2022 MLB Thread

[CTWarrior]

I don't really care about that. For me, it added to the strategy of the game.  Baseball is also the only sport I know of that has every player play both offense and defense... except one.

You're certainly entitled to your opinion, and I suspect most fans who grew up following the NL would agree with you.  I think the strategy is overrated and sometimes leads to horrible outcomes like pitching around a Punch and Judy hitter to get to the pitcher.  With the dearth of innings pitched by starting pitchers these days, the necessity of the double switch is very much lessened too.  The decision of should I let a pitcher who is dealing hit the third time up is in general a moot point because you're taking the pitcher out every time these days.  Personally I'd rather see a real hitter hit than a .110 hitter, even if I lose the increase in strategy, which the average fan can predict anyway.

[Jockey]

You're certainly entitled to your opinion, and I suspect most fans who grew up following the NL would agree with you.  I think the strategy is overrated and sometimes leads to horrible outcomes like pitching around a Punch and Judy hitter to get to the pitcher.  With the dearth of innings pitched by starting pitchers these days, the necessity of the double switch is very much lessened too.  The decision of should I let a pitcher who is dealing hit the third time up is in general a moot point because you're taking the pitcher out every time these days.  Personally I'd rather see a real hitter hit than a .110 hitter, even if I lose the increase in strategy, which the average fan can predict anyway.

I agree completely.

So much of the "strategy" that is talked about, is really just automatic moves that every NL manager made.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Sorry this one went over my head

I know I am old when the youngin's don't even get Nickelodeon mentions anymore.

[#UnleashSean]

I know I am old when the youngin's don't even get Nickelodeon mentions anymore.

I'm pretty sure he's older then me, must not have watched nick.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I'm pretty sure he's older then me, must not have watched nick.

I was a cartoon network kid.

[Dish]

This Matt Harvey testimony is both brutal and sad.

[Dish]

This Matt Harvey testimony is both brutal and sad.

I understand that drug use happens by baseball players at probably most colleges, but not a great look today for UNC.

[dgies9156]

Ok gang, not sure how many of you remember the olden days but when Bob Gibson was pitching, he could handle a bat.

The man hit home runs in the World Series. And struck out 17 Detroit Tigers.

By contrast, Cardinal shortstop Dal Maxvill didn't hit his weight. A ball out of the infield by Maxvill was cause for a celebration in St. Louis.

Unfortunately, the rule keeps the Maxvills batting and sends the Gibsons to the bench.

[Uncle Rico]

Ok gang, not sure how many of you remember the olden days but when Bob Gibson was pitching, he could handle a bat.

The man hit home runs in the World Series. And struck out 17 Detroit Tigers.

By contrast, Cardinal shortstop Dal Maxvill didn't hit his weight. A ball out of the infield by Maxvill was cause for a celebration in St. Louis.

Unfortunately, the rule keeps the Maxvills batting and sends the Gibsons to the bench.

Well, that was the late-60's and it's 2022.  Sounds cool

[HouWarrior]

Ok gang, not sure how many of you remember the olden days but when Bob Gibson was pitching, he could handle a bat.

The man hit home runs in the World Series. And struck out 17 Detroit Tigers.

By contrast, Cardinal shortstop Dal Maxvill didn't hit his weight. A ball out of the infield by Maxvill was cause for a celebration in St. Louis.

Unfortunately, the rule keeps the Maxvills batting and sends the Gibsons to the bench.

Both retired in 1975, 46 years before the 2022 passage of the DH rule by the NL

..."the 2022 rule keeps the Maxvills batting and sends the Gibsons to the bench"...?

Not really,

but durn it, if the DH rule were in place 100 years ago, maybe Babe Ruth would've kept pitching and also DH'd, ... so we could better compare him to Ohtani's 2021 season.

Why cant every baseball era just be the same?

lol

[tower912]

Ok gang, not sure how many of you remember the olden days but when Bob Gibson was pitching, he could handle a bat.

The man hit home runs in the World Series. And struck out 17 Detroit Tigers.

