And now, with the designated hitter in the National League; "free runners" in extra innings; expansion, with its fatal dilution of the talent pool; interleague play that strips the game of the mystery of two teams that have never, or seldom, met in the World Series; limited pick-off throws; larger bases (I could go on and on), that have made a mockery of the game and the statistics that it has assiduously compiled for a hundred and eighty years...NONE of what Doug has written matters any more.
Baseball is DEAD. The owners, and the worst "Commissioner" it has ever had (no, Rose's ineligibility for the Hall of Fame does NOT end with his death, Rob. He did what he did, and the memory, and perfidy of it cannot be expunged by your overpaid absolution) have killed it. They're peddling dog food to dumb sucker fans and trying to pass it off as being fit for human consumption.
Sorry, Rob and the owners, some of us are too smart to ingest crap.
The rules of the game have changed since Day 1. There’s a lot I don’t like about the current game—but there’s a lot that I do, including the extra innings runners (though I refuse to call them “Manfred runners” as some do.) I consider baseball’s Golden Age to be the 1960’s when Black players arrived to stay and galvanized both leagues, but I’m nearing 70, and I suspect every fan considers the era in which he/she grew up to be the sport’s greatest. There’s much to be cynical about, but I’m still moved by the game, and I believe that a 25th man on a MLB roster today is far more skilled than most of his predecessors. Hope springs eternal that my Mariners will someday win a World Series.
Beautiful piece of writing. Thank you.
And now, with the designated hitter in the National League; "free runners" in extra innings; expansion, with its fatal dilution of the talent pool; interleague play that strips the game of the mystery of two teams that have never, or seldom, met in the World Series; limited pick-off throws; larger bases (I could go on and on), that have made a mockery of the game and the statistics that it has assiduously compiled for a hundred and eighty years...NONE of what Doug has written matters any more.
Baseball is DEAD. The owners, and the worst "Commissioner" it has ever had (no, Rose's ineligibility for the Hall of Fame does NOT end with his death, Rob. He did what he did, and the memory, and perfidy of it cannot be expunged by your overpaid absolution) have killed it. They're peddling dog food to dumb sucker fans and trying to pass it off as being fit for human consumption.
Sorry, Rob and the owners, some of us are too smart to ingest crap.
The rules of the game have changed since Day 1. There’s a lot I don’t like about the current game—but there’s a lot that I do, including the extra innings runners (though I refuse to call them “Manfred runners” as some do.) I consider baseball’s Golden Age to be the 1960’s when Black players arrived to stay and galvanized both leagues, but I’m nearing 70, and I suspect every fan considers the era in which he/she grew up to be the sport’s greatest. There’s much to be cynical about, but I’m still moved by the game, and I believe that a 25th man on a MLB roster today is far more skilled than most of his predecessors. Hope springs eternal that my Mariners will someday win a World Series.
Thanks for continuing this important conversation!
I salute your unwavering moral compass, your sense of honor and your self-respect. That's an inspiring kind of muscular strength.