Game Thread Twins vs Orioles 12:10pm cdt 5/26/2021 ad

[denarded]

Refsnyder is garbage. Put a fork in him....

[Brock Beauchamp]

2 minutes ago, Dodecahedron said:

So if Competitive Bungee Jumping changed their rules, should the MLB jump of a bridge too?

The NFL and NBA have growing fan bases, MLB has a shrinking fan base. Seems like people tend to favor entertainment over preservation of the 19th century.

[wsnydes]

4 minutes ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

The NFL and NBA have growing fan bases, MLB has a shrinking fan base. Seems like people tend to favor entertainment over preservation of the 19th century.

As someone that now despises both the NFL and NBA because of this very aspect, MLB really needs to go that route.  Baseball has the traditions that neither of those two sports have, but their willingness to change has brought them prosperity.  That's something I can't deny and I'm basically willing to accept that I'm unlikely to enjoy the changes.  But I'm not really enjoying the game as it is right now either, so its basically a distinction without a difference. 

[bighat]

We're all here talking about eliminating the shift....

Meanwhile we're watching 7-inning double headers and extra inning games that put "ghosties" on 2nd base. How about we start by getting this Mickey Mouse BS out of the game.

Does anyone like these new rules? They. Are. Terrible. And they need to go yesterday.

[Brock Beauchamp]

5 minutes ago, wsnydes said:

As someone that now despises both the NFL and NBA because of this very aspect, MLB really needs to go that route.  Baseball has the traditions that neither of those two sports have, but their willingness to change has brought them prosperity.  That's something I can't deny and I'm basically willing to accept that I'm unlikely to enjoy the changes.  But I'm not really enjoying the game as it is right now either, so its basically a distinction without a difference. 

That's exactly how I feel. And MLB doesn't need to blow up the game to achieve better results. The goals should be faster pace of play (easy to implement, stop batters from leaving the box between pitches), fewer strikeouts (change the mound slightly), higher BABIP (eliminating the shift against LHB), fewer home runs (already done with the deadened ball), and the return of the stolen base (slightly bigger bags). The needle can shift just slightly on all these things but together, they will change the game considerably.

MLB doesn't even have to do all of those things but they should start implementing some of them ASAP.

[Brock Beauchamp]

11 minutes ago, bighat said:

We're all here talking about eliminating the shift....

Meanwhile we're watching 7-inning double headers and extra inning games that put "ghosties" on 2nd base. How about we start by getting this Mickey Mouse BS out of the game.

Does anyone like these new rules? They. Are. Terrible. And they need to go yesterday.

I despise seven inning games.

I believe the zombie runner has merit, but not really in its current incarnation. Start with a runner on first in the 11th, a runner on second in the 12th. The game is likely over by that point and the goal of avoiding 15 inning games is accomplished.

[wsnydes]

1 minute ago, bighat said:

We're all here talking about eliminating the shift....

Meanwhile we're watching 7-inning double headers and extra inning games that put "ghosties" on 2nd base. How about we start by getting this Mickey Mouse BS out of the game.

Does anyone like these new rules? They. Are. Terrible. And they need to go yesterday.

Those rules were "fine" last season, but they're absolutely ridiculous now.  I can deal with the shift, but the COVID rules that remain this season are asinine. 

[Dodecahedron]

12 minutes ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

The NFL and NBA have growing fan bases, MLB has a shrinking fan base. Seems like people tend to favor entertainment over preservation of the 19th century.

If you can eliminate the filibuster, I will support literally anything you want to eliminate.

[wsnydes]

1 minute ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

That's exactly how I feel. And MLB doesn't need to blow up the game to achieve better results. The goals should be faster pace of play (easy to implement), fewer strikeouts (change the mound slightly), higher BABIP (eliminating the shift against LHB), fewer home runs (already done with the deadened ball), and the return of the stolen base (slightly bigger bags). The needle can shift just slightly on all these things but together, they will change the game considerably.