By contrast, Cardinal shortstop Dal Maxvill didn't hit his weight. A ball out of the infield by Maxvill was cause for a celebration in St. Louis.

Unfortunately, the rule keeps the Maxvills batting and sends the Gibsons to the bench.

Ohtani says 'OK, boomer. '

[The Sultan]

Ok gang, not sure how many of you remember the olden days but when Bob Gibson was pitching, he could handle a bat.

The man hit home runs in the World Series. And struck out 17 Detroit Tigers.

By contrast, Cardinal shortstop Dal Maxvill didn't hit his weight. A ball out of the infield by Maxvill was cause for a celebration in St. Louis.

Unfortunately, the rule keeps the Maxvills batting and sends the Gibsons to the bench.

Actually the DH can be used for any position.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Ok gang, not sure how many of you remember the olden days but when Bob Gibson was pitching, he could handle a bat.

The man hit home runs in the World Series. And struck out 17 Detroit Tigers.

By contrast, Cardinal shortstop Dal Maxvill didn't hit his weight. A ball out of the infield by Maxvill was cause for a celebration in St. Louis.

Unfortunately, the rule keeps the Maxvills batting and sends the Gibsons to the bench.

The Cardinals can put Yadi in formaldehyde and roll him out there for 10 more years now.

[🏀]

The Cardinals can put Yadi in formaldehyde and roll him out there for 10 more years now.

More balls will stick to/into him though.

[Pakuni]

Ok gang, not sure how many of you remember the olden days but when Bob Gibson was pitching, he could handle a bat.

The man hit home runs in the World Series. And struck out 17 Detroit Tigers.

By contrast, Cardinal shortstop Dal Maxvill didn't hit his weight. A ball out of the infield by Maxvill was cause for a celebration in St. Louis.

Unfortunately, the rule keeps the Maxvills batting and sends the Gibsons to the bench.

Bob Gibson slashed .206/.244/.301.
Letting him bat instead of a professional hitter would be a fireable offense.

[CTWarrior]

Ok gang, not sure how many of you remember the olden days but when Bob Gibson was pitching, he could handle a bat.

The man hit home runs in the World Series. And struck out 17 Detroit Tigers.

By contrast, Cardinal shortstop Dal Maxvill didn't hit his weight. A ball out of the infield by Maxvill was cause for a celebration in St. Louis.

Unfortunately, the rule keeps the Maxvills batting and sends the Gibsons to the bench.

Bob Gibson career OPS+ was 50, meaning he was half as good as an average MLB hitter
Dal Maxvill career OPS+ was 57.

In 1968, the year you are referring to, Gibson OPS+ was 39, Maxvill's was 91.

Maxvill was a God-awful hitter.  But he was a better hitter than Bob Gibson.

An as others have said, there is no place in today's game for a guy like Dal Maxvill anyway.

[The Sultan]

Wait. I thought Cardinals fans were darn near perfect in their understanding of the game. 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

[CTWarrior]

Actually the DH can be used for any position.

While that may be true in lower leagues like High School, it is not true in MLB.  The DH may only be used for the pitcher (and not any other position player), as stated in Rule 5.11.

[The Sultan]

While that may be true in lower leagues like High School, it is not true in MLB.  The DH may only be used for the pitcher (and not any other position player), as stated in Rule 5.11.

I stand corrected. Was that always the case?

[tower912]

Time to end the lockout.   Pitchers and catchers are supposed to be reporting.

[CTWarrior]

I stand corrected. Was that always the case?

As far as I know, yes.

[dgies9156]

Time to end the lockout.   Pitchers and catchers are supposed to be reporting.

Brother Tower:

Damn straight.

[tower912]

We can argue about teams, and we should.  I think we can all agree we want the sound of fastball hitting catcher's mitt.  The repetitive crack of bats hitting balls in the cage.   
Make it so!

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Time to end the lockout.   Pitchers and catchers are supposed to be reporting.

Yes!
And post-COVID MLB can't afford to miss games and piss off fans.

[Jockey]

Yes!
And post-COVID MLB can't afford to miss games and piss off fans.

I'm not optimistic.