Why I think baseball is a better game now than in the old days

[SabresRule]

A lot of people think baseball was better in the old days, and a lot of people complain because of the steroids, interleague, Wild Card, late World Series start times, etc. the game is not what it used to be.

But, I think it's a better game now than it used to be.

Here are my top 5 reasons:

#5- Interleague play makes for interesting opponents. Let's face it- some fans are probably sick and tired of the same-old teams coming to their park every year. I like a little spice.

As an Athletics fan, I get a little sick and tired of seeing the Rangers so many times- playing the occasional N.L. team is pretty cool.

(BTW, I forgot to mention: I'm an A's fan, although I also think the Indians are pretty cool)

#4- The D.H. I'm sorry, but to all the N.L. fans who think the designated hitter is against the purity of the game, let me say this:

Do you REALLY think seeing pitchers strike out all the time makes for better baseball?

#3- More game avaiability with the modern advances in TV and technology, . In the old days, if you wanted to find out what was going on elsewhere, you had to check the out-of-town scores at the scoreboard, check the newspapers, or something else.

Now, it's easier to keep up with how others are doing.

For example, last year, it was a lot easier to follow games down the stretch to check out how they affect the magic number. In the old days, I would have had to check the sports section in the paper for the scores before I went to school.

#2- Easier to find out how players are doing. Again, you had to watch the nightly news or check the boxscores to see how hitters or pitchers did in the old days.

And the #1 reason I think baseball's better than it used to be:

More teams have a shot at the Fall Classic

If we used the old "team with best record in entire league wins pennant automatically," it wouldn't be the same.

I bet millions of fans were sick and tired of the Yankees and the Dodgers playing all those Fall Classic back then.

If we used that format, just imagine how many times we would have had to see Yankees/Braves in the World Series.

If that format was used, Colorado's sensational hot streak would have merely put them in third of fourth in the old days instead of launching their miraculous run to the World Series.

 

[BlackHitachi]

As an Athletics fan, I get a little sick and tired of seeing the Rangers so many times- playing the occasional N.L. team is pretty cool.

(BTW, I forgot to mention: I'm an A's fan.

LET's GO A'S!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Jimbo]

A lot of people think baseball was better in the old days, and a lot of people complain because of the steroids, interleague, Wild Card, late World Series start times, etc. the game is not what it used to be.

But, I think it's a better game now than it used to be.

Here are my top 5 reasons:

#5- Interleague play makes for interesting opponents. Let's face it- some fans are probably sick and tired of the same-old teams coming to their park every year. I like a little spice.

As an Athletics fan, I get a little sick and tired of seeing the Rangers so many times- playing the occasional N.L. team is pretty cool.

(BTW, I forgot to mention: I'm an A's fan, although I also think the Indians are pretty cool)

#4- The D.H. I'm sorry, but to all the N.L. fans who think the designated hitter is against the purity of the game, let me say this:

Do you REALLY think seeing pitchers strike out all the time makes for better baseball?

#3- More game avaiability with the modern advances in TV and technology, . In the old days, if you wanted to find out what was going on elsewhere, you had to check the out-of-town scores at the scoreboard, check the newspapers, or something else.

Now, it's easier to keep up with how others are doing.

For example, last year, it was a lot easier to follow games down the stretch to check out how they affect the magic number. In the old days, I would have had to check the sports section in the paper for the scores before I went to school.

#2- Easier to find out how players are doing. Again, you had to watch the nightly news or check the boxscores to see how hitters or pitchers did in the old days.

And the #1 reason I think baseball's better than it used to be:

More teams have a shot at the Fall Classic

If we used the old "team with best record in entire league wins pennant automatically," it wouldn't be the same.

I bet millions of fans were sick and tired of the Yankees and the Dodgers playing all those Fall Classic back then.

If we used that format, just imagine how many times we would have had to see Yankees/Braves in the World Series.

If that format was used, Colorado's sensational hot streak would have merely put them in third of fourth in the old days instead of launching their miraculous run to the World Series.

# 5, It's time to do AWAY with interleague play.

Yes it's fine when you have the Yankees and Met's or San Fran and Oakland, Cleveland and Cincy ext, some make sense and are good, but over all, we end up with a bunch,(the majority) of games that are really meaningless and has NO draw.

Since when is Detroit and Arizona a rivalry ?
Look at the teams that are playing tonight for example, MOST are teams that have nothing in common, how are they rivalies ?

