In terms of aesthetics, I loved 80's style baseball, though I doubt that's ever coming back. I would trade in homers and K's for a few 100-SB guys in a millisecond.
In terms of aesthetics, I loved 80's style baseball, though I doubt that's ever coming back. I would trade in homers and K's for a few 100-SB guys in a millisecond.
As someone who turned 13 in 1980, I believe that I am legally required to say that the best era for baseball was the 1980s.
The artificial turf of those years was really ugly. So too were the multi-purpose stadiums with deep OF gaps and large foul ground. But it encouraged line drive hitting and fast outfielders.
And at the same time, you had the dramatic contrast with the slugging Orioles, Red Sox, and Harvey's Wallbanger Brewers. More than any one style, I enjoyed to multitude of styles available during my youth. It was perhaps best exemplified in the Big Red Machine, that had guys who could fly (Griffey), guys who could slug (Bench, Perez), guys who slapped singles (Rose), and guys who did it all (Morgan).
Absolutely. As I mentioned earlier, I spent last year's pandemic Frankenseason ignoring the universal Neanderthal hitterball games and reading a stack of books about baseball from the 1880s onward, including biographies of Ty Cobb, George Sisler, Honus Wagner, Home Run Baker, Bob Feller, Cy Young - you get the idea. I loved the hardscrabble game those guys player and would love to see it come back. The description of the game so vividly portrayed in "A Terrible Beauty," THE best of the Cobb biographies, totally captivated me. I would trade my little brother for a time machine to go back and watch just one of them.
But then, I would trade my little brother for a bottle of sinus rinse.
I know IтАЩm in the minority of all the baseball takes people but I prefer the game today to the game in the 80тАЩs. And I started watching baseball in 1979 at the age of 7 so IтАЩm trying to give the 80тАЩs all the nostalgia feels. I think the running game actually slows the game down. More pick offs etc. Plus aesthetically I donтАЩt want to go back to at least 3 spots in a lineup (4 in the NL) with ops under .700. I donтАЩt know if the cure to todayтАЩs baseball problem is bringing back a fleet of .240 hitting middle infielders and catchers with no power. But as I said IтАЩm in the minority and I accept that.
If you want something to happen while you've got the game on, do what I do: get up and go to the bathroom. (or go make yourself a sandwich, get a beverage or whatnot)
Maybe it's recency bias, and I don't have the data handy, but I feel that there are more pickoff attempts now. Game pace in the 80's was quicker than today, though there are lots of reasons for that.
For balance, things I like about the modern game. Batters with extremely quick bats who stalk their pitch like it is prey. Bonds and Sheffield were the pioneers in my mind, and I love how modern stars do that. I also like *angry* pitchers like Scherzer who seem to be channeling the dark side to get batters out.
In terms of aesthetics, I loved 80's style baseball, though I doubt that's ever coming back. I would trade in homers and K's for a few 100-SB guys in a millisecond.
As someone who turned 13 in 1980, I believe that I am legally required to say that the best era for baseball was the 1980s.
The artificial turf of those years was really ugly. So too were the multi-purpose stadiums with deep OF gaps and large foul ground. But it encouraged line drive hitting and fast outfielders.
The turf was ugly and a knee-killer, but boy were those teams with speedy outfielders like the Cards and Royals fun.
And at the same time, you had the dramatic contrast with the slugging Orioles, Red Sox, and Harvey's Wallbanger Brewers. More than any one style, I enjoyed to multitude of styles available during my youth. It was perhaps best exemplified in the Big Red Machine, that had guys who could fly (Griffey), guys who could slug (Bench, Perez), guys who slapped singles (Rose), and guys who did it all (Morgan).
Agreed, the diversity of styles was a big plus.
Absolutely. As I mentioned earlier, I spent last year's pandemic Frankenseason ignoring the universal Neanderthal hitterball games and reading a stack of books about baseball from the 1880s onward, including biographies of Ty Cobb, George Sisler, Honus Wagner, Home Run Baker, Bob Feller, Cy Young - you get the idea. I loved the hardscrabble game those guys player and would love to see it come back. The description of the game so vividly portrayed in "A Terrible Beauty," THE best of the Cobb biographies, totally captivated me. I would trade my little brother for a time machine to go back and watch just one of them.
But then, I would trade my little brother for a bottle of sinus rinse.
"A Terrible Beauty" Thanks for reminding me! I have to revisit that (got a new e reader and a little more time recently)
I know IтАЩm in the minority of all the baseball takes people but I prefer the game today to the game in the 80тАЩs. And I started watching baseball in 1979 at the age of 7 so IтАЩm trying to give the 80тАЩs all the nostalgia feels. I think the running game actually slows the game down. More pick offs etc. Plus aesthetically I donтАЩt want to go back to at least 3 spots in a lineup (4 in the NL) with ops under .700. I donтАЩt know if the cure to todayтАЩs baseball problem is bringing back a fleet of .240 hitting middle infielders and catchers with no power. But as I said IтАЩm in the minority and I accept that.
If you think nothing ever happens in baseball, you should try working as a transmissions monitor at SETI.
If you want something to happen while you've got the game on, do what I do: get up and go to the bathroom. (or go make yourself a sandwich, get a beverage or whatnot)
Works for me every time.
At my age, going to the bathroom is probably less results-oriented than it is for you. I go thaw out some frozen mice and feed my tegu.
Tengu, you say?
Tegu, ah, my bad
Maybe it's recency bias, and I don't have the data handy, but I feel that there are more pickoff attempts now. Game pace in the 80's was quicker than today, though there are lots of reasons for that.
For balance, things I like about the modern game. Batters with extremely quick bats who stalk their pitch like it is prey. Bonds and Sheffield were the pioneers in my mind, and I love how modern stars do that. I also like *angry* pitchers like Scherzer who seem to be channeling the dark side to get batters out.