solve anything.

Do you think this action would prevent KK or any other Tampa player (or anyone else in the league) from doing it again? Does the threat of being hit with a baseball in a spot that won't cause damage even make them think twice? If not - what's the f***ing point?

Actually I did. Remind me again what the Patriots did when Bernard Pollard took Brady out in Week 1? There is unsportsmanlike s*** in football all the time and there's very little, if any 'on field policing' of it. What on field policing do you see in basketball? There's very little if any retribution for a hard foul or an unsportsmanlike play. You don't see players throwing the basketball at peoples face. There are some situations where something happens (usually a big old pushing and yelling match - which solves nothing), but you don't see anywhere near the retaliation or on field policing in basketball or football that you see in hockey and baseball.

IHOP is great - I also love those syrups.

Ohtani/Trout/Rendon is up there too (when healthy) - but yes. Soto/Vlad is Ruth/Gehrig level s***.

If you think you need to send a message to KK, start McGuire and when KK walks up to the plate, stand up and drive him in the face. Message sent. Most act tough and will look like they want to fight while being held back by players/coaches - but the reality is most are pussies and don't actually want to send a message in a fair and equal manner. They'd much prefer to just throw a baseball at someone and then hide behind their teammates. It's pretty sad that's been the acceptable practice for more than 100 years. It will probably take a major injury or death to change it unfortunately. Could you imagine a hockey player just riffling a puck onto the opponents bench to 'send a message'? The reality is violence is almost never needed. What do they do in football to 'send a message'? jack s***. That s*** isn't needed in sports.

Personally I can't stand pitchers throwing at batters. Such a pussy move. If you believe violence is required to get your point across, then walk up to him and punch him in the face.

I wish the media would present it like that instead of giving him what he wants. I'd much prefer if they called him out as a douchebag for making a spectacle out of a nice tradition. I really hate that the world has turned into this ********. I must have seen 5 headlines this morning sensationalizing this nonsense that was clearly staged.

This was 100% planned by an attention seeking whore. What a douche.