https://www.bleachernation.com/cubs/202 ... ittle-bit/

60 ft 6 in is sacrosanct.- Tony Kornhiser

Theo Epstein is pushing for the mound to go back a foot. Increased pitcher velocity, increased strikeouts are his reasons. He never brings up launch angle for increased strikeouts. Or, a lot of the pitchers are on under the MLB radar PEDs. Theo please just go away.

I'd first rather see the automated strike zone.

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Theo Epstein should worry about where the fuck his next goddam lay is coming from rather than where the fucking pitching rubber is. He should get out to the fucking bars at night, go hustling around the goddam streets, and maybe he might get a prick stuck in him.

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Wattabout Kodak Black?

I totally agree. That's much easier to implement than changing the dimensions of a baseball diamond. Would you have to change every diamond all the way down? It's ridiculous. Leave the dimensions alone.

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Drag rule

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I'm going to bounce from the spot for awhile but I will be back at some point to argue with you about this hoops stuff again. Playoffs have been great this season. See ya up the road.

I'm out.

Theo wants the game to cater to hitters. Have slugfests seeing sore armed pitchers routinely get bombed. Say goodbye to pitchers duels. No shifts, smaller strike zones, move the mound back, bigger bases. Notice at the beginning what he says "we don't want to compromise the essence of baseball. We don't want to reinvent the wheel". Then he rattles off massive change ideas.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gdBAVo-5m_o

Stupid. The hitters are just going to have to figure this oit.

Exactly. Pitchers are throwing higher and harder to combat the launch angle approach by the hitters.

Hitters have to adapt by easing off the uppercut swings and start going the other way, which will neutralize the shift.

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Sherman remarked, "Well, Grant, we've had the devil's own day, haven't we?" Grant looked up. "Yes," he replied, followed by a puff. "Yes. Lick 'em tomorrow, though."

Steve Stone and Ron Coomer have been pounding foreign substances to increase spin rate abuse. Stone saying 80% of pitchers are cheating. Coomer is commenting on pitches bouncing before home plate in abundance. The later the ball is released the higher the spin rate is. Old time spit ball pitchers had to have a basic knowledge of spin rate when doctoring the ball. Guys will always cheat. I'm very suspicious of guys like Theo who claim they have all the answers. Wasn't he Mr launch angle 5 years ago? That we should blindly trust him then?

Are you stupid?

His primary goals are creating scenarios where “more balls are in play” and the league wide strike out rate are below 25%.

On a whole, batters in MLB are striking out at a higher percentage than Roger Clemens and Sandy Koufax’s career K percentages. His contention is that pitchers have “perfected the art of missing bats” and as a result the game...as a product...is worse off.

Lastly, Theo’s whole outward demeanor on this subject is about experimenting and creating dialogue. Not ruling with an iron fist and mandating absolute change.

For fucks sake, what’s up with your comprehension skills??

Moving the mound back, is going to cause a lot of pitcher injuries. Theo has no idea how to evaluate pitching.

He said it was a possible solution. One that was probably better than lowering the mound. Again, do people not listen? He’s saying if...if...changes should be made to the mound that it would be better served..most likely...being moved back 12 inches as opppsed to being lowered. Nuance is key.

Again, he’s not saying any one, two, or three changes will “solve” anything but rather that the game as a whole needs to become more open to changes in the hopes of improving its “watch-ability” factor.

Not sure why these simple ideas are so difficult to comprehend

The "sensitive guy" poster wants a complete overhaul of baseball? There's no guarantee any of this will improve baseball, or attract non or fallen away fans. It's a beautiful simple game. The fake extra innings runner speeds up extra innings games. But, also cheapens once thrilling outcomes when the fake runner trots in. The imperfections of the game make it human, and great. I don't want to see anyone run into a Les robot umpire and get hurt.

Ok. Since you are apparently very slow...let’s dissect your post point by point.

1. Sensitive guy comment. Ad hominem and irrelevant.

2. “Guarantee changes will attract new fans.” Again, Theo has not attempted to guarantee anything or even state that specific changes MUST be made. Rather, he’s merely trying to create dialogue and encourage experimentation in a game/culture that has been historically against change of any kind.

