Strikeouts are killing baseball

Where will MLB expand overseas first, Japan or Europe (probably the Netherlands)?

 

Whenever transcontinental expansion comes, and it eventually will, it will probably have to happen in 2-or 4-team installments, to make the travel factors more manageable.

 

Well, there's no city on Earth with more fanatical baseball fans with money than Tokyo, so that seems a logical choice.

But I'm sure the NPB would fight tooth and nail to keep MLB out. Japan has its own version of a major league, with its own hallowed traditions and devoted fan bases, and it wouldn't take kindly to an outsider trying to horn on its territory. And, really, who wants to do trans-Pacific road trips?

Beyond that, the options are limited. European cities don't care enough about baseball, and third world issues impair the likelihood of Latin America expansion. But Mexico City, maybe?

 

Stooges are killing baseball too.

 

Havana!

 

Back in the days of All-Star Baseball on the PS2, where you could make an expansion team, I remember the Mexican options were Mexico City and Monterrey. I chose the Mexico City Weasels and put them in a gigantic park.

 

Which was good thinking since the elevation will make Coors Field seem like the Polo Grounds.

 

Now that the Royals are sitting Alex Gordon, MLB's strikeout numbers will go back to the 2007-15 average.

 

I had to laughter at the All-Star break when a local baseball writer named Alex Gordon the most overrated player in the game. This was a writer who has practically been Kyle Schwarber's publicity man.

 

Gordon was involved in two of the team's most notable plays in 2014/15 - the triple off Bumgarner in 2014 and a 9th inning HR in the 2015 WS.

He's solid in the field but doesn't have speed. His approach always has to be an angle.

After he signed 4/$72 million after 2015, he couldn't hit high fastballs. Every pitcher goes high and he can't get there anymore.

Adam Wainwright has a higher OPS.

 

Baseball Is Broken, and the Sport’s Pooh-bahs Have No Power to Fix It

 

Interesting article.

A big part of the reason home runs have trended up over the years is because it's the rational strategy as defenses get better, and defenses have gotten a lot better. The percentage of balls in play that turn into outs has steadily increased throughout MLB history. Hitting it where they ain't is a lot harder than it used to be, because they're faster, better positioned and better trained. But over the wall will always be a good choice.