MLB doesn't even have to do all of those things but they should start implementing some of them ASAP.

I agree completely.  They don't even need to do anything overly drastic, just small tweaks would probably work out just fine while maintaining the spirit of the game.  Bring the strategy and action back to the game.

[mnfireman]

5 minutes ago, Dodecahedron said:

So if Competitive Bungee Jumping changed their rules, should the MLB jump of a bridge too?

Football started in 1869 and the forward pass was illegal until 1906. And a lineman could catch it until 1951.

If an outfielder caught a fly ball on one bounce it used to be an out.

There are many more through the years: https://www.baseball-almanac.com/rulechng.shtml

[Brock Beauchamp]

1 minute ago, wsnydes said:

I agree completely.  They don't even need to do anything overly drastic, just small tweaks would probably work out just fine while maintaining the spirit of the game.  Bring the strategy and action back to the game.

Yeah, just tweak things to encourage more, faster action. That's really the goal. Diminish the three true outcomes and require the game pace to speed up.

People aren't tired of baseball because the games are three hours long, though they *are* a little too long. People are tired of baseball because it's three *boring* hours right now.

[bighat]

Welp, time to get nervous.

It's never easy, folks.

 

[Brock Beauchamp]

Sigh.

The Bullpen Strikes Back

[wsnydes]

3 minutes ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

Yeah, just tweak things to encourage more, faster action. That's really the goal. Diminish the three true outcomes and require the game pace to speed up.

People aren't tired of baseball because the games are three hours long, though they *are* a little too long. People are tired of baseball because it's three *boring* hours right now.

Correct.  And far too often, it pushes FOUR hours of boring baseball.  It's more about the lack of action than anything.

[stringer bell]

The game will slow with Robles on the hill. 

[Dodecahedron]

1 minute ago, wsnydes said:

Correct.  And far too often, it pushes FOUR hours of boring baseball.  It's more about the lack of action than anything.

Many are raving lunatics over college football, which often ties up 4-5 hours of incredible monotony.  

[Brock Beauchamp]

1 minute ago, Dodecahedron said:

Many are raving lunatics over college football, which often ties up 4-5 hours of incredible monotony.  

I will never understand this country's fascination with the big two collegiate sports. Basketball *can* be good but so much of it is one superior team punching an inferior team in the face for two hours. That's not fun, nor is it interesting.

[bighat]

Nobody wants the closer job.

It's just non-stop barf when the bullpen gets their dirty paws on the ballgame.

[wavedog]

Well, the Twins have decided to provide some more excitement 

[Brock Beauchamp]

[wsnydes]

Just now, Brock Beauchamp said:

I will never understand this country's fascination with the big two collegiate sports. Basketball *can* be good but so much of it is one superior team punching an inferior team in the face for two hours. That's... not fun.

True, but the marquee matchups are usually very entertaining in both.  Oddly enough, I prefer the college games to the pro games, but that's definitely not without my quibbles.

[mnfireman]

I agree with a "pitch" clock or not allowing the batter to leave the box between pitches and, given the speeds todays pitchers throw, adjusting or moving the mound back. 7 inning double headers need to go away, the runner on second to start extra innings could stay, but change what inning it starts being used and lets get rid of replay challenges that are being used to see if a runners foot came off the base for a split second as he pops up out of his slide or his body briefly loses contact with base when he is sliding across the base on a head first slide but he maintains contact with the base at the end of the play. This is not the spirit of replay nor its intended use.

[TouchEmAllGuy]

Got it done. 

[SwainZag]

[bighat]

Chicken dinner.

More like chicken nuggets, but parts is parts.

[wsnydes]

And there was much more rejoicing!!

[AceWrigley]

We don't have a closer, its just the last man throwing.

[Brock Beauchamp]

[shortround81]

[wavedog]

Every so often Sano just like to single-handedly provide our offense that results in a win.