How much change do you want to see in baseball?
Feb 13, 2015, 2:46 PM | Updated: 5:15 pm
BY
Mariners Insider, Seattle Sports
Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports came out with the news Thursday night that Major League Baseball is considering altering the definition of the strike zone in hopes that we could see a boost in offense as a result. For the whys, thoughts and research into what has happened with the strike zone, read the article.
What I would like to discuss is a broader question the article sparked for me: What is it exactly that you want from baseball right now? It is your question to answer because MLB wants more of you to pay attention. Do you want to see more offense? Do you want shorter games? Do you want to see the game left alone?
For years MLB has fretted about the pace of play and length of games, fearful that they are losing viewers and fans with shorter attention spans. Is baseball less compelling because pitchers are taking too long or because there isn’t enough run scoring? Are runs down because of an expanded strike zone? What do fans appreciate more: the pitching duels or the 6-5 scores? Would you rather Felix get 225 strikeouts or Robinson Cano hit 30 home runs?
Do you want a two and-a-half hour game? Do you care if a pitcher could be forced to rush a pitch in a high-leverage situation? Would you want to see the mound lowered to even the playing field if it put pitchers at higher risk for injury? Are you ready to cut back on the low strike? How about outlawing the shift?
Change could be coming. How much are you comfortable with?
Notes and links
• Have you been wondering what former No. 3 pick Jeff Clement has been up to? Good to see him still involved in baseball. h/t to Jeff Evans of the Mariners’ baseball information department for the find.
• Projections-o-plenty: Sports Illustrated really likes the Mariners as does David Schoenfield of ESPN.com. The Atlantis sports book in Reno is a little cooler on the M’s.
• Chew on this. Fans no doubt are thrilled to see the Dodgers spend upwards of $250 million on payroll. Unfortunately, most of those fans cannot watch their games.
