Is this really the beginning of a new pitchers' era?

[dominik]

Inspired by the low scoring on opening day (which means nothing of course since it is only one day) I start this thread.

2010 was called the year of the pitcher. with 4.38 runs this was the lowest scoring in nearly 2 decades. then 2011 came and the scoring was even lower. other stats like OBP, OPS and BA dropped correspondingly. the scoring already dropped slowly from the early to mid 2000s (probably due to th end of the steroid era) but this drop of in the last 2 years was really surprising.

-Is this a fluke?

-will this continue?

-what is the reason for this? (I have a feeling that the high strike is called again a little more but not sure)

[abolishthedh]

All I can say at this early point is Hallelujah, its overdue. Voted 'yes', and even if I am proven wrong here I have to hope otherwise.

[GiambiJuice]

All I can say at this early point is Hallelujah, its overdue. Voted 'yes', and even if I am proven wrong here I have to hope otherwise.

Why do you hate offense?

[SamtheBravesFan]

Why do you hate offense?

I suppose he's dreaming that baseball players will stop going for the home run and focus on contact more to counter the increased pitching prowess that's being displayed now?

[dominik]

I suppose he's dreaming that baseball players will stop going for the home run and focus on contact more to counter the increased pitching prowess that's being displayed now?

IMO this is already happening. of course they won't play real small ball and the HR will always play a role but this stuff is already coming back.

If you read the book moneyball they act like stealing and bunting is stupid and all that counts is walks and extra basehits. and now some really good teams like texas and tampa start using this stuff again. even the poster child team of the "walk-walk-HR" approach boston is using it a little again.

I actually like it. this is no pure small ball but also no pure "big ball approach". I like HRs but I also like speed. so this is a good time to watch.

[Iowanic]

As long as the fans and the money keeps flowing in; they'll let the pitchers be more of a factor(Thank goodness). The minute there's a down-turn; it'll be homerun derby again.

[Francoeurstein]

Why do you hate offense?

Well his avatar is the Padres logo :clown:

[fenrir]

Two things:

- Pitchers use and benefit from steroids too. Not as much as hitters, but they certainly benefit.
- HGH is undetectable, and for all we know there are undetectable steroids out there we don't know about.

I have no problem believing that steroid use is somewhat less rampant then it was years ago, but I highly doubt the "steroid era" is truly over, nor do I think it will technically ever be over.

[abolishthedh]

Why do you hate offense?

In short, baseball's love of the home run has turned the game into glorified softball for too many players. Trends 20 years in the making will eventually have a backlash. We are finally seeing this, on all fronts. IMO, true fans will appreciate it and I have hoped to see this because high scoring can be left to other sports. In baseball, runs are meant to be valuable commodities and when runs occur in bunches, it seems players play poorer defense and pitchers pitch even more carelessly.

In other words, over the past two decades I have come to believe that high scoring begets more high scoring, and we may be seeing low scoring beget more low scoring. The game seems cleaner this way.

[SamtheBravesFan]

In short, baseball's love of the home run has turned the game into glorified softball for too many players. Trends 20 years in the making will eventually have a backlash. We are finally seeing this, on all fronts. IMO, true fans will appreciate it and I have hoped to see this because high scoring can be left to other sports. In baseball, runs are meant to be valuable commodities and when runs occur in bunches, it seems players play poorer defense and pitchers pitch even more carelessly.

In other words, over the past two decades I have come to believe that high scoring begets more high scoring, and we may be seeing low scoring beget more low scoring. The game seems cleaner this way.

I only have one thing to say to that: I feel nothing but frustration and pain if my team can't score a run in a so-called "cleaner" game, like the Braves' opening day 1-0 loss. It was not beautiful, it was not clean. It was awful. I would have loved a dash of that sloppy glorified softball becaue that would have won the game.

[dominik]

I only have one thing to say to that: I feel nothing but frustration and pain if my team can't score a run in a so-called "cleaner" game, like the Braves' opening day 1-0 loss. It was not beautiful, it was not clean. It was awful. I would have loved a dash of that sloppy glorified softball becaue that would have won the game.

a high scoring loss is also painfull for your team. I agree that watching a 1-0 loss hurts but so does watching a 8-3 loss.

[tag0519]

I hope so. Nothing like watching a pitchers duel!!

[brett]

What is strange to me is that the years '94 to '09, which I consider to be the offensive surge years, produced lower BEST single season ERAs than the decade before or the years since.

Here are the best of that period:



Maddux 1.56
Maddux: 1.63
Pedro: 1.74
Clemens 1.87
Brown: 1.89
Pedro: 1.90

The NL had 4 straight years with leaders under 2.00 from '94-'97.

Since the live ball, no league has had more than 3 straight sub 2.00 leaders, and 3 straight only happened once form '66-'68 in the NL before the mound was dropped.

[SamtheBravesFan]

a high scoring loss is also painfull for your team. I agree that watching a 1-0 loss hurts but so does watching a 8-3 loss.

Knowing it's a long shot to come back makes it easier for me to swallow. Pastornicky hit a triple with one out yesterday when the Braves were down 1-0 in the 7th, and the fate of the game was essentially in the hands of Jose Constanza and that did not make me feel good at all. Of course, Jose played the fool, and that was the last I saw of that game. I couldn't take it anymore. Sure, I would have looked silly if I had given up on them and the team would have won. But that at point, as poor as they had been with RISP, I expected nothing very quickly.

[abolishthedh]

What is strange to me is that the years '94 to '09, which I consider to be the offensive surge years, produced lower BEST single season ERAs than the decade before or the years since.

Here are the best of that period:



Maddux 1.56
Maddux: 1.63
Pedro: 1.74
Clemens 1.87
Brown: 1.89
Pedro: 1.90

The NL had 4 straight years with leaders under 2.00 from '94-'97.

Since the live ball, no league has had more than 3 straight sub 2.00 leaders, and 3 straight only happened once form '66-'68 in the NL before the mound was dropped.

Agreed, brett, and I have never known what to make of it. Honestly, I do not believe those pitchers were using PEDs.
Whoops, just noticed Clemens name in the group. Oh well, I don't believe most of this group was using PEDs.