Foster: MLB All-Star game was a microcosm of baseball today with large number of home runs and strikeouts
By Kyle Foster
Twitter: @NapaKyle @NapaSportsNews
If you were tuned into last night’s Major League Baseball All-Star game you saw that it was a slugfest. In the American League’s 8-6 victory over the National League there were a record ten home runs hit in the game featuring the MLB’s best players.
On the other hand, there were also 25 total strikeouts between the two teams. With those two stats the question becomes what happened to putting the ball in play and manufacturing runs?
The answer: Home runs and strikeouts is baseball in 2018. Home runs are definitely nice to see in a game, but ten to me is way too much unless of course you’re watching an event like home run derby.
The reason why there’s no in between anymore is simply due to the fact that the launch angle and exit velocity statistics are the main hitting stat around anymore — hitting for average has simply gone out the window.
Another reason is all the “new” baseball fans want to see the big ball all the time, so in contrast to the “purists” or “old time” baseball fans like myself it’s not as appealing of a game.
Remember when there were talks of adding a pitch clock was discussed, but instead the MLBPA and MLB settled on limiting the number of mound visits instead? If you do then you’ve been paying attention. Anyway, it’s the people who have been going to commissioners office saying to speed up the game, who are also the ones who want all the home runs and strikeouts.
However, us Bay Area baseball fans are in luck with the baseball we get to watch on a day-to-day basis because AT&T Park and the Oakland Coliseum are ballparks where it takes good pitching, timely hitting, and good defense to win a game along with a home run mixed in here or there. Another reason is mother nature simply wouldn’t allow games like the 2018 Mid-Summer Classic because of the wind and fog combination that comes into both ballparks.
Last Sunday in the All-Star futures game we basically saw a preview of what was to come only two days later when USA beat World 10-6 in a slugfest.
Last night’s ASG was a complete microcosm of what the MLB is today, and I hope the all or nothing approach by hitters starts to deteriorate as time goes on because this new age of baseball is losing many long-time fans.
Nicely put Kyle! I agree need to get back to hitting for average and putting the ball in play!