ESPN - MLB Baseball Scores, Pro Baseball Scores, Major League Baseball Scoreboard and Results


# 4 DH rule, I prefer NL style ball even though I am a AL fan as far as teams I follow.

As for your comment about late starting times in the playoffs, how can you possibly think it's OK to start a game at 9pm, most kids CANNOT watch, they cannot even watch the All Star game because it starts so late.

I don't know how old you are, but they use to play the playoff games in the day time when I was growing up, one at 1pm one at 4pm and the Yankees would ALWAYS be on at 8pm prime time (somethings NEVER change).

This garbage of starting games at 11pm like last year is way out of whack, and they wonder why kids don't play baseball anymore
Sheeesh

Jimbo

 

[SabresRule]

As for your comment about late starting times in the playoffs, how can you possibly think it's OK to start a game at 9pm, most kids CANNOT watch, they cannot even watch the All Star game because it starts so late.

I don't know how old you are, but they use to play the playoff games in the day time when I was growing up, one at 1pm one at 4pm and the Yankees would ALWAYS be on at 8pm prime time (somethings NEVER change).

This garbage of starting games at 11pm like last year is way out of whack, and they wonder why kids don't play baseball anymore
Sheeesh

Jimbo

You misinterpreted me.

I never said I liked the late start times.

I was just pointing it out as one of the complaints about baseball today.

As for the D.H.

You're a Tigers fan. Who would you rather have at the plate with the bases juiced (not literally): Sheffield or a pitcher?

I'm sorry, but all a hitting pitcher is good for is killing rallies.

 

[Jimbo]

You misinterpreted me.

I never said I liked the late start times.

I was just pointing it out as one of the complaints about baseball today.

As for the D.H.

You're a Tigers fan. Who would you rather have at the plate with the bases juiced (not literally): Sheffield or a pitcher?

I'm sorry, but all a hitting pitcher is good for is killing rallies.

How many times do you see a perfect situation for a bunt and the position player cannot get it down ?

 

[SamCdbs]

5 - Yes, the Twins vs the Cardinals is SOOOOOOOO much more interesting than the Twins vs the Rangers. Interleague play is a failure. Two team city teams that should sell out everynight anyway get a unneeded boost. The rest of the country just gets a confused mis-mash and the league schedules are reduced to an unfair system where the races are decided based on who was lucky enough to play a weaker schedule.

4 - People that really don't understand baseball trot out the "pitcher batting" argument about the DH. The DH has almost nothing to do with whether or not somebody wants to watch a pitcher or a fat over-the-hiller bat. It is about the middle to late innings and the complex decisional process of when to pull the pitcher and what double switches and who to pinch hit. In the AL, managers are really not necessary.

3 - Correct. In the old days you had one or two national games, and some markets has the local teams on a UHF station, if you lived in the home market.

2 - Sure. Which really Reason #469 why newspapers are going to go out of business by 2020. Great.

1 - They why not have no regular season? Just go to 32 teams and start a series of best 11 out of 21 playoffs in April.

 

[jgags6]

baseball is the best sport.

 

[paja]

5 - Yes, the Twins vs the Cardinals is
4 - People that really don't understand baseball trot out the "pitcher batting" argument about the DH. The DH has almost nothing to do with whether or not somebody wants to watch a pitcher or a fat over-the-hiller bat. It is about the middle to late innings and the complex decisional process of when to pull the pitcher and what double switches and who to pinch hit. In the AL, managers are really not necessary.

Couldn't have said it any better. National League baseball is REAL baseball and much more interesting than the American League version.
However, I do enjoy interleague play.

 

[Ramy]

5 - Yes, the Twins vs the Cardinals is
4 - People that really don't understand baseball trot out the "pitcher batting" argument about the DH. The DH has almost nothing to do with whether or not somebody wants to watch a pitcher or a fat over-the-hiller bat. It is about the middle to late innings and the complex decisional process of when to pull the pitcher and what double switches and who to pinch hit. In the AL, managers are really not necessary.

Couldn't have said it any better. National League baseball is REAL baseball and much more interesting than the American League version.
However, I do enjoy interleague play.

EXACTLY. This is why I don't like the DH. The strategies of leaving the pither in who is pitching good or go for the lead late in the game.

