I hate this one game wild card... ('14 playoff thread)

I'd like to thank Billy for Addison Russell.

And perhaps Jon Lester.

 

This is true. Personally, I like a mixture of both. That's just me. Use stats as a starting point (in general), then give it to the scouts to go from there. And if there is a scout that you trust that tell you something totally against stats, always err to the scout and the eye test.

 

I'm not stupid in I know that their system is one that helps them find guys that fit what they're looking for in a way that was previously viewed as heresy in baseball. With that said, at some point a spade needs to be called a spade on the deal.

You can only live off of Brad Pitt for a certain amount of time.

 

Oakland uses stats waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much.

 

This would work for me, without a doubt. As to the purists, I used to be one, but evolution is needed in a bad way.

 

The main thing they need to do is find some way to speed the game up just a hair. There is no reason for a 9 inning game to last 4.3 hours.

 

They are trying out some things during the Arizona Fall League to do that.

 

Interesting. What are they trying out? If they can seriously get games closer to 3 hours instead of 4, they would be helping their cause tremendously.

 

One foot in box at all times.

No-pitch intentional walks. (This is already used in high school baseball and some levels of college baseball)

:20 rule between pitches. Anything over will result in a ball being placed on the batter.

 

I am not a big fan of the no-pitch walk, but meh.

Love the 20 second rule. I assume the one foot in the box at all times prevents the batter from stepping out between each pitch and spending a minute readjusting his cup and gloves and hat and retying his shoes? Once the at bat starts, you are in until the at bat is over?

I would assume the umpire can also give the batter a time out for getting hit, dirt in the eye, etc?

 

The one foot in the box is actually a T$$AA rule on the books that is hardly ever enforced except by Dale Ford who is a former MLB umpire that works in the Tri-Cities area. Time-outs can be granted on circumstances that you mentioned.

And the 20 second rule starts the moment the pitcher has the ball in hand with the exception of the first pitch. That one is contingent on when the batter gets in the box.

 

With this rule Matsuzaka would've walked 14 guys per 9 instead of 8

 

A batter adjusting is ****ing gloves after each pitch adds 30 minutes to a game. It's ridiculous. Take the ****ing gloves away, honestly.

 

Another good fix would be firing Joe West, and contracting the Yankees and Red Sox.

 

fyp

 

The Cubs wouldn't win if the other 29 teams were contracted

 

As a Cubs fan, I can assure you in a league of one team, we definitely would come in last place.

 

Well I hope your team contracts Ebola.

 

I heard the Yankees already offered it a 10/year $300M deal

 

It's not old enough yet. Give it 15 more years.