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David Levine -> RE: Twins 2023 Season and Game Day Thread (4/8/2023 2:27:49 PM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: TJSweens
quote:
ORIGINAL: Brad H
Small sampling so far, but home runs are up from last season (1.19-to-1.07 per-game). Strikeouts are at a crazy high level (8.53). Previous to 2016, there had never been a season with more than eight strikeouts-per-game. Previous to 2010, there had never been a season more than 7.0.
Stolen bases are at 0.68 per-game. Last season it was 0.51. So, if you consider 0.17 stolen bases-per-game a big deal, than well, whatever. I see it as a very minimal change in the brand of the game.
Historically speaking, strikeouts started to soar in 2012 and have been rising consistently ever since. In 2011 they were at 7.10 per-game and rose to 7.50 in 2012. Now we are over 8.5 and still rising. When did the movie Money Ball come out? In 2011. Is there a correlation? I think there is.
I think the bigger issue is how the obsession with analytics is killing the game.
Analytics has fueled the transformation from the era when starting pitchers were men to the era where pitchers are developed from an early age to exert maximum effort on each pitch to add velocity. As a result, pitchers can't go as far as they used to, bullpens are overworked and Tommy John surgery has become an almost inevitable part of many pitchers' career paths.
Analytics has driven the change from hitters gearing mechanics that enabled them to adjust to what pitchers are doing to hitters developing mechanics to maximize launch angle and exit velocity. They sell out for power. They have become guess hitters who swing from their heels any time they expect a fastball. They will live with the K's. The result is lower batting averages, way more strikeouts. I apologize for channeling Dick Bremer, but the concept of a "productive out" is ancient history.
I blame Dustin.
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