Baseball
Related: About this forumWhy its easier to throw a no-hitter
I've been posting my own thoughts in other threads, but S.F. Chronicle beat writer John Shea (condensed from a published article) takes it a lot further:
The disappearing single: The homer-or-bust attitude is prevalent among MLB hitters. Entering Saturday, just five teams had more hits than strikeouts: the Astros (plus-111 differential) and Red Sox (plus-20), plus three others that could fall into the minus at any moment: Padres (plus-5), Blue Jays (plus-4) and Nationals (plus-2). Exit velocities and launch angles are critical for hitters to get the ball over the outfielders heads, while hitting singles is becoming a lost art.
Shifts work: Teams are now very good at defensive positioning even if it means drastically shifting a group of fielders to a certain hot spot so good that MLB is experimenting in Double-A this year with limiting shifts in an effort to create more action.
Hitters refuse to beat the shift: Alex Dickerson (Giants) hit a beaut Friday night. After Trevor Bauer (Dodgers) retired his first five batters, with two outs and a 2-2 count in the second inning, Dickerson used an inside-out swing to ground a ball up the third-base line. No defender was close, and Dickerson got a hit. That strategy is rare.
The Mariners, Rangers and Indians cant hit: The Mariners entered Saturday hitting .197 as a team .197 as a team. How is that even possible? That would blow away the record for lowest average in a season, belonging to the 1888 Washington Nationals (.207), and thats pathetic. The Mariners are one of the three teams to get no-hit twice. The others are the Indians, whose .212 average was second lowest in the majors, and the Rangers, who perennially are among the swing-and-miss leaders and this year apparently hit only fastballs. Anything with break baffles them, which is why Kluber threw just 25 fastballs in his 101-pitch no-hitter. These three teams all have designated hitters and cant blame their lack of hitting on pitchers stepping into the box.
And ...
The two-strike approach is no longer a thing: Choke up with two strikes? Go the other way with two strikes? Just make contact with two strikes? As if.
Technology (Pitchers seem to benefit from modern gadgetry more than hitters).
Foreign substances (!)
and finally ...
Its a different ball
Okay, the ball is part of it, but don't blame it entirely. Power is emphasized (and encouraged) over finesse. Hitting strategy is becoming a lost art.
LINK (probable paywall): https://www.sfchronicle.com/giants/shea/article/How-baseball-evolved-to-where-no-hitters-are-no-16196530.php
The Wizard
(12,831 posts)drive Cadillacs ."
(Babe Ruth)
True Dough
(20,063 posts)Adding insult to injury, Bauer was once on my home team Indians.
I missed Bauers start vs SF due to unfortunate events.
True Dough
(20,063 posts)Your blood pressure won't care for the goings on whatsoever!
Auggie
(31,772 posts)At least they weren't no-hit
SergeStorms
(19,310 posts)All these things (minus the "new" baseball) have existed for at least the past decade. Why are all the no-hitters just happening now?
Sibelius Fan
(24,622 posts)Auggie
(31,772 posts)There were eight no-hitters in 2019, six in 2018, seven in 2015 and eight in 2014.
https://www.espn.com/mlb/history/nohitters
The stars have aligned, so to speak.
I believe the lack of true revenue sharing and salary cap also contributes to weak hitting teams. When a franchise like Cleveland loses top hitters like Lindor, Brantley and Santana to free agency and replaces them with prospects they are more vulnerable to being no-hit.
Colder temperatures in April and May are problematic too, according to Terry Francona.
brush
(57,219 posts)early in the season when the pitchers are ahead of the hitters. It's just a couple of more than most seasons isn't it?
Agreed though that most hitters seem to swinging for the fences, but that's been going on for several seasons now. When you watch the sports highlights on the news it's always showing the home run blasts or strike outs from trying hit home runs.
underpants
(186,377 posts)True Dough
(20,063 posts)is definitely under the microscope today!
Auggie
(31,772 posts)Probably the easiest thing to deal with too.
This is one area I agree is out of control. Foreign substances that help grip the ball or make it move is cheating. Just be fair and thorough in its policing.