The DH in the NL is coming, whether its this year, 2020 or sometime shortly thereafter.  It's stupid for the 2 leagues to have different rules, and the players' association will never allow it to be abolished in the AL.  I've never really watched AL baseball, so maybe I'll hate it, but I don't watch baseball for the riveting strategy of whether or not the manager should double switch for the pitcher.  Maybe I'm jaded by watching Matheny double switch out his 3, 4 and 5 hitters only to have a relief pitcher batting in a key spot in extra innings.

If they're going to do it, do it now while the Cardinals actually have a competent DH on the roster.  

If MLB limits the number of pitchers to a maximum of 12, Matheny may never be able to take another managers job.

forsberg_us wrote:

"I'm not sure tanking is enough of a problem at this point that it requires administration from the league. If the league thinks it is, just adopt the draft lottery like the NHL and the NBA."

My guess, this is more of a concern from the players' association.  If teams had to fear being penalized in the draft, they'd be more likely to explore the free agent market which would help drive salaries a bit.

Tanking is a problem for the way it screws over the fans who have bought season tickets. Or late season tickets to match a family vacation.  It has its own built in sanction, thought the owners don't seem to recognize it.  With the exception of a few fans -- and the Cubs are the one example I can think of -- few fans have the loyalty to stay with their team through the lean years.

I think the criticism of the Miami fans is largely misplaced.  Take the  money and run leads to the destruciton of many insitutions -- e.g., Sunbeam.
 

One change I would like to see is a return to June 15 as the trade deadline, and enforce it with a vengeance.

Another is the enforcement of the rule of stepping out of the batter's box with a vengeance, wiith the added sanction of a ten game suspension.  Call it the Herrera rule.

As a corollary, the umps should be require to enforce the regulation batter's box, with hitters penalized for having a foot out of the batter's box even if they have destroyed to back line.  The umps should be able to recognize where it is.  And they could have the lines refreshed during Budweiser commercials..

Of course I won't hold my breath.
 

Last edited by Mags (2/06/2019 4:22 pm)

"Another is the enforcement of the rule of stepping out of the batter's box with a vengeance, wiith the added sanction of a ten suspension.  Call it the Herrera rule."

Hear, hear! With an additional sanction that the offender has to get a haircut which doesn't make him look like The Predator.

artie_fufkin wrote:

"Incidentally, I'm not that excited about Kimbrell's remaining years."

The only thing I know about Kimbrel's recent history is my friends who are Red Sox fans were prone to panic whenever he came into a game during the latter part of last season. But Red Sox fans are prone to panic when Stanton hits a home run to lead off the top of the ninth to reduce the Yankees' deficit to nine runs.
But if you're saying he's not going to be worth the money he's going to get, especially toward the end of any contract he signs beyond 2-3 years, I agree.

You and I agree.
 

APIAD wrote:

forsberg_us wrote:

Several of these are significant

- Adding the DH to the National League
- 3 batter minimum for pitchers (except for injuries, or if the pitcher completes an inning).
- Roster expansion to 26 players with a 12 pitcher maximum
- Adjustments to the draft rules to prevent teams from tanking.

Per the story, at least some of these new rules could take affect as early as this season.

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/25935056/mlb-players-discussing-rule-changes-alter-game 

I dont see the dh being added this year or probably next year. To be fair, the nl teams will want time to prepare their rosters. Also i think players will want plenty of time to market themselves. I hate the idea of a nl dh. I hate al baseball. I hate it with a passion. Ill still watch but i wont enjoy it as much. I also understand it will happen someday.

I almost like the three batter minimum. I like that it hurts specialist, which i dont like. I also like that it would reduce pitching changes. What spoils it for me is having to let a pitcher throw to the 3rd guy. Say he walks the first two or allows two men to reach base in any fashion. So the manager, who can see the pitcher doesnt have it tonight, has to let him face a third batter. Maybe id go with this idea if it was two batter minimum.

I like the idea of a draft lottery.

I'd take the two batter over 3 batter and could live with it.  If I'm alive two years from now, I doubt I'll be watching baseball.  But I ditched the other sports long ago.

Awhile back, I did try to latch on to hockey simply as a gesture to a friend of mine who is heavily involed the "sport" on a professional basis. But there was too much for me to learn at this age.
 

artie_fufkin wrote:

"Awhile back, I did try to latch on to hockey simply as a gesture to a friend of mine who is heavily involed the "sport" on a professional basis. But there was too much for me to learn at this age."

The best advice someone gave me about watching hockey is to just follow the puck. I understand Nashville and Memphis are two very different cities, but the Predators have a very good team this year.
I never played ice hockey. in fact, I don't even know how to skate. I feel pretty comfortable that I know what's going on when I'm watching a baseball game or a basketball game, but I don't understand hockey well enough to interact on a Bruins board like this one, if it existed.  But I still enjoy the sport. 

You are right about Memphis and Nashville being different cities -- tremendously so.  From what I've leaned recently, it goes back at least to the days of Davy Crockett.  But there is a greater plan to include Memphis within the universe of fans who think of the Predators and the Titans as home favorites   We get broadcaset  of all of the games of both teams on the Comcast cable.  I suspect, but don't know as a fact, that they do the same thing with the Grizzlies for the folks in Nashville.

