IMHO not enough emphasis on good fundamental baseball...e.g. too many batters who can't bunt or have a good eye at the plate...pitchers who can't field or bunt/hit....umpires who are way too generous with their strike zones and call out way too many runners who are safe (as though they are eager to get through with game)...fundamentals relate to run production even if it is one run at a time....don't get me started....
Spot on. Fundamentals win ballgames. Need talent, but undisciplined talent gets you losses.. I just think things go in cycles. Won't be long before the bats start to dominate again.
That's what drove me crazy with Bobby Cox. He was a great personnel manager but nobody on the team could or would bunt...probably because he just wanted the hitters to slug it out. Works fine in the regular season but in the big series all the pitching is great and the manager has to earn his pay. I like Gonzalez a lot.
The strike zones are going back to the 90's. Being an old pitcher I don't care what the zone is as long as its consistent.
I like Gonzalex also...he has a good feel for when a pitcher needs to come out of the game. Cox was a great mgr. but he would too often go with a pitcher too long.
less steroid use overall combined with xx years of declining fundamentals. "Chicks dig the long ball" - remember that ad campaign? While many juiced the game up in the 90's and beyond there was less need for hit and run, bunting, little things to scratch out a run.
I would like to see 2 statistics....Average runs per game for the last 10 years for MLB and College. I have seen the effects of the new aluminum bats in college and I would bet average scores are down 30%. Makes for a better game - and safer game.