Random Baseball Posts

[RandyMarsh]

Great video Chas! Kinda OT but Babe Ruth's swing is so sweet, you can argue whether or not it would work in today's game but in general how he transfers is weight, the lag he creates with his wrists/hands and how long he keeps the barrel in the zone is so amazing. For how heavy of bat he swung he probably still had insane bat speed. 

[gehringer_2]

On 11/26/2024 at 11:20 PM, chasfh said:

Here is an amazing 30-minute film from 1934 called

Some of the more amazing things you will see are the various pitching and batting motions the players exhibited 90 years ago. With only a few exceptions, none of them like anything like the players of today.

Another notable thing that the film is underwritten by Fisher Body. 

One thing is pretty clear, none of those pitchers probably ever broke 90 mph. We talk a lot about spin today but spin works in direct proportion to the loss of time to look, and that's 100% because of increasing velo. The talk about it seems to have died down but moving the mound back a foot or two needs to be considered more seriously.

[chasfh]

12 hours ago, gehringer_2 said:

One thing is pretty clear, none of those pitchers probably ever broke 90 mph. We talk a lot about spin today but spin works in direct proportion to the loss of time to look, and that's 100% because of increasing velo. The talk about it seems to have died down but moving the mound back a foot or two needs to be considered more seriously.

I would rather increase the weight of the ball by a quarter ounce or so than move the mound back. Both would affect pitchers and spike injuries, but at least one of them doesn’t change the actual appearance of the game.

[TJ Rollercoaster]

In a 'Where are they now' type of thing...

TORONTO (AP) — Former All-Star closer Fernando Rodney has signed to pitch for the Hamilton Cardinals of Ontario’s Intercounty Baseball League for the 2025 season.

 

https://www.tsn.ca/mlb/former-all-star-closer-fernando-rodney-signs-with-hamilton-of-ontario-s-intercounty-baseball-league-1.2211541

[gehringer_2]

2 hours ago, chasfh said:

I would rather increase the weight of the ball by a quarter ounce or so than move the mound back. Both would affect pitchers and spike injuries, but at least one of them doesn’t change the actual appearance of the game.

what is the theory behind the a foot longer throw affecting injury rate? If a pitcher is already throwing at max effort, where the ball is caught would seem immaterial to his his release physics.

[chasfh]

6 hours ago, TJ Rollercoaster said:

In a 'Where are they now' type of thing...

TORONTO (AP) — Former All-Star closer Fernando Rodney has signed to pitch for the Hamilton Cardinals of Ontario’s Intercounty Baseball League for the 2025 season.

 

https://www.tsn.ca/mlb/former-all-star-closer-fernando-rodney-signs-with-hamilton-of-ontario-s-intercounty-baseball-league-1.2211541

Oh no will it affect his hall of fame eligibility

[chasfh]

5 hours ago, gehringer_2 said:

what is the theory behind the a foot longer throw affecting injury rate? If a pitcher is already throwing at max effort, where the ball is caught would seem immaterial to his his release physics.

I have no theory, but it doesn't mean it's not a possibility, or even probability. One hypothesis is that pitchers have to change the way they throw to dot the strike zone from 62 feet in a way that's different from  60 feet six inches.

[Tiger337]

1 hour ago, chasfh said:

Oh no will it affect his hall of fame eligibility

The best part of the story is learning that this league has been playing since 1919.  

[gehringer_2]

1 hour ago, chasfh said:

I have no theory, but it doesn't mean it's not a possibility, or even probability. One hypothesis is that pitchers have to change the way they throw to dot the strike zone from 62 feet in a way that's different from  60 feet six inches.

OK - raise the mound back up an inch or two and the pitch angles stay exactly the same. Problem solved! 😉

[chasfh]

38 minutes ago, gehringer_2 said:

OK - raise the mound back up an inch or two and the pitch angles stay exactly the same. Problem solved! 😉

ha ha ha ha no

[Cruzer1]

2 hours ago, chasfh said:

I have no theory, but it doesn't mean it's not a possibility, or even probability. One hypothesis is that pitchers have to change the way they throw to dot the strike zone from 62 feet in a way that's different from  60 feet six inches.

As I have been told that I need a shoulder replacement; I would hope that MLB doesn't make changes that causes more shoulder injuries.

[chasfh]

Did you say you wanted to see Mickey Mantle’s first career at-bat? Well, here you go, then: 

 

 

[Arlington]

Baseball is talking about a Golden At-Bat  It was described as

"A manager can use one Golden At-Bat per game to slot their preferred batter into the order for a single at-bat. I’m in the on-deck circle with the bases loaded, and Juan Soto is on the bench. So you simply send Soto to the plate instead of me."

