Baseball is a game where optimal play is boring play. That's not the fault of the autistic nerds who figured out the best way to play, that's a sign of a poorly constructed game.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3985858&forum_id=2#36122070)

yeah, i don't think that's making the game less exciting.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3985858&forum_id=2#36122201)

i think the bigger issue is all the shifts teams use now.

they work, and that has caused a pretty big dip in batting averages, making the games less exciting.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3985858&forum_id=2#36122354)

Say it DOUBLED (it hasn't) from 1 a game to 2 a game per team. That's only 2 plays per game where the homer makes a difference in viewing, out of probably 50 balls put in play a game.

Have strikeouts even increased much?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3985858&forum_id=2#36122288)

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3985858&forum_id=2#36122335)

http://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/21596359/nhl-seven-reasons-why-nhl-goal-scoring-exploded-season

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3985858&forum_id=2#36122364)

I think it's the opposite -- it's that the rest of the field is doing WAY more than it used to as a result of the strategic shifts.

I do agree that this is the result of analytics and smarter managers; I just think you are wrong about which strategies were the catalyst.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3985858&forum_id=2#36122399)

you're going to start to see teams push bunting skills at the minor league level to fuck with shifts.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3985858&forum_id=2#36122447)

and i'm a guy who traditionally hates bunting.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3985858&forum_id=2#36122902)

home runs are inherently boring

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3985858&forum_id=2#36123446)

it's getting close to guessing.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3985858&forum_id=2#36123567)

They did all kinds of tests, went and inspected the Rawlings factory etc. This was prompted I believe by an inexplicable change in the launch trajectory these past two seasons that was significantly different than before two years ago.

They basically say that that it has to be due to some kind of changes in the ball even though they literally couldn't find any with all their testing. Interesting read.

Here's the report:

http://www.mlb.com/documents/7/9/4/278128794/Full_Report_of_the_Committee_Studying_Home_Run_Rates_in_Major_League_Baseball_052418.pdf

Article:

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/40170/prospectus-feature-mlb-commission-confirms-baseball-changed/

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3985858&forum_id=2#36123579)

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Rays bullpen day is now a three-day affair.

Rays manager Kevin Cash announced Thursday that reliever Sergio Romo is scheduled to start Friday night and Sunday against Baltimore, and Ryne Stanek is set to face the Orioles on Saturday.

Tampa Bay planned to begin the regular season with four starting pitchers and have one bullpen day, but Nathan Eovaldi hurt his surgically repaired right elbow in his last spring training start. Another starter, Jake Faria, could miss six to eight weeks after straining his left oblique Tuesday.

“We’re not trying to do anything that’s cute,” Cash said. “We’re trying to do something that’s right for us to win games.”

Romo, who had only pitched in relief in 588 games, started games last Saturday and Sunday against the Los Angeles Angels. He pitched one inning the first time, then 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3985858&forum_id=2#36126636)

if anything is making baseball shitty right now it's the emphasis on home runs and strikeouts. this one's just a team coping with being shitty.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3985858&forum_id=2#36126723)

There were 1407 hits in MLB in 2017 per team compared to 1466 in 2002 and 1493 in 2008. You legitimately do not notice this forced meme from the statheads that "everyone's swinging for the fences!"

What's happening instead is that players are more concerned with trying to secure an HR and risk the K rather than simply seeking to put the ball in play and hope it falls, there's an error, or they get lucky and get the HR.

Yes, strikeouts are way up, but a lot of that is due to the pitching platoon, not the forced batting.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3985858&forum_id=2#36126786)

That said, I think the changing nature of the game is what makes baseball so interesting compared to other sports. Other sports might counter this with a rule change. Baseball evolves and the players/coaches will learn to get around these new strategies. Bunting and speed were crucial in the baseball of the 1910s. Babe Ruth comes around and it shifts to power. In the 1950s, the players were slow sluggers -- few stolen bases. Stolen bases come back in the 1960s and, particularly 1970s. Pitching ruled in the 1960s. Batting ruled in the 1990s. Ten years from now, spray hitters, speed and junkballers may be paramount.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3985858&forum_id=2#36127088)

there are usually some exogenous forces at play when things change but that's true of any sport. you could argue that improvements in conditioning and athleticism etc. have had more of an impact on how football and basketball are played than on how baseball is played.

shit like the shift won't last. it's amazing that teams don't bunt into it every single time and i think it's just a matter of time before teams really push bunting skills to address it. will become much more of a situational thing.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3985858&forum_id=2#36212361)

starting pitchers limiting their pitches, and thus the hardest throwers are throwing their fastballs even harder because they don't need to pace themselves as much;

many pitchers are mixing in way more sliders and non-fastballs, which have more swings and misses, especially for those pitchers with good movement but who don't have the A+ fastball.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3985858&forum_id=2#36212366)