Want to read a shitty column?

[NAHSTE]

You do? I happened to have on handy.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/colu...i_gene&page=wojciechowski-111018&sportCat=mlb


Here's the synopsis, for the tl:dr crowd:

- SHORTEN THE SEASON
- SHORTEN THE PLAYOFFS
- THIS COLUMN IS DEDICATED TO PEARL JAM

 

[SethMode]

What madness do you speak!? Gene Wojciechowski has never written a bad column. His week 1 NFL column that predicts the 16 1-0 teams that will make it to the Super Bowl is generally one of my annual favorites. The only one better is the week 2 NFL column that typically contradicts the week 1 NFL column.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

I don't understand how shortening the regular season by one week will magically keep people interested in the postseason.

If you want to figure out how to get more people to watch the games, be my guest. 'Shorten the season' doesn't cut it.

Same goes for shaving games off the playoffs. The NBA added games a decade or so ago, and the NBA playoffs have never been more popular. The NFL added Wild Card teams, same thing. Nonsensical suggestion.

Would any casual fan, the type who is skipping these games, ever say "Hold on one second. Baseball is 154 games now? Best of five instead of best of seven? Well fuck, i'm in! What time!".

 

[Sharkweather]

And nothing against La Russa, the master of situational pitching changes, but let's ixnay the roster rule that lets teams put 11, even 12 pitchers on their postseason 25-man roster. Instead, make it 10, tops.

While we're at it, why not flip-flop the DH rule? From now on, use the DH in the National League ballpark and no DH in the American League park. The home fans would get to see a different style of baseball.

LOL, wat...

 

[Goober]

I don't think that column had a single good idea. The sports world is already tediously boring from November to February. Shortening the baseball season would make it even worse. And pass on pregame concerts. This might be foreign to some people but I actually watch baseball/go to games to...watch baseball. Not to see a shitty concert. Unlike the NFL, MLB is usually pretty good about having a classy national anthem before games and God Bless America in the 7th inning. What else do you need?

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=12860803&topic_id=14912854

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

I do wish they'd find a way to shorten games.

Bill James wrote a long essay once about two simple changes that can shave a lot of time off of just about any game.

-Pitchers get two "free" pickoff attempts per innning. All subsequent pickoff attempts result in a ball. This would eliminate the soft tosses over to the base that really serve no purpose and give the fans no action. It would also lead to more steal attempts, which is MORE action for the fans, because stolen bases are exciting. He argues that over time, casual fans wouldn't even notice that the rule existed in the first place.

-Managers get one "free" pitching change per inning. After that, a pitcher must either retire a batter or alllow a run in order to be removed. No more endless R/L matching up for the last four innings, especially in September when guys like Tony LaRussa have 10 RP's at their disposal.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

I don't know, maybe it's always been this way, but it does seem like games are getting longer as I get older.

I also don't like having to watch these elaborate rituals that hitters conduct between every pitch. Get your signal, step in the box, and get ready to hit.

Agreed on the batters. Pitchers, too. There are not enough Mark Buehrle's and Tom Browning's who get the ball from the C and fucking throw it right back (to illustate that point, I had to use an example from the 80's, Browning) They meander around, play with the rosin bag, rub the ball, etc.

Another thing that really bugs me, is the recent trend of pitchers and catchers appealing every single barely checked swing. I don't blame the players for that one, though. I blame the home plate umps, who have the power to deny the appeal, but NEVER do. On the obvious ones, these umps need to say gtfo, he didn't swing, get lost. Let's play ball.