MLB 2025 Season

tempo_n_groove

MLB, MLBPA, Commissioners office all need to come together and come up with an amical solution on what the pitchers can use.

Batters will readjust.  This sticky stuff has been around for a few years.  Last year record HR's.  This year lower averages.  Maybe stop messing w the ball MLB?

pjhawks

cutz said:

https://twitter.com/JomboyMedia/status/1405360632644386816

ahh this game is hard so i'm gonna cheat.  blah blah blah.  do these guys realize how stupid they sound trying to justify cheating?

F Me In The Brain

I think what the cheater Cora shared the other day was interesting....perhaps pitchers will not be able to rare back and throw as hard as they possibly can and control the ball.  Perhaps the majority of guys are gonna need to dial it back a bit on speed to focus on control.  
Some guys are always gonna rip it.  Even though people are bigger and stronger I don't think we have to see every team with 8 guys that can hit 99

All interesting to see how it plays out.  Yes, MLB keeps monkeying with the ball.  However, the pitchers clearly are using more goop the last bunch of years.  MLB is the authority - pitchers reacting by breaking more rules (or by breaking the rules more frequently) so they can continue to be faster, have more control.....that doesn't seem to be the answer.
Dudes shouldn't be coating the balls with shit.  

Jearlpam0925

tempo_n_groove said:

MLB, MLBPA, Commissioners office all need to come together and come up with an amical solution on what the pitchers can use.

Batters will readjust.  This sticky stuff has been around for a few years.  Last year record HR's.  This year lower averages.  Maybe stop messing w the ball MLB?

They did. It sits in clear sight on the mound.

Jearlpam0925

F Me In The Brain said:

perhaps pitchers will not be able to rare back and throw as hard as they possibly can and control the ball.  Perhaps the majority of guys are gonna need to dial it back a bit on speed to focus on control.  

Also, yes, this is the correct take.

Cliffy6745

So are pitchers who play an outdoor sport not allowed to wear sunscreen?

Jearlpam0925

I don't think sunscreen is on the no-no list right?

Cliffy6745

Jearlpam0925 said:

I don't think sunscreen is on the no-no list right?

They told them to stop wearing it for night games, I think. But not sure how you regulate that.

But rosin/sunscreen is one of the main substances they use, at least until all these other things were created

Jearlpam0925

And rosin sits on the mound right? I don't know, from what I understand it sounds like they have no choice but to come down hard initially at least to make sure all this shit is followed. But make no mistake on my part, this is much the MLB's Office for getting to this point. But, regardless, pitchers - stop fucking bitching and moaning and adjust. I mean they've said there's literal chemists working for teams. This isn't a matter of arguing whether they're banning the shift, which would be fucking stupid. This is a matter of the game being strikeouts and upper cut home runs. Not fun baseball.

Indifference71

What a mess.  Can't wait to see umpires sniffing pitchers arms to see if they have any sunscreen on!  Has Manfred officially surpassed Bettman as worst commissioner in sports?

Cliffy6745

Jearlpam0925 said:

And rosin sits on the mound right? I don't know, from what I understand it sounds like they have no choice but to come down hard initially at least to make sure all this shit is followed. But make no mistake on my part, this is much the MLB's Office for getting to this point. But, regardless, pitchers - stop fucking bitching and moaning and adjust. I mean they've said there's literal chemists working for teams. This isn't a matter of arguing whether they're banning the shift, which would be fucking stupid. This is a matter of the game being strikeouts and upper cut home runs. Not fun baseball.

One former player was calling out that Michael Hill who is apparently MLB's VP of on-field operations and one of the leaders here who was formerly with the Marlins and at that time and a huge champion of it telling pitchers they need to use it.  It's all so hypocritical and the only reason they care is because people are complaining about offense and $$$

Glasnow said he used sunscreen/rosin. I also hear his point that this is something baseball people either pushed at worst, or ignored at best, and now they are changing how pitchers need to adjust mid-season and could very well lead to injuries.

Certainly not denying it got out of control or that something needs to be done, but it's just all so hypocritical.

Jearlpam0925

Well, yeah, for sure. But I think reverting to just not doing anything about because that would be hypocritical is kinda silly.  MLB is absolutely being reactionary, but no time like the present. And any pitcher copping out to that just sounds dumb. Just be clear about what's allowed, what isn't, and give pitchers enough runway/lead-time to adjust accordingly and the rosin provided at the mound should be enough, chemically synthesized materials and anything else that makes it sound like your clapping when the ball comes out of your hand should not.

