Article: Week in Review: Holding Steady

[drivlikejehu]

 

Good cautionary tale for crowning ourselves champions too soon.

 

Who crowned the Twins champions?

[Fritzderkat]

Wahl, now that there seems to be agreement on several reasons for the home run surge, how 'bout answering my other question: What is this doing to the integrity of the game?

For reference, in the good old days, sluggers had to earn their swats and dink hitters were dink hitters. How is it reasonably possible to contrast stats set today with, say, stats set in the '40s and '50s? It's not, from and practical standpoint, so it's silly for the leaguesteams  and sports media to keep running with it. A record every week, possibly on any given night. Stand by! Tape at 11 

 

[Mr. Brooks]

Wahl, now that there seems to be agreement on several reasons for the home run surge, how 'bout answering my other question: What is this doing to the integrity of the game?

For reference, in the good old days, sluggers had to earn their swats and dink hitters were dink hitters. How is it reasonably possible to contrast stats set today with, say, stats set in the '40s and '50s? It's not, from and practical standpoint, so it's silly for the leaguesteams and sports media to keep running with it. A record every week, possibly on any given night. Stand by! Tape at 11

I don't understand how this conflicts with the integrity of the game?

Teams and players have made adjustments since baseball started, how is this different?

Was the increased emphasis on base stealing from the late 70's through the early 90's an encroachment on the integrity of the game? Does anyone look back at Brock, Coleman, and Henderson's historically disproportionate stolen base numbers with some sort of asterisk?

[snotboogie]

 

The biggest disappointment for the Twins so far this year has been an advertisement on the radio broadcasts. The one about Twins tickets. The one about Twins tickets. The one about Twins tickets.

Thanks for putting that ear worm back in my head.

[jkcarew]

 

Wahl, now that there seems to be agreement on several reasons for the home run surge, how 'bout answering my other question: What is this doing to the integrity of the game?

For reference, in the good old days, sluggers had to earn their swats and dink hitters were dink hitters. How is it reasonably possible to contrast stats set today with, say, stats set in the '40s and '50s? It's not, from and practical standpoint, so it's silly for the leaguesteams  and sports media to keep running with it. A record every week, possibly on any given night. Stand by! Tape at 11 

I think "integrity of the game" is fine (IMO), as long as playing fields are level. For those that equate the integrity of the game with the state of historical records...that ship left port before this year, with both home runs and strikeouts. Approach, ballparks, the baseball, etc.

 

It doesn't bother me any more than it does to hear announcers drone on and on during NFL games about the amazing passing yards and receiving yards players x and y have. Just as meaningless, if not more so, than 2019 HR numbers in MLB. I tend to tune that out, and enjoy the competition of the game.

[Mike Sixel]

 

Wahl, now that there seems to be agreement on several reasons for the home run surge, how 'bout answering my other question: What is this doing to the integrity of the game?

For reference, in the good old days, sluggers had to earn their swats and dink hitters were dink hitters. How is it reasonably possible to contrast stats set today with, say, stats set in the '40s and '50s? It's not, from and practical standpoint, so it's silly for the leaguesteams  and sports media to keep running with it. A record every week, possibly on any given night. Stand by! Tape at 11 

 

I don't even know what integrity of the game means.....they are all playing by the same rules. The only thing about the game that matters in terms of "integrity" is if it is a fair contest at the time it takes place.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

Wahl, now that there seems to be agreement on several reasons for the home run surge, how 'bout answering my other question: What is this doing to the integrity of the game?

For reference, in the good old days, sluggers had to earn their swats and dink hitters were dink hitters. How is it reasonably possible to contrast stats set today with, say, stats set in the '40s and '50s? It's not, from and practical standpoint, so it's silly for the leaguesteams  and sports media to keep running with it. A record every week, possibly on any given night. Stand by! Tape at 11 

MLB integrated in 1947, which changed the level of competition, rendering old stats largely outdated.

 

MLB expanded in 1961 (and other years), which lowered the level of competition, rendering old stats largely outdated.

 

MLB lowered the mound in 1969, which gave hitters an advantage, rendering old stats largely outdated.

 

The AL added the DH in 1973, completely skewering old team stats, rendering them largely outdated.

 

Through the 80s and 90s, an influx of Latin players invaded the league, rendering old stats largely outdated.

 

I could go on but you probably get my point by now.

[h2oface]

And regarding integrity... there has been a better option to call instantaneous balls and strikes for at least ten years, yet...... the game continues to let umpires guess, and to the tune of about 10-15% wrong each game. 

[Fritzderkat]

 

I don't even know what integrity of the game means.....they are all playing by the same rules. The only thing about the game that matters in terms of "integrity" is if it is a fair contest at the time it takes place.

 

[Fritzderkat]

All of these comments are helpful. Somehow in my dotage I forget that everything is relative.

Beauchamp puts it very well. The only things missing are domed stadiums and artificial turf.

[diehardtwinsfan]

 

I don't think that's the case at all. The 2019 squad started the season with Sano, possibly their best slugger (though everyone's so good right now it's almost a moot point), on the IL. Later, they had their two best overall hitters (Cruz and Garver) go down for a few weeks each.

 

The team played some of its best baseball during that stretch of play.

 

If a pitcher goes down, things could get ugly, but thus far the team has weathered some really good players spending extended time away from the field and no one missed a beat.

 

yeah, this team is a lot deeper than that team was... wasn't Lawton traded that year too? or am I thinking of 2002?

 

I'm not even worried about a starter going down for a couple weeks. Smeltzer has shown he can step in and be competent... Multiple starters though... that's worrisome, and the pen scares me more and more as the season goes on. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

yeah, this team is a lot deeper than that team was... wasn't Lawton traded that year too? or am I thinking of 2002?

 

I'm not even worried about a starter going down for a couple weeks. Smeltzer has shown he can step in and be competent... Multiple starters though... that's worrisome, and the pen scares me more and more as the season goes on. 

Lawton was traded in 2001 and proceeded to be pretty bad for the Mets.

[Squirrel]

 

Thanks for putting that ear worm back in my head.

Ahhh ... the joys of living out of area.

[Nine of twelve]

 

MLB integrated in 1947, which changed the level of competition, rendering old stats largely outdated.

 

MLB expanded in 1961 (and other years), which lowered the level of competition, rendering old stats largely outdated.

 

MLB lowered the mound in 1969, which gave hitters an advantage, rendering old stats largely outdated.

 

The AL added the DH in 1973, completely skewering old team stats, rendering them largely outdated.

 

Through the 80s and 90s, an influx of Latin players invaded the league, rendering old stats largely outdated.

 

I could go on but you probably get my point by now.

Don't forget that in 1969 there was expansion as well.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

Don't forget that in 1969 there was expansion as well.

Yeah, and 93 and 98. I figured "and other years" was good enough to make the point.

[Nine of twelve]

 

Yeah, and 93 and 98. I figured "and other years" was good enough to make the point.

I mentioned that because it was in conjunction with the mound height adjustment.