I think they should allow a pitcher a free toss at a batter each game.  If they hit him, it's counted as two balls.  If they miss, just one ball.  The pitcher has to signal the throw and it will be broadcast by the stadium announcer.  The pitcher will get an extra 20 seconds to build tension and give fans a chance to get a viewing point. 

Anyone else have a totally stupid idea to make the game more entertaining?

[Tigermojo]

Golden at bat will be great when every manager intentionally walks them.

 

[casimir]

1 hour ago, Arlington said:

Anyone else have a totally stupid idea to make the game more entertaining?

OK, hear me out.  Suppose you take the all star game and tie World Series home field advantage to the outcome of the all star game?  The league that wins the all star game gets 4 of the 7 games at home?  How’s about that?

[casimir]

So this golden at batter, I got to thinking…..  Let’s get Savannah Bananas with this.  That batter has to run the bases in reverse order.  Home to 3rd to 2nd to 1st and back to home.  And, if he scores, it’s a run deleted from the opposition rather than adding a run for his team.

[IdahoBert]

Maybe the golden at bat should be your best hitter, and you give them an aluminum bat or maybe one made out of something SpaceX has created. Whee! ‘Merica!

[VegasTiger]

I don't think they should do it but they should bring it up every off-season just for the snappy banter.

[IdahoBert]

On 11/27/2024 at 11:38 AM, RandyMarsh said:

Great video Chas! Kinda OT but Babe Ruth's swing is so sweet, you can argue whether or not it would work in today's game but in general how he transfers is weight, the lag he creates with his wrists/hands and how long he keeps the barrel in the zone is so amazing. For how heavy of bat he swung he probably still had insane bat speed. 

His swing is really a thing of beauty to behold. The way the force rises up from his feet and legs and spins around into that big Buddha belly of his then flows down his arms and concentrates into the barrel of the bat where the ball meets the sweet spot of the bat just perfectly. It’s just breathtaking to witness. 

[Tiger337]

13 hours ago, Tigermojo said:

Golden at bat will be great when every manager intentionally walks them.

 

This was my first thought when I heard it.  If you bring up your best hitter in the most important moment of the game, he is going to be walked intentionally very frequently.  

[chasfh]

14 hours ago, Tigermojo said:

Golden at bat will be great when every manager intentionally walks them.

 

Walk the Golden Batter and everyone takes two bases. Problem solved. Next. 💩

[papalawrence]

Admiring Musial's 1948 season. Lead the league in most everything, except came up 1 home run short of Mize and Kiner. Hits, runs, rbi, avg, obp, ops, ops+, 2b, 3b, tb, slg. He just hit. I have his 1953 Bowman color card and it's one of my favorites. I am a stat nerd.

 

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/musiast01.shtml

Edited December 4, 2024 by papalawrence

[casimir]

19 hours ago, IdahoBert said:

Maybe the golden at bat should be your best hitter, and you give them an aluminum bat or maybe one made out of something SpaceX has created. Whee! ‘Merica!

Aluminum bat…… hey, wait a second.  Make it a wiffle ball at bat.  Half of the fielders come off of the field.  Opposite side of the field is out.  Use lawn chairs for bases.  Return the batted ball to pitcher on the mound for an out if the runners are still off base.

[IdahoBert]

5 hours ago, casimir said:

Aluminum bat…… hey, wait a second.  Make it a wiffle ball at bat.  Half of the fielders come off of the field.  Opposite side of the field is out.  Use lawn chairs for bases.  Return the batted ball to pitcher on the mound for an out if the runners are still off base.

I’m thinking the inclusion of something reminiscent of “Death Race 2000“ should be included during the seventh inning stretch just for entertainment purposes. 

[chasfh]

20 hours ago, papalawrence said:

Admiring Musial's 1948 season. Lead the league in most everything, except came up 1 home run short of Mize and Kiner. Hits, runs, rbi, avg, obp, ops, ops+, 2b, 3b, tb, slg. He just hit. I have his 1953 Bowman color card and it's one of my favorites. I am a stat nerd.

 

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/musiast01.shtml

I’ve been watching a lot of old baseball film, mainly from Musial’s era and somewhat before, and most of the batters are squat in the box, hands close to the zone in their stance, and their swing is far more level from where the bat is held going into the ball than today’s hitter who holds the bat high above his head and has to bring it down to meet the ball, and batters struck out way way less back then, and I wonder, if a first-rate home run hitter came to the plate holding a bat like Stan Musial, would he ever hardly strike out, too?