5 ms·

I struggle with this, I think as long as you aren't getting spit in your eye as a batter, who cares if a pitcher throws a spit ball, a cutter, or any other "che

by S_A_P 8y ago

I struggle with this, I think as long as you aren't getting spit in your eye as a batter, who cares if a pitcher throws a spit ball, a cutter, or any other "cheat" pitch. I feel like that is living on the margins and that you probably aren't affecting the balls flight path as much as you think you are. 60' 6" isn't really a great distance, and batters have generally hit 1 out of every 3 or 4 times they bat since basically forever...

throwaway5752 8y ago
A cutter isn't a cheat pitch, is it?
- jrumbut 8y ago
  No it's not: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cut_fastball https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cut_fastball I do think it would make sense to give pitchers some additional grip aid like pine tar when the temperature is below a certain level. It seems like in the unwritten rules of the game, this is usually allowed if kept discrete. The great body of unwritten rules is what makes baseball so enjoyable to follow over many years but also may be contributing to the declining interest in general. It's a slow game the rewards patience, subtlety, etc.
  - dylan604 8y ago
    Sounds like trying to order from In-n-Out. The unwritten thing is a known thing, so why not just write it down?
    - naniwaduni 8y ago
      Maybe the sense of exclusivity is part of the appeal, too?
sokoloff 8y ago
Spit balls were originally banned ostensibly for batter safety. This was in an era before batting helmets and replacing the ball nearly every time it touched the ground. It’s not clear that reintroducing it would cause a safety concern, but MLB is interested in having a certain balance of defense and offense and giving the pitchers back the spitter would require some offsetting change for the offense. With the recent clampdown on PEDs, I think the balance is probably temporarily too pro-defense, so it seems unlikely that the league would be inclined to reintroduce.

by S_A_P 8y ago

throwaway5752 8y ago

A cutter isn't a cheat pitch, is it?

jrumbut 8y ago
No it's not: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cut_fastball https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cut_fastball I do think it would make sense to give pitchers some additional grip aid like pine tar when the temperature is below a certain level. It seems like in the unwritten rules of the game, this is usually allowed if kept discrete. The great body of unwritten rules is what makes baseball so enjoyable to follow over many years but also may be contributing to the declining interest in general. It's a slow game the rewards patience, subtlety, etc.
- dylan604 8y ago
  Sounds like trying to order from In-n-Out. The unwritten thing is a known thing, so why not just write it down?
  - naniwaduni 8y ago
    Maybe the sense of exclusivity is part of the appeal, too?

sokoloff 8y ago

Spit balls were originally banned ostensibly for batter safety. This was in an era before batting helmets and replacing the ball nearly every time it touched the ground. It’s not clear that reintroducing it would cause a safety concern, but MLB is interested in having a certain balance of defense and offense and giving the pitchers back the spitter would require some offsetting change for the offense. With the recent clampdown on PEDs, I think the balance is probably temporarily too pro-defense, so it seems unlikely that the league would be inclined to reintroduce.