 

[brainfry]

5 - Yes, the Twins vs the Cardinals is SOOOOOOOO much more interesting than the Twins vs the Rangers. Interleague play is a failure. Two team city teams that should sell out everynight anyway get a unneeded boost. The rest of the country just gets a confused mis-mash and the league schedules are reduced to an unfair system where the races are decided based on who was lucky enough to play a weaker schedule.

4 - People that really don't understand baseball trot out the "pitcher batting" argument about the DH. The DH has almost nothing to do with whether or not somebody wants to watch a pitcher or a fat over-the-hiller bat. It is about the middle to late innings and the complex decisional process of when to pull the pitcher and what double switches and who to pinch hit. In the AL, managers are really not necessary.

3 - Correct. In the old days you had one or two national games, and some markets has the local teams on a UHF station, if you lived in the home market.

2 - Sure. Which really Reason #469 why newspapers are going to go out of business by 2020. Great.

1 - They why not have no regular season? Just go to 32 teams and start a series of best 11 out of 21 playoffs in April.

I agree with everything you say here. I believe most Reds fans think alike!

 

[salsadancer7]

I think the game was more pure back then, but the game is better, bigger faster and stronger. Back then, you didn't have "specialist" like a lefty only or righty only pitchers or pinch hitters. You didn't have guys like "set-up" men and "closers". I LOVE stories on Mantle, DiMaggio, Clemente, Earnie Banks, Boog Powell, Bob Gibson and the likes. But IMHO, they would not do as well with the age of the specialist than they did back then. NOT to mention that they play TONS more games than back then. IF you include spring training and playoffs, you are almost talking 200 games. The baseball player RIGHT NOW, EVEN if there was NEVER AN ISSUE with steriods is just a better conditioned athlete....period.

 

[Pete K]

I agree with some of the "top 5" but not all. Interleague play is great when the A's are facing the
Giants, but it reeks when the Brewers go to Boston. Let's face it, some of the match-ups are not made in heaven.

No DH. The strategy that makes the NL games so interesting is missing in the AL. Yes, I really do enjoy watching a pitcher hit, especially when they do the unexpected.

I agree with you 100% on #3. Not being able to follow the Seattle Pilots 1969 was a pain. Because of the time difference, the box scores were not always available in the next day's paper.

No argument with #2.

I can't really find fault with #1, especially if the Rays somehow make the post season.

Now the #1 reason MLB is missing the boat:

Late start times for playoffs and WS on the East Coast. It takes the fun out of the post season for youngsters.

 

[Ramy]

Late start times for playoffs and WS on the East Coast. It takes the fun out of the post season for youngsters.

Not just the youngsters. Some of us adults have to get up early to get to work. They should make them start all games by 7 just like they do in the regular season.

 

[HD MM]

Not just the youngsters. Some of us adults have to get up early to get to work. They should make them start all games by 7 just like they do in the regular season.

I agree. Even here on the East Coast, I have trouble staying up for those games!

 

[denisincalif]

# 5, It's time to do AWAY with interleague play.

Yes it's fine when you have the Yankees and Met's or San Fran and Oakland, Cleveland and Cincy ext, some make sense and are good, but over all, we end up with a bunch,(the majority) of games that are really meaningless and has NO draw.

Since when is Detroit and Arizona a rivalry ?
Look at the teams that are playing tonight for example, MOST are teams that have nothing in common, how are they rivalies ?

ESPN - MLB Baseball Scores, Pro Baseball Scores, Major League Baseball Scoreboard and Results

Jimbo

:up I live in LA where we have the Angels vs. the Dodgers---supposedly a dream rivalry. Baloney! Angels/Dodgers games leave me cold, and it's the same for every baseball fan I know.

What I think needs to be changed, in addition to getting rid of interleague play, is to go back to the old system where every team in the NL plays every other team in the NL the same number of times, regardless of division. I am so sick of a steady diet of Diamondbacks, Padres, Rockies, and Giants. I want more Cubs, Pirates, Reds, and Cardinals games at Dodger stadium. My wife, raised in Chicago, absolutely refuses to go to a Dodger game unless they are playing the Cubs. That rarely happens, and at least half of the Cubs games that do take place are on weekdays, when we cannot go.

But what really hurt baseball, even though the old system was tantamount to slavery, is the free agent rule. It is hard to get emotionally attached to a team when two/thirds of the players are new every year.

 

[Jimbo]

I agree. Even here on the East Coast, I have trouble staying up for those games!

