The 2023 Running Baseball Thread

I'm guessing more than a few minor league teams are facing this deadline, imposed by the same MLB which is kicking in zero cash to pay for the new standards it is requiring in ballparks. Charles Comiiskey lives.

The freaking A's made $60m last year - honestly, no wonder they traded themselves to Vegas, they make too much money.

 

George Kirby is getting torched on the internet, including a few former MLB pitchers.

 

O's just hit their fifth home run of the night in the seventh, have reached double-figure runs for the third straight game and are on their way to a eighth straight win.

It's been like one big BP party nightly the past week or so.

 

And the Rays have been playing out of their heads and can’t gain any ground in the standings.

 

In case anyone is wondering:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/spor...-stars-over-comments-pitch-count/70810431007/

It was a big mistake to air his thoughts with reporters, although he owned up to that today.
I thought Clemens actually had the best take of all those quoted in the story:

“This is tough to hear… would not fly in the old days! Unfortunately this is how players are being taught with modern analytics…. What are y’all’s thoughts?’’

I don't like the way pitchers are used today any more than the former hurlers quoted here, but truth is pitching is much different now than it was even 10 years ago, and today's pitchers seemed to be trained to go until a certain amount of pitches, and are believing themselves that's how far they can go. It sucks, but it's the reality. I don't think Kirby really needs to be piled on.

 

Popping into my Twitter feed, an incredible home-run robbing catch in Japan:

 

I was skeptical before watching, recalling that previous running wall climbing effort in the MLB, but hell, this guy ran ALL the way up the wall then practically stood on it briefly. So, yeah. Maybe #1 now.

Still, the guy who ran THROUGH a wall was impressive as well. Maybe #3 since it was such a fluke.

 

I believe this is known as Justice.

 

In one of the wildest games ever played, the Orioles become the first team in 93 years to win a nine-inning game while allowing 23 or more hits. Red Sox third base coach held runners at least three times on hits to left. All decisions were wise ones. The Monster giveth and taketh away.

 

Clemens and fellow Neanderthal dipshit Mark Mulder aren't wrong (holy fuck I agree with Clemens!). I'm stunned this doesn't happen more often. We might actually be seeing a two-generation attempt to wring the competitiveness out of starting pitchers come to fruition. I've always been impressed/amazed that younger pitchers WANT to stay in the game. Even a guy like David Peterson, who would benefit from an early hook, has the redass whenever Buck Showalter takes him out. But at some point, doesn't it become ingrained in these guys to expect to be done at 90 pitches?

 

What’s interesting is the Mariners have a lot of high quality but young starters in their rotation, and all year they’ve been handled with kid gloves. Especially Miller and Woo, who have never thrown nearly the amount of innings they’re piling up this season.

As a result, the Mariners bullpen has been running on fumes and it’s caused them to have a rough road trip in New York (Mets), Cincy and Tampa. They’ve lost two games in each series and have fallen behind the Astros in the AL West.

TL;DR version: I don’t blame Scott Servais for trying to squeeze one more inning out of Kirby, but I also understand why the pitcher thought he would be done after six innings because that’s how it’s been all season.

 

To me, it sort of depends on Kirby's reasoning. Was he reluctant to return to the mound because he was actually tired? Or was he reluctant because history/precedent/metrics suggested he wouldn't be successful?