Whatever you think about baseball analytics, it’s hard to suggest their prevalence – and their influence on how the game is played – has made baseball more exciting. They haven't. Don’t believe that? Then why is Baseball in the low minors experimenting with rule changes designed to un-do, to some extent, what metrics hath wrought? (See: Rules on defensive shifts.)
Shifts, emphasis on homers and Ks, the conga-line of pitching changes, even with the 3-batter minimum. All have conspired to pack less action into more minutes on the field.
The Astros showed us Wednesday night a little of what the game used to look like. It was good.
Their hitters didn’t swing like they were whacking pinatas. They made contact, they beat Atlanta’s shift. Their 5-run 2nd inning, after one was out: Single, single, run-scoring single, two-run single, lineout, run-scoring single. Beat the shift, don’t strike out. Put pressure on the defense. (Braves OF Eddie Rosario added to the scoring by making an error.) Make the bases look like a giant orange-and-white pinwheel.
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Joe Nuxhall liked to say, “If you have a bat in your hands, you’re dangerous.’’ He had it half right. The rest: “and you put the ball in play …’’
In recent years, Houston has sought players who don’t K. Batting champ Yuli Gurriel, OF Michael Brantley. The Astros struck out the 2nd-fewest times in MLB this season. They led baseball in on-base percentage.
Yahoo!:
The Astros have 21 fewer strikeouts than the Braves despite taking more plate appearances.
Houston’s hitters made contact on an MLB-best 80.6% of their swings during the regular season, where the league average was 76.1%. And they didn’t just lead baseball in this metric, they lapped the field. The gap between their mark and the second-place Toronto Blue Jays was larger than the gap from second to 26th.
Reds GM Nick Krall says that is becoming the Club’s hitting philosophy. Line drives, not necessarily long drives. The Reds were 19th in MLB this year, in Ks per game.
Crash Davis put it best: “Strikeouts are fascist. Throw some ground balls. More democratic.’’
Use the field. A strikeout is nothing more than a wasted at-bat.
Now, then . . .
AND FURTHERMORE. . . FanGraphs concise thoughts on E. Suarez:
It’s not a shock that Suárez’s side trip to short was an awkward one, but his offensive decline since 2019 has been a real plot twist. He still hit for plenty of power, setting a new career-high in barrel rate at 15%, but ZiPS does not see the batting average part of his line improving anytime soon, pegging him as a low-BABIP hitter from here on out. Like Yelich, Suárez’s decline against fastballs has been extreme: He lost roughly four wins of offense from ’19 to ’21 just against the hard stuff, and he’s not a disciplined enough hitter to handle being a teetotaler.
THIS SHOULD BE UGLY. For the 2nd time this year, the Bengals schedule is doing them a favor. They got bad Jacksonville in Game 4, right after an emotional W at Pittsburgh. Now, they visit the Jets, following their titanic W at Baltimore.
More:Paul Daugherty: Ja'Marr Chase, Bengals laid waste to perceptions by dominating Ravens
Any Given Sunday, as long as the Jets are playing Monday or Thursday night.
Jets fans would kill to be Bengals fans, and that was as true 10 years ago as it is today. Lost Decade? The Jets now own the term. One winning season in 11 years. They’ve been outscored 175-80 this year, which puts them ahead (behind?) last year, when they went 2-14 and were outscored 457-243. Essentially, the Jets are doubled-up on nearly every week.
This week, they’ll start Mike White at QB. He’s 26. Been cut four times in his career.
Three by the Jets.
The Jets rank last in total O, 29th in total D. Their last 3 losses have been by a combined 74 points. And we talk about need for relegation in baseball.
The Bengals should use the game to work on some things, such as their offense in the 1st half. Could be a heavy-duty day for Joe Mixon. No need to expose Burrow any more than necessary. In a win for leaf-rakers everywhere, Men 30, Jets 10.
LOL CLEVELAND. . . Two pro sports franchises are fighting over one bad nickname …
A roller derby team that has called itself the Cleveland Guardians since 2013 sued the city's Major League Baseball team in federal court in Cleveland on Wednesday alleging that the switch from Indians to Guardians infringes on its trademark.
"A Major League club cannot simply take a smaller team's name and use it for itself," the lawsuit said. "There cannot be two 'Cleveland Guardians' teams in Cleveland, and, to be blunt, Plaintiff was here first." (AP)
HALLOWEEN IS HERE. THAT CAN’T BE HELPED. . . TML’s Curmudgeonly Rules For Trick or Treaters:
If you’re a male whose voice has changed, you are too old for trick-or-treating.
If the name “Bieber’’ means anything to you, you are too old for trick-or-treating.
If you can tell time with a watch that has hands, you are definitely too old for trick-or-treating.
You better say thank you when I give you candy. You better scream trick-or-treat! upon your arrival. At the top of your lungs. Don’t come to the door and silently thrust out your bag.
Don’t ever complain about the quality of the candy. It’s sweet. It’s free. Rejoice and be glad. Or next year, pencils.
Parents, do not dress up. Please.
On the other hand, if you are a parent, you are not dressed up and I know you, I’ll give you a Keystone Light.
If you can tell me the name of my two favorite horror movies, I’ll give you a case of Keystone Light. (Hint: The Exorcist and The Strangers. Ckemout.)
If I turn you away from my candy trough because I deem you too old, and you respond by TP’ing my trees, I will personally hire Michael Myers to give you my Milk Duds.
Have a nice night.
TUNE O’ THE DAY. . . The most menacing rock tune, ever, and my 2nd-favorite tune all-time, right behind Blue Sky. A Desert Island Song, simply perfect rock-and-roll.
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