Question for MLB Baseball Fans
LapHunt
For those who never cared for or don't watch baseball, this won't be relevant. I'm interested though in getting opinions from those who either were or still consider themselves baseball fans to some extent.
Are you still able to enjoy this game with all of the showboating antics of this new wave of young players? I mean, these guys are strutting around like peacocks and beating their chests after every home run (Kirk Gibson did it after winning a World Series game on a gimpy leg and even he showed more restraint than these guys). You've got relievers yelling like maniacs and beating their chests after striking guys out in the 7th inning.
Most of today's MLB stars (Tatis Jr., Acuna, Soto, Guerrero Jr.) seem singularly focused on hitting home runs. The way they carry on at the HR Derby every year seems to be really closely aligned with their in-game behavior to be honest.
I've been watching the game since the mid-to-late '80s, and I actually found the game mostly free of this kind of BS up to about 2010 (or, if it happened, players would self-police with beaning, etc. to bring things in line). But it's gotten really extreme in the last few years. The reason is obvious to me. Players like Bud Norris and Brian McCann tried to talk about this but were shouted down by liberal journalists at ESPN and other places.
For those who've watched/enjoyed baseball at any point in the past, what are your thoughts on the complete cultural erosion of America's national pastime?
Are you still able to enjoy this game with all of the showboating antics of this new wave of young players? I mean, these guys are strutting around like peacocks and beating their chests after every home run (Kirk Gibson did it after winning a World Series game on a gimpy leg and even he showed more restraint than these guys). You've got relievers yelling like maniacs and beating their chests after striking guys out in the 7th inning.
Most of today's MLB stars (Tatis Jr., Acuna, Soto, Guerrero Jr.) seem singularly focused on hitting home runs. The way they carry on at the HR Derby every year seems to be really closely aligned with their in-game behavior to be honest.
I've been watching the game since the mid-to-late '80s, and I actually found the game mostly free of this kind of BS up to about 2010 (or, if it happened, players would self-police with beaning, etc. to bring things in line). But it's gotten really extreme in the last few years. The reason is obvious to me. Players like Bud Norris and Brian McCann tried to talk about this but were shouted down by liberal journalists at ESPN and other places.
For those who've watched/enjoyed baseball at any point in the past, what are your thoughts on the complete cultural erosion of America's national pastime?
47 comments
What probably bothers me more are the actions of NFL players - the choreographed dancing around after a TD is really annoying.
Or the absolutely most annoying thing - when a defensive player sacks the QB, the excess celebration even if you’re down 42-0. Act like that’s your job
As far as I’m concerned MLB has bigger issues. I hate the increase in inter-league play this season. Still hating the DH and the extra innings ghost runner.
But most of all, they need to address the antiquated blackout rules.
It’s up to the players to enforce the “unwritten rules of baseball”. Next time one of the assholes from flamboyant cultures gets up to bat, they just happen to get hit by a 95 mph 4 seamer in the lower back or on their bubble butt.
I agree. If all the rule changes - I love the pitch clock.
I’m can go either way on the replay review. I’m all for reversing blatant errors but I don’t think the intent of the rule was to try and see if a finger touched the base (that could only be seen on a high def slow mo blown up review) - same applies to the NFL
acuna is the best offensive player by a wide margin over his peers. he's not just a home run hacker. great baserunner and is 3rd in the league in hits. he's a terror - an absolute nightmare that pitchers have to deal with.
Tradition is fine, but when it gets to the point that it becomes a weight that is dragging the sport's popularity down, then it is time for some changes. I just wish baseball had done it sooner.
However, the one thing that really turned me from a serious fan to just an occasional viewer and eventually to a non-fan was that fucking strike zone graphic. I hardly watch the game anymore because of that. I have to draw the line when my view of every single live play is completely obstructed by that garbage. IMO it's unwatchable.
It would be fine (and a lot more logical) if you could at least watch the live pitch, and then on the replay they put their computer analysis all over the fucking screen. But blocking my view with that distracting box over the catcher's face, and then the dot popping up where the ball supposedly crossed the plate, but you can't even see the ball for yourself... fuck that shit. They might as well just show a blacked out screen with nothing but the graphics. Why even bother showing the players on the field?
These new things, the pitch clock and the ghost runner or whatever, if you ask me I'd say I'm against them, but honestly I don't care because my love of the game was lost a long time ago.
i knew that ohtani was doing real well this season but did not realize how well until i just looked at the stats - holy shit!!!! i stand corrected. if i owned the angels the guy i would get rid of is trout, not ohtani. and contrary to popular baseball consensus i actually like the angels roster. their fanbase constantly trashes them but i like that team as they're fun to watch and are regularly competitive, even without trout.
As far as the clock. I think there should be more time. The vets like Scherzer and Verlander need a little more time.
And I agree there are a lot more douchebags coming up than there used to be.
I guess I grew up in an era where players would get dusted by Bob Gibson, Juan Marichal and Nolan Ryan. It used to part off the game.
I sort of miss the classic manager-umpire arguments. They’ve virtually disappeared with replay.
I’m probably biased. I was a longtime softball umpire thru the high school level and would hate to see umpires replaced.
But it’s probably inevitable.
An ump can remain behind the plate to call everything else that happens there if you love them so much.
As far as antics in the game, baseball still seems to be pretty watchable and enjoyable to me.
Pitch clock is great for fans. Though it must suck for the guys who would circle the mound or adjust their hat or nuts for days out if habit.
There’s no rule against a pitcher losing a bit of control on a fast ball that happens to hit a batter in the back or bubble butt.
What's happening in baseball is just a microcosm for what's happening to the country.
The undertone of my message is linked to demographic change. I didn't want to push that too heavily right away in my OP, but that really is the undercurrent of what I mean when I say "change the demographics, change the culture." Mind you, there were some wonderfully behaved diverse players in the past like Roberto Clemente and Albert Pujols who never engaged in such antics, but if we are being truthful and look at these 22-year old stars who are carrying on this way, I mean let's be honest, their names aren't Chapman or Smith.
Again, what's happening in baseball is just a microcosm for what's happening to the country.
I don't mind the antics and I like the analytics stuff. I watch mostly White Sox so they really only do it on the replay. However, I was watching a national game and I swear they re-drew the box to show a strike when it was clearly high and a ball. I'm only an avid watcher when the Sox are in it to some extent (unlike now), so take what I say with a grain of salt. My older cousin who is an avid baseball watcher does agree with me on the strike zone bs. He says it's forced to keep integrity of the umpires.
And almost all of the corked bat incidents happened after Gibson. The famous Sosa one wasn’t until 2003
It was such exciting baseball and so great for the sport that no one bothered to question it. I heard much, much later that the scouts knew that a backdoor slider was coming if Eckersley had a man on or something like that. Ok, even if you know the pitch is coming, coming from Eckersley, barely able to stand, just makes the whole thing at least a little suspicious. I was also highly rooting for the American League that year.
The game should be played with passion, flair, pizzazz, etc. if it’s done with the intent of just expressing emotion over doing something fantastic - and not showing up your opponent then I’m okay with it. Hitting a home run is one of the most exhilarating feelings there is - almost like a powerful orgasm. Doing so at the top level has to feel amazing - as does making a diving stop to a hard-hit grounder in the hole - and flipping the ball to 2nd base using the glove hand for the force out to end the inning.