Oakland Park Baseball

Lincoln’s concern that we watch too many pitches is valid. I agree that we take maybe too man pitches with our own-team-pitch rules (and, yes, I am guilty of that). Maybe we could agree with a 6 pitch rule? (of course if the 6th pitch is over your head, you get another).

By the way, the "6" is an idea. Don't get hung up on that number.

I think a rule like this would be nice to keep the game moving along, but I think if we implement it, it should be a hard cap (i.e. no "if pitch X is unhitable you get another one" rule). I mean... it is your own team pitching to you... if you can't get a pitch to hit it is your own (team's) fault.

Well,

Don't forget we just finished a 9 inning game in only 2 hours 15 minutes under the standard pitching rules we've always used.

So if it isn't broken, why fix it? Not getting an at-bat because your teammate can't throw you a strike would just suck, especially if it was a potential RBI scenario for the batter.

If we go this route and give the number of pitches a cap, if a player reaches that cap without putting the ball into play or striking out, it would not count as an at-bat.

We (Scott and I) had this discussion over a year ago after an insane amount of watched strikes became an issue. We had already agreed we'd cap it at 10 pitches per at-bat, but the issue became irrelevant since people coincidentally started swinging afterward. I think if you watch 10 pitches go by and don't at least foul a pitch off, your team did not give itself the opportunity to put the ball in play and should be penalized one out.

This may mean you'll actually have to tell the pitcher where you want to see the ball, and if it doesn't go there you may have to request another pitcher. If you still don't get a good pitch to hit, you'll have to swing at some bullshit. Who knows, this may even make you a better hitter by finding different ways to approach the ball. I don't see it as a bad thing.

BTW: Peter, you're the only person I've seen take more than 10 pitches per at-bat without swinging since we've been keeping track of score.

Southpaw Slim wrote:If you still don't get a good pitch to hit, you'll have to swing at some bullshit. ... I don't see it as a bad thing.

I don't know about you, Nick, but I'm not fucking Vlad Guerrero!

Southpaw Slim wrote: BTW: Peter, you're the only person I've seen take more than 10 pitches per at-bat without swinging since we've been keeping track of score.

Um... 10 pitches? I very well doubt that. I usually have at least one shitty swing before I take that many pitches. Maybe only if you were pitching, Nick.

Any way, I think its totally unfair to penalize the batter if the (x) pitch is over the dude's head.

Baseball=Life wrote:

Southpaw Slim wrote:If you still don't get a good pitch to hit, you'll have to swing at some bullshit. ... I don't see it as a bad thing.

I don't know about you, Nick, but I'm not fucking Vlad Guerrero!

Vlad is the fucking man! He's the only MLB player I know who can play golf and cricket in the middle of his atbats and still put up moster numbers

FORE!

Don't forget Ichiro!

Remember when he got a line-drive basehit off of the pitch that hit the ground a few feet in front of home plate last year?!!!!!!

No one can swing like Ichiro or Vlad. I love watching those guys hit.

Even the hit to CF by Vlad that Kotsay made a nice catch on at the wall yesterday ...... He almost hit that out and yet it was nowhere near the strike zone.

I almost always swing at one of the first three pitches unless they just can't pitch anywhere near the plate....

I was thinking about this during the last game (5/15) and I think it might be time to start imposing a 10 pitch rule. If you can't put the ball in play after 10, try a different pitcher next time.

Baseball=Life wrote:I don't know about you, Nick, but I'm not fucking Vlad Guerrero!

Yes, in fact you do know about me. Remember the BP binge and the bullshit I was launching from around my ankles.

Southpaw Slim wrote:I was thinking about this during the last game (5/15) and I think it might be time to start imposing a 10 pitch rule. If you can't put the ball in play after 10, try a different pitcher next time.

Baseball=Life wrote:I don't know about you, Nick, but I'm not fucking Vlad Guerrero!

Yes, in fact you do know about me. Remember the BP binge and the bullshit I was launching from around my ankles.

Come on Scott... If Nick Warwick isn't Vladimir Guerrero than who the hell is?

TheLegend wrote:

Southpaw Slim wrote:I was thinking about this during the last game (5/15) and I think it might be time to start imposing a 10 pitch rule. If you can't put the ball in play after 10, try a different pitcher next time.

Baseball=Life wrote:I don't know about you, Nick, but I'm not fucking Vlad Guerrero!

Yes, in fact you do know about me. Remember the BP binge and the bullshit I was launching from around my ankles.

Come on Scott... If Nick Warwick isn't Vladimir Guerrero than who the hell is?

Awnser: Vladimir Guerrero

I would say we should try the 10-pitch rule this next week, but with the understanding that this is not necessarily going to become our regular practice. We should simply try it out, and then bring back the conversation afterwards.

I know I tend to repeat myself..... But lets not make any more rules rules unless its absolutely necessary. Things are fine the way they are.. As Scott said...if its not broke, don't fix it (or something like that). I don't see where waiting for a decent pitch has really been that big of a problem. (There's still plenty of daylight left at the end of the game).

If the desire is to move the game along, there's other things we could do... like stop wasting so much time betwen half innings (we probably kill -15-20 minutes every inning), or the improptu meetings/huddles/discussions/debates, etc... And on days were playing live pitching we could save alot time by not trying to pick off runners, which almost has always resulted in throwing the ball away, allowing the runner to advance a base..or 2, or 3.

Rob C wrote:
If the desire is to move the game along, there's other things we could do... like stop wasting so much time betwen half innings (we probably kill -15-20 minutes every inning), or the improptu meetings/huddles/discussions/debates, etc... And on days were playing live pitching we could save alot time by not trying to pick off runners, which almost has always resulted in throwing the ball away, allowing the runner to advance a base..or 2, or 3.

I don't feelr that either of those options are viable. First, those meetings are often needed to re-organize on plan what needs to be done. Also, without pickoffs, the massive number of stolen bases durring live games would skyrocket-- unless we didn't allow stealing, which would be sad in a live game.

TEAMS! If your guy can't get the ball over the plate, change him. THAT's our answer.