the game is NOT deluted

I saw M9H talking about the foreign players in baseball in the "all time all star" thread and it hit a nerve. I agree with him. I am so sick of commentators, especially fuckin Gammons, always talking about how MLb pitching is "watered down." Bullshit it's watered down!! Back in the 60's, the population of this country was half of the 280 million that live here now. Now, scouts have 2x as many kids to choose from in America alone. Plus you ad the entire Carribean, South America, Korea, Japan, etc that are now playing MLB and your talent pool is huge. Big freaking deal if we have added 25 extra pitchers with the Marlins and Diamondbacks, we have also added several hundred million people of population in that time to choose from. Today's pitching is the best ever.

 

IMO Pitching was better back then. You had guys that would hit 20 HR's, Pitch every other game, and played a helluva alot harder. Now if a pitcher sneezes wrong, hes on a 15 day dl and they get paid to damn much. Sure they have a better movement on them now a days. Baseball is America's past time, like anything else, pitching back then was the "Good ole' pitchin' days"

 

guys hit only 20 homers because the strike zone was huge, and the mound was a foot higher. Pitching is better today because they have to be with all the disadvantages against them (mound, steroids, juiced ball, little parks, strike zone the size of a dixie cup). Watch some ESPN classic from the 60's and look how high the mound was and what the pitcher got for a strike zone, and how little the biceps were on the hitters. Also notice the 330 foot corners, 380 gaps, and 420 centerfields. Of course the best hitters only hit 25 homers.

 

pitching is NOT deluted. I am just waiting for Selig to make an announcement that he is backing the mound up 3 feet because everyone is throwing hard and the poor hitters can't see good enough.

 

Selig wont say shit...can't wait for him to die or something.....

Make the mounds higher and take steriods out of the game, the way it should be.

 

If that were the case, then guys would have struck out at a much higher rate back then. But Teddy Ballgame only struck out 709 time in 19 seasons. Jose Hernadez would have gotten to 200 last year alone if they didn't sit him. Guys were not swinging for teh fences with 2 strikes the way they do now.

I think that overall baseball was more competitive in its hey day because more kids played it than they do now, but you are right about foreign players increasing teh pool.

For me the big problem has always been that kids try to learn a curve ball too early and hurt themselves and that kids today are not allowed to pitch as much as they used to, so that pitching arm strength is not there.

 

I am not sure about the "total" strikeouts now and in the past (ted aside). I don't think the strikezone would create alot more strikeouts. the larger strikezone of the past just put hitters in a defensive posture quicker. now, they just sit back and wait on a perfect fastball.

I agree that more kids played in those days. there was alot less organization and more pickup games being played. I would assume there are more Little Leaguers today than ever.

I just know when I watch ESPN classic, that the "average" pitcher and hitter was not nearly as talented as today judging by those game films. I don't think we as humans become any more athletic in a generation or two, or become faster and stronger in a generation, but the training is better now, and the talent pool is just so big. Hell, there are even several Australians playing now. Back in the day, only Americans (mostly white) and a couple Carribeans were playing.

 

That is what I meant - strikeouts carried a major stigma during that time. Now, nobody gives a crap.

I pretty much agree with the other stuff you said.

 

baseball was still better back then, wished I was around to watch some of the greats play....all I ever get was stories by my Dad and reading about it. They played for the love of the game....now its for the money majority.

 

Is the game deluted ???? I doubt it.

The bigger problem today is this world of so many choices........there are some teams that continue to refuse to pursue the scouting avenues available to them.


A Brief History Lesson..........courtesy of the former Reds owner, Marge "She otta be" Schott.


"What do we need all these scouts for? All they do is sit around and watch ballgames.”




The Reds' farm and scouting systems suffered from years of neglect and underfunding in the Marge Schott era and hasn't recovered yet.