Actually, my friend was part of the broadcast team for the Predators the last I checked but I think that may no longer be the case.
 

JV wrote:

artie_fufkin wrote:

I never played ice hockey. in fact, I don't even know how to skate. I feel pretty comfortable that I know what's going on when I'm watching a baseball game or a basketball game, but I don't understand hockey well enough to interact on a Bruins board like this one, if it existed.  But I still enjoy the sport. 

I find it fun to watch despite the random acts of brutality the league seems tacitly to encourage. Perhaps my greatest source of frustration is trying to understand "offside" and what purpose it serves other than to drastically reduce the number of fast break goals, which seems either counterproductive or heroically traditionalist depending on my mood at the time.

That is pretty close to my reaction as well except that I was completely turned off by the by the type of violence that I saw when I gave the sport a try back in the 80's or early 90's.  I simply cannot stomach the sort of violence that would be considered a cheap shot almost anywhere in the civilized world.  I was watching a match involving teams that I've long since forgotten and saw the "other Lemieux" come from behind and smash some little red-headed guy's face into the railing on what was a completely unnecessary hit.
After that I didin't give another look at hockey until about 15 years later.
I have the same reaction as yoiu to the icing calls.

JV wrote:

artie_fufkin wrote:

I never played ice hockey. in fact, I don't even know how to skate. I feel pretty comfortable that I know what's going on when I'm watching a baseball game or a basketball game, but I don't understand hockey well enough to interact on a Bruins board like this one, if it existed.  But I still enjoy the sport. 

I find it fun to watch despite the random acts of brutality the league seems tacitly to encourage. Perhaps my greatest source of frustration is trying to understand "offside" and what purpose it serves other than to drastically reduce the number of fast break goals, which seems either counterproductive or heroically traditionalist depending on my mood at the time.

I'm not sure you remember the old two-line offside rule that spawned the infamous neutral zone trap and what the sports editor at the paper for which I used to work referred to as the "Dead Puck Era." 
I honestly think the worst thing the NHL ever did was adopt the Third Man In rule that virtually eliminated brawls. 
If you want to really get confused, try to figure out how offside is ruled in soccer. I think the sideline officials just flip coins.

artie_fufkin wrote:

"the "other Lemieux" come from behind and smash some little red-headed guy's face into the railing on what was a completely unnecessary hit."

Claude Lemieux's infamous hit on Kris Draper. After the series ended, Dino Ciccarelli said "I can't believe I shook that guy's friggin' hand."
The term "turtling" came into vogue in hockey because of Claude Lemieux, most famously when Darren McCarty tried to engage him the first time the Red Wings and the Avalanche played after the Draper incident. Lemieux tried to crosscheck Cam Neely in the back once or something. Neely was having none of his antics, but when Neely dropped his gloves, Lemieux dropped to his hands and knees on the ice and covered his head. 

You got it.  I even caught the Ciccarelli comment on ESPN and I think some of the other Draper teammates had words on the subject also..  In fact, the way the announcers made fun of it really turned me off on ESPN.  I think, to my great disappointment, Dan Patrick may have been one.
 

Last edited by Mags (2/07/2019 2:12 pm)

Mags wrote:

artie_fufkin wrote:

"the "other Lemieux" come from behind and smash some little red-headed guy's face into the railing on what was a completely unnecessary hit."

Claude Lemieux's infamous hit on Kris Draper. After the series ended, Dino Ciccarelli said "I can't believe I shook that guy's friggin' hand."
The term "turtling" came into vogue in hockey because of Claude Lemieux, most famously when Darren McCarty tried to engage him the first time the Red Wings and the Avalanche played after the Draper incident. Lemieux tried to crosscheck Cam Neely in the back once or something. Neely was having none of his antics, but when Neely dropped his gloves, Lemieux dropped to his hands and knees on the ice and covered his head. 

You got it.  I even caught the Ciccarelli comment on ESPN and I think some of the other Draper teammates had words on the subject also..  In fact, the way the announcers made fun of it really turned me off on ESPN.  I think, to my great disappointment, Dan Patrick may have been one.
 

I'm still OK with Patrick, but I finally dispensed with Olbermann after that silly attack on Harrison Bader. ESPN's entire schtick is comprised of snark and the NBA, and I've gotten too old and cranky to be entertained by either anymore.

forsberg_us wrote:

For what it's worth, Mags, I think fighting will be phased out of hockey entirely in 5-10 years.  Very few games have fights and I can't remember a hit remotely resembling the Lemieux/Draper hit in recent years.  Like the NFL, the NHL is dealing with concussion litigation which is going to make it difficult for the league to justify legalized bare-knuckle fighting.

The current game places a much greater emphasis on speed and skill and smaller guys actually have a place in the game.  Your friend (who if I remember correctly is a former student) wouldn't have a place in today's NHL

I hate to admit it but I never really mind the fights as such -- when both players drop their gloves and no one is extremely vulnerable at least out the outset.  But the few times I watched it, I just got the feeling that is part of the sport to injure someone anytime yoiu got the chance.  Of course the hit on Draper was an extreme case.

You are right.  In light of the changes you've described, I think Stu would be the first to admit that he might have trouble finding work.  He always took a lot of crap because he didn't get much playing time except for his use as an enforcer.