Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio?

Hi Tr. You're pretty much right on, though the brushback and working inside seem to be alive and well for some pitchers. Its just that hitters can't seem to take one the way they used to. Imagine that a guy making 5k a year would take one on the elbow and risk ending his chances, and then we hear McCarver types telling us that guys don't want to get hit because they have big contracts! Duh!
With a guaranteed contract, they have nothing to loose by taking one for the team, other than it may hurt too much for some.
We have raised a bunch of big babies overall, though I do believe there are always some exceptions.

Ah, those thrilling days of yesteryear.

The Nellie Fox "Slap Hit" baseball bat, what a memory. That whole mindset of getting on as table setters seems to be a thing of the past.

I have to blame the scouts mostly.

Most slap hitters would never get any notice over a power hitter, no matter what the average.
I look back at '86 when the Mets had Backman and Dykstra on base most often to add to the RBI totals of the 3-4-5 hitters. They would take pitches, walks, bunt, take one for the team, slap hit, whatever it took to get on.

I miss that in the game as it is played today.

WB

quote:

They would take pitches, walks, bunt, take one for the team, slap hit, whatever it took to get on.

I miss that in the game as it is played today.

WB

You bring up an interesting point. Of why those thing's aren't being done in today's game.
Are the player's aloud to do whatever they want as far as Hitting Goes?
Are the Player's aloud to Steal as Freely as they were back? Maybe even only 20 yrs. ago.
Are the player's more controlled nowaday's.
Are they aloud that much freedom to push the envelope let's say!!
Taking the Chance of streaching a long single into a double.
Are we being to safe now, Are the Odd's agains't us?
A player need's to have the Freedom to find out there limitation's.


I still see it sometime's in certain Player's, THAT LOOK!!

It comes back to the fact that bunters and slap hitters are not given much notice by the scouts.

The players in MLB today for the most part cannot lay down a bunt for a single. I chalk it up to the cage bunt.

After watching a group of 11 years olds bunt back to the pitcher on every attempted sacrifice, I spoke to the coach and mentioned some bunting practice tips. I mentioned the hula hoops and things like that as targets for 'placing' bunts. He started doing bunting practice on the feild with a dollar placed on the infield grass. The kid that hit the dollar got it. These kids are now not only good bunters, but have executed sacrifices and suicide squeeze plays very well winning their district.

Will these fine bunters get any looks from the scouts? I doubt it.

The game will continue to be populated by the .250 and below hitter.

TR - I think the answer lies in listening to my man Harry Kalas, as he calls one, "Swing and a LONG drive, watch that baby --- OUTTA HERE!!"

It ain't about the small ball - Chicks dig the long ball, as do the crowds.

Sadly enough!! It's a different game and a different way of playing it - not necesaarily a better way.

It's been all downhill since they let fielders start using gloves...

at least when they started using ones with 4 fingers, anyway

Helping out with an adult team. Lots of college players and the league is wooden bat. Last night 3 bats cracked. Brings back memories of my playing days. also no 15-12 games. we actually bunt to move runners over late in the game.(Of course getting these players to execute it is another thing) I also have a hard time getting the young pitchers to pitch inside. After one of our guys got sawed off and his bat went in half and he came back to the dugout with the handle I said to one of our college pitchers that is why you come inside.

I love...
Bunts
Home runs
Slap singles
Bloopers ... I love small ball and long ball, but

why would I ever let a slow guy practive drag bunts? Only fast players should ever practice drag bunting. All players should learn to sac bunt.

Why would I want a guy to get thrown out trying to get an extra base when he is already in scoring position at first if my next guy has power? Why steal if the player cannot safely get to the next bag at least 70% of the time? It costs runs if the steal percentage is in the mid-60%.

A slap hitter would never be walked in today's game. With the average on-base being about .335, a slap hitter would have to hit .335 to break even on-base and would not produce as many runs as say a .290 hitter with some power. The average major leaguer walks 8.5 times out of 100 plate appearances. The ones walking are, for the most part, guys with pop. The average ML player hits 1/3 of his hits for extra bases.

The reason the small ball left is steroids and other performance enhancing drugs, better nutrition, more athletic hitters, and better knowledge about how to hit a ball far.

However, since drug testing, the Slugging has decreased from a high of about .432 to about .420. If they do real testing, with a wider prohibited profile, the small game will return.

I think you will see more small ball as the players are tested better through minor league ball.