And I go back to F Me's point that you probably wouldn't get injured if you're not trying to throw as hard you can while trying to make the ball dance like a wiffleball eephus.

F Me In The Brain

No sunscreen for "night" games?  730 starts, right?

The sun is still pretty bright -- pitchers are gonna bitch about that, saying that MLB is giving them skin cancer, I imagine?  Or, will they just throw it to a teammate who has sunscreen on?  Have them rub it up and then they can grab the rosin bag behind the mound?

Cliffy6745

Jearlpam0925 said:

Well, yeah, for sure. But I think reverting to just not doing anything about because that would be hypocritical is kinda silly.  MLB is absolutely being reactionary, but no time like the present. And any pitcher copping out to that just sounds dumb. Just be clear about what's allowed, what isn't, and give pitchers enough runway/lead-time to adjust accordingly and the rosin provided at the mound should be enough, chemically synthesized materials and anything else that makes it sound like your clapping when the ball comes out of your hand should not.

And I go back to F Me's point that you probably wouldn't get injured if you're not trying to throw as hard you can while trying to make the ball dance like a wiffleball eephus.

Gerrit Cole's 103rd and 104th pitch last night were a 101 FB and a 95 changeup. I don't think much is going to change unless a bunch of UCLs start going, which would also be horrible for the game.

I am not saying do nothing, at all.  Every player on that union call (or whoever it was) that has been highlighted, batters included, have no problem with sunscreen/rosin, from what I read.  The balls are clearly different than they were 20 years ago, and tampering with them have been going on since the beginning of the game. Rosin clearly isn't enough anymore and the game changes.  I think there should be some agreed upon substance, something like rosin/sunscreen or something pinetar related that everyone has on the mound.

F Me In The Brain

There will be guys who throw hard....it just isn't likely to be 80% of the guys who can go 95+ or whatever crazy number it is now.

Or, the mascots better be wary like in Bull Durham.

Jearlpam0925

Ok so you're saying that 101mph FB and 95mph change wouldn't be strikes unless he's dropping his hand in some goop?

Cliffy6745

F Me In The Brain said:

No sunscreen for "night" games?  730 starts, right?

The sun is still pretty bright -- pitchers are gonna bitch about that, saying that MLB is giving them skin cancer, I imagine?  Or, will they just throw it to a teammate who has sunscreen on?  Have them rub it up and then they can grab the rosin bag behind the mound?

Right..and they are out there earlier getting ready.  Once all this dies down, not sure how you regulate sunscreen, which is basically my point as to why a blanket ban is dumb.  A 10 day vacation with pay or you possibly get hurt/lose money.  Pretty sure pitchers are going to go back to taking the risk.

mfc2006

F Me In The Brain said:

There will be guys who throw hard....it just isn't likely to be 80% of the guys who can go 95+ or whatever crazy number it is now.

Or, the mascots better be wary like in Bull Durham.

LOL

Jearlpam0925

Cliffy6745 said:

F Me In The Brain said:

No sunscreen for "night" games?  730 starts, right?

The sun is still pretty bright -- pitchers are gonna bitch about that, saying that MLB is giving them skin cancer, I imagine?  Or, will they just throw it to a teammate who has sunscreen on?  Have them rub it up and then they can grab the rosin bag behind the mound?

Right..and they are out there earlier getting ready.  Once all this dies down, not sure how you regulate sunscreen, which is basically my point as to why a blanket ban is dumb.  A 10 day vacation with pay or you possibly get hurt/lose money.  Pretty sure pitchers are going to go back to taking the risk.

And that's why you're going to see some big names get the hammer dropped on them - fairly or unfairly.

tbergs

F Me In The Brain said:

There will be guys who throw hard....it just isn't likely to be 80% of the guys who can go 95+ or whatever crazy number it is now.

Or, the mascots better be wary like in Bull Durham.

This. It's like in the steroid era for hitters. The great hitters were still great, but then you had complete bullshit like Brady Anderson hitting 50 homers. Average pitchers have been pitching above average and great pitchers have been unhittable. I mean, there were already 5 no-hitters in May. I doubt we'll see another one this season and struggling offenses start to come alive.

MLB has not handled much of anything well over the last 20 years. Players, coaches and management are all in on these scandals because it's about the $$$. They just lost out on a ton of revenue last year so they're itching to get people back in the stands. That usually means the pitchers suffer so people get their boom boom happy kicks with the long balls flying. Much like hitters want to jack the ball, pitchers want to hurl a fireball. Control pitchers are tough to find these days.