NationStates Jolt Archive

All three of those rules are really dumb.

Why doesn't MLB get rid of the balk? So the pitcher tries to fool the base runner, what harm does that do? That's just part of the game.

And the All Star games that "count" are driving me nuts, too. Why in the world should a bunch of players from different teams have any effect on which team gets the home field advantage in the World Series?

Don't people like to see pitchers hit? NL pitchers have turned the game around with a well placed sacrifice, or even a home run. AL designated hitters just swing away and really don't add anything but another slugger that can't play defense.

MLB should get rid of these rules. They should prohibit the networks from changing game times, too, but that's another issue.

Anyone out there for the balk rule? Or think of any of the other silly ones that need to be eliminated after I become commissioner?

Pitchers fool baserunners all the time. You just cant make a movement to the plate before trying to make a play on a baserunner. That is a balk. Once you start your motion to the plate, you have to continue it unless someone calls Time Out.

I agree that the world series counting for home field advantage is stupid. They should never have implemented that. All well. Not much we can do about it. Once they get tired of it, they'll change it back.

As for the Designated Hitter, I'm mixed on it.

How about we just ban baseball altogether.

Pitchers fool baserunners all the time. You just cant make a movement to the plate before trying to make a play on a baserunner. That is a balk. Once you start your motion to the plate, you have to continue it unless someone calls Time Out.

There are two things that bother me about balks. First, it seems completely arbitrary. What is the purpose? So you move towards the plate, the runner goes, and you throw him out. The runner shouldn't have tried to steal on that pitch.

Second, it's the only way for runners to advance without the ball being put into play. I don't consider the start of motion to be the same as throwing the ball.

Pitchers have had enough advantages taken away. Look at how the mound has shrank over the years. Now you have to be about eight feet tall to pitch well. Let's give them back the ability to deceive the base runners just a little.

There are two things that bother me about balks. First, it seems completely arbitrary. What is the purpose? So you move towards the plate, the runner goes, and you throw him out. The runner shouldn't have tried to steal on that pitch.

Second, it's the only way for runners to advance without the ball being put into play. I don't consider the start of motion to be the same as throwing the ball.

Pitchers have had enough advantages taken away. Look at how the mound has shrank over the years. Now you have to be about eight feet tall to pitch well. Let's give them back the ability to deceive the base runners just a little.

Nearly every sport changes the rules to try and create more offense. More points/goals/tries/whatever generally means more interest from casual fans. More fans means more money. It sucks if you're a pitcher or a d-man or whatever, but that's the nature of any pro sport these days.

I keep on misreading the title as 'Designated Hitler' and getting a mental image somewhat like this:
http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/8426/designatedhitler6cu.jpg

How about we just ban baseball altogether.

Hey, I'm cool with that. And American Football should be called something else. IT'S NOT FUCKING FOOTBALL, YOU SCUM! It's just a bunch of egotistical halfwits who want to play Rugby without getting hurt. If they're so fucking tough, why do they wear the pads? You've got all us over here in the UK and Europe, running around with barely a few millimetres of cloth, and then you have those stupid bastards wearing body armour? For shame.

I'm all for the balk. It adds an element of strategy to the pitching game. Gotta be sneakier in order to fool the base runner.

On the other two, I'm indifferent.

Oh ... and American Football is not Rugby with pads. The two sports are completely different.

What about the Infield Fly Rule? I never really liked that one.
DH is fine, I think the WS home advantage actualy makes the All Star Game more interesting, and I agree that the balk takes away something from the game.

I'm all for the balk. It adds an element of strategy to the pitching game. Gotta be sneakier in order to fool the base runner.

On the other two, I'm indifferent.

Oh ... and American Football is not Rugby with pads. The two sports are completely different.

It would be slightly more interesting if they didn't wear pads and had to use arms in a tackle like rugby players do though. As it is now, they seem to just dive shoulder first and knock someone over to make a 'tackle'. No pads would suck for those linebackers who just smack into each other though.

No pads would suck for those linebackers who just smack into each other though.

Heh ... there'd certainly be a lot more injuries. I mean ... if a 280 pound man is launching himself shoulder first into my chest, I think I'd want pads. I can imagine the announcer, though ... "Well, folks, on this drive #39, #88, #67, and #41 have just died ... their replacements take the field."

Heh ... there'd certainly be a lot more injuries. I mean ... if a 280 pound man is launching himself shoulder first into my chest, I think I'd want pads. I can imagine the announcer, though ... "Well, folks, on this drive #39, #88, #67, and #41 have just died ... their replacements take the field."

Your coach would be fairly daft to line you up against a 280 pound man though.

What about the Infield Fly Rule? I never really liked that one.
But think about what would happen if it didn't exist. Imagine there's a man on first, and a high popup is hit directly to the second basemen, an easy catch. The runner is going to assume it will be caught, so he doesn't run (because then he'd be out for not tagging up). So now the fielder can just intentionally drop the ball and quickly throw it to second, getting the guy out.

Now let's say the runner decides to run. Now, the fielder can catch the ball and throw it to first. The runner will be out for not tagging up.

So you see without it, the runner is automatically out because of a dirty play.

Balks I like, because they keep the pitcher in line. It would effectively eliminate hit and run as well as base stealing, two of the more exciting aspects of the game (things which were all but eliminated in the slugger era).

The allstar game is basically useless. It's just trying to grab viewers during a dead time in the season. I don't mind having it, but I don't think value should be assigned to it.

Finally I think designated hitters should be made legal in both leagues. Fact is, pitchers can't hit. It's a dead batter. Of course, there are a few exceptions and a team could hit the pitcher if it wanted to. The hitting pitcher is an archaic idea.

But think about what would happen if it didn't exist. Imagine there's a man on first, and a high popup is hit directly to the second basemen, an easy catch. The runner is going to assume it will be caught, so he doesn't run (because then he'd be out for not tagging up). So now the fielder can just intentionally drop the ball and quickly throw it to second, getting the guy out.

Now let's say the runner decides to run. Now, the fielder can catch the ball and throw it to first. The runner will be out for not tagging up.

So you see without it, the runner is automatically out because of a dirty play.


Oh, I understand that, but what makes the play "dirty?" Seems just like a clever way to field a poorly hit ball.
Don't like it? Don't hit an easy popup.