3. “It’s a beautiful simple game.” No one is disagreeing with this nostalgic premise. But the fact is, it’s also a game that is drastically different than the game we grew up on. 25% of at bats result in a strikeout. Analytics increase pitcher success over hitter success. These are simple facts. As a result, less balls are in play and when balls are in play, they either result in an out or a home run the vast majority of the time. Stated another way, doubles and triples are at all time lows. So, the beautiful simple game you referenced is not the game we are watching. It’s just not.

4. The extra inning rule. Find where Theo advocates for it explicitly, since your original comment was based on him.

I would ban shifts before moving the mound back.

I agree.

But not an either or, right? You can “regulate” shifts while also modifying the mound.

But how about actually enforcing the use of foreign substances? Or modernizing how pitchers/catchers communicating? i.e utilizing technology instead of traditional signs/sequences.

Again, the goal isn’t to increase runs but to increase pace of play/balls in play.

Moving the mound back would result on 15-12 scores being the norm.

I think like all things, don’t over correct and take the time to see how things develop. I don’t mind losing an infield shift. But I see no point in fucking with the mound either down or back.

If lack of offense is truly an issue, bring the juiced balls back and let nature take its course.

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What are you basing this on?

Theo in a recent interview said it would result in average velocity going from 95mph to 93.5ph. Do you have any evidence that it would result in a drastic increase in runs scored?

Again, lack of scoring is not the fundamental issue.

What the fuck is wrong with you people lol

I'll do it!

Yes, taking 2MPH off every pitcher's fastball would result in the flood gates being opened. It would also impact breaking pitches

The launch angle failings has a huge role in declined hitting. The same guy Theo who forced launch angle on the Cubs now is the white knight to the games rescue?

I do think foreign substance cheating by pitchers better enforcement is a simpler way to even out hitting and pitching without blowing up the game. Stone talked about a league approved substance with a mild spin rate enhancement for a better grip.

Probably a lot, but I just don’t view strike outs as more boring than ground outs.

And I don’t buy that there’s an audience for the latter but not the former. Changing a game to attract people who don’t like the game is like trying to schedule soccer games on thanksgiving day. It doesn’t fucking matter.

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I don't think anyone is arguing that groundouts are more exciting than strikeouts. I think the problem is that with all pitchers chasing K's, and many pitchers only out there for one inning, you're looking at many at bats that result in K's which are 4-10 pitch at bats where the pitcher is laborious in "executing" his pitch.

The problem with 2021 baseball is it's largely a game of men standing around. One guy is taking his time throwing the ball, 8 other men are standing and watching, and the batter is usually standing and watching. I'm pretty sure there is no audience for that. Ratings, and attendance will support this.

I've mentioned this to a friend of mine and he thinks I'm nuts, which is correct, but maybe not for this idea. I think teams should be limited to no more than five pitchers per game. You wouldn't need to move the mound or worry about shifts because instead of entering a game and maxing out on 98+ MPH fastballs and wicked sliders because you know you're only out there for three guys, you'd have to be more concerned with control, efficiency, and stamina.

The problem with today's game is you get a starter to get you through four innings and then you just bring in five Nolan Ryan clones for five consecutive innings who are all hunting K's because they don't have to worry about efficiency.

I remember when Theo said, "Launch angle is here to stay."

I said, "No it isn't". I said, "You have created a hole in the swing that pitchers will find".

Why listen to Theo? He's a bookworm.

Pitchers' spin rate is up because of foreign substances. It's been looked past because of the juiced ball. Time to not look past it.

Next, find more Nick Madrigals and Yermin Mercedes and less Josh Donaldsons. Problem solved.

Shouldn't have listened to the bookworms in the first place when they said a K is like every other out. Stop it with the mound being moved and shifts being stopped. All that is bookworm nonsense.

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Wattabout Kodak Black?

THIS.
The biggest, most controllable factor is the ridiculous number of pitching changes.

Add in mandatory TV time-outs and there's your speed of the game problem.

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The game needs to be tweaked first, before it's blown up and put back together. All bs by non baseball money guys.

Call the strike zone, deaden the ball so a 40 homer hitter is special again and everything will adjust in time. Id say get strict on foreign substance on baseball as well but someone being a shitty pitcher who cant control where the ball goes has become an excuse for needing stuff to get a bette grip.. Absurd.