MLB Approves Changes to Strike Zone & Intentional Walks
- Thread starter nbafan88
- Start date
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Lareux
Guest
They're really just playing catch when walking a guy intentionally, so nothing technical should really carry over to the next batter when he's fully exerting and throwing normal pitches. Maybe it can be argued that the walk could get in their heads after watching 4 straight balls, but again they aren't trying to throw strikes and missing so it's doubtful it gets in too many guys' heads.
There are a bunch of other things they can do though to speed the game up, so I'd agree it seems a bit silly to focus on the IBB. There's always the oft chance that a guy throws a WP when trying to intentionally walk a guy as well, but I can't remember the last time I've seen that happen. I'd be surprised to learn it happens more than once every few years or so...even if it happened once a year it wouldn't be worth using as a reason to not get rid of the IBB...but the intentional walk should be well down the list of things to eliminate to speed up the game.
RetroVK
This claim is disputed
Should have read further before commenting.
nbafan88
Pretty much a regular
i just saw two days ago how an intentional walk messed up the relief pitcher.... it gives an advantage to the pitching team... really makes no sense.
and hopefully nobody compares that to the XP changes in the NFL...
for a league that was so resistant to change, this just seems a bit ridiculous
and hopefully nobody compares that to the XP changes in the NFL...
for a league that was so resistant to change, this just seems a bit ridiculous
L
Lareux
Guest
You don't know the IBB messed him up though, it's just an assumption. I agree about the rule seeming a bit ridiculous, they should be focusing on other issues.
L
Lareux
Guest
Yep, it has definitely happened.
Just like the video with Miggy...it has happened. But that was how many years ago, and have we seen it at all since?
KJ
Bump. Set. Shuma!
That's not our job though. Giving it up without pitching seems so beer league softball.
L
Lareux
Guest
Yep. And they actually made the zone smaller instead of expanding it to what it should be. They're contention is that it will lead to more balls in play because pitchers will be forced to throw it in the zone more...but they're still going to nibble, and if anything it'll entice even more of what you mentioned, sitting on the middle of the plate and now the middle of the zone as well.
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Lareux
Guest
Agreed.
L
Lareux
Guest
Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon said he's in favor of anything that gets his team more walks but that he isn't sure the proposed change to the strike zone would help put more balls in play.
"Guys might take more pitches, and you're still going to get a walk," he said. "It might benefit a team like us if they call it that way because the biggest thing about us would be an umpire that doesn't expand our strike zone. That's what we'd love to have.
"If you're going to shorten the strike zone, it can be counterproductive. If a guy is pitching down below that and we're just taking them, you're going to get less action. It's one of those things that you have to put it in play to answer the question."
mrpickem
SDQL Badass Stat Boss
few more anomalies
- [video]http://mediadownloads.mlb.com/mlbam/2014/04/19/mlbtv_arilan_32197731_1800K.mp4[/video]
- The pitch doesn't get quite far enough away, but it could have been disastrous.
- Wild pitch advances runner to third.
- Same as above except during the 2010 ALCS.
- Pitch advances runner to third, this time with less than two outs.
- And again.
- Other oddities like interference, a balk, a steal, or an out can occur during an intentional ball.
- An unintentional strike during an intentional walk.
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Lareux
Guest
Good stuff. So it happens maybe once every couple/few years or so. Like I said initially, even if it happened once a year I wouldn't think that would be a reason to implement the change, but that's just my opinion and I can certainly understand the other side of the discussion and the "it does happen," and even if it only impacted one game a year, it's worth keeping it how it is. Again, I don't like the change either...it just seems like misplaced focus for speeding up the game.
As far as it getting in pitchers' heads because they threw 4 balls in a row, even though they weren't trying to throw strikes so it won't weigh on their mental state, is just not something that seems to exist and there's no way to really even quantify that outside of assumption.
T
tipyerbartender1
Guest
They should not eliminate the actual pitches on an intentional walk. Weirdness is probably rarer than a missed XP, but it still happens. I've seen wild pitches or the ball just get away, and I've seen guys steal a base on them too. It's a perfect time to steal home plate if the battery is lazy. There are a million other ways to speed up the game, and who's complaining anyway. I've always considered the no clock thing part of the charm of the game.
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