HD MM,
You are HARDLY on the EAST coast

Jimbo

 

[Ramy]

I hated when they went to this 3 division system because those games where the Dodgers and Reds would play were great. The old West division was a great division.

 

[HD MM]

HD MM,
You are HARDLY on the EAST coast

Jimbo

Well, Cleveland is part of the eastern time-zone. That's what I meant.

 

[DodgerKing]

A lot of people think baseball was better in the old days, and a lot of people complain because of the steroids, interleague, Wild Card, late World Series start times, etc. the game is not what it used to be.

But, I think it's a better game now than it used to be.

Here are my top 5 reasons:

#5- Interleague play makes for interesting opponents. Let's face it- some fans are probably sick and tired of the same-old teams coming to their park every year. I like a little spice.

As an Athletics fan, I get a little sick and tired of seeing the Rangers so many times- playing the occasional N.L. team is pretty cool.

(BTW, I forgot to mention: I'm an A's fan, although I also think the Indians are pretty cool)

The unfair schedule gives an unfair advantage to many teams which can make a difference of one team going to the playoffs and another team not going.

#4- The D.H. I'm sorry, but to all the N.L. fans who think the designated hitter is against the purity of the game, let me say this:

Do you REALLY think seeing pitchers strike out all the time makes for better baseball?

The DH is a violation of baseball's own rule (Rule #1. 9 players vs. 9 players). And tell Micah Owings he can't hit.

It is much more than a pitcher hitting. It consists of strategies that effect the whole game: bunting, hit and run, squeeze plays, pinch hitting (often a pitcher is taken out earlier because of this)

#3- More game avaiability with the modern advances in TV and technology, . In the old days, if you wanted to find out what was going on elsewhere, you had to check the out-of-town scores at the scoreboard, check the newspapers, or something else.

Now, it's easier to keep up with how others are doing.

For example, last year, it was a lot easier to follow games down the stretch to check out how they affect the magic number. In the old days, I would have had to check the sports section in the paper for the scores before I went to school.

True

#2- Easier to find out how players are doing. Again, you had to watch the nightly news or check the boxscores to see how hitters or pitchers did in the old days.

True

And the #1 reason I think baseball's better than it used to be:

More teams have a shot at the Fall Classic

If we used the old "team with best record in entire league wins pennant automatically," it wouldn't be the same.

I bet millions of fans were sick and tired of the Yankees and the Dodgers playing all those Fall Classic back then.

If we used that format, just imagine how many times we would have had to see Yankees/Braves in the World Series.

If that format was used, Colorado's sensational hot streak would have merely put them in third of fourth in the old days instead of launching their miraculous run to the World Series.

They need to divide the divisions better though. The AL West has 4 teams and the NL Central has 7 teams. This too creates an unbalanced schedule.

Preexpansion (during the 80's) each team in each division played the other 5 teams in their division the same amount of times, 9 times at home and 9 times on the road (3 - three game series in each park). They then played the other 6 teams in the other division 6 times at home and 6 times on the road (2 three games series each). This meant the A's and the Angels would both play the Mariners and the Yankees exactly the same number of times at home and on the road. Since there were only 6 teams in each division and 4 divisions total (2 in each league) the equal division was possible. 90 games played within your own division so you directly effected how you and the other teams finished within your own division. You did not have to rely on some team from another league, which you never play, beating up on the team ahead of you.

 

[DodgerKing]

:up I live in LA where we have the Angels vs. the Dodgers---supposedly a dream rivalry. Baloney! Angels/Dodgers games leave me cold, and it's the same for every baseball fan I know.

What I think needs to be changed, in addition to getting rid of interleague play, is to go back to the old system where every team in the NL plays every other team in the NL the same number of times, regardless of division. I am so sick of a steady diet of Diamondbacks, Padres, Rockies, and Giants. I want more Cubs, Pirates, Reds, and Cardinals games at Dodger stadium. My wife, raised in Chicago, absolutely refuses to go to a Dodger game unless they are playing the Cubs. That rarely happens, and at least half of the Cubs games that do take place are on weekdays, when we cannot go.

But what really hurt baseball, even though the old system was tantamount to slavery, is the free agent rule. It is hard to get emotionally attached to a team when two/thirds of the players are new every year.

Especially since many Angel fans don't know anything about baseball.

I like how all of them claim to be life long Angel fans, yet none of them ever attended a game before they won their one and only WS, when they could barely draw flies at Anaheim stadium. But they do draw a lot of rats.