New Strike Zone

[gak555]

Members - do you feel that the new strike zone will have a significant impact on baseball totals.

[hart attack]

gak,
the new strike zone is supposed to do just that. but will base umps still make out calls on phantom tags on runners/bases? big league umpiring sucks so bad. these guys are just like the players...primma donnas that changed the rules of this great game to their own interpretation. strike zone should be armpits to the knees....will it be? i doubt it...some of these fat-asses cant see that far! hope we dont have another one keel over & die during a game because of he is so far out of shape it is life threatening.

[This message has been edited by hart attack (edited 03-23-2001).]

[Underdog7]

It would definitely affect totals and will lean towards UNDER.

[Ronbets]

I doubt a significant effect. First of all the umpire's union is so strong, thay can't be dictated to. Attempts by owners to implement the 20second rule have fallen on deaf ears.

Let's suppose they honor Selig's decree and raise the zone. Who does it help? Control and mainly power pitchers. Most batters facing high heat velocity less than 90mph will light up the scoreboard. The ball is easier to see up in the strike zone.

Did I give too much away Sportshobby??

[Jeff]

High anxiety
By Ken Rosenthal - The Sporting News


In theory, the calling of the high strike will help power pitchers who can exploit the upper part of the zone. In theory, it will hurt selective hitters who used the shrunken zone of seasons past to work counts in their favor.

But which teams will be affected most by the raising and narrowing of the zone, the interpretation of the rule book mandated by the commissioner's office?

That's baseball's riddle in a mystery inside an enigma.

Consider the Yankees. The high strike should be a boon to Roger Clemens and Mariano Rivera, and a detriment to the team's patient, veteran hitters. But will that necessarily be the case?

"Veteran hitters are used to making adjustments," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman says. "That's how they've prolonged their careers."

Thus, Paul O'Neill should make the zone work to his advantage, as always. But O'Neill could struggle under another theory, one that suggests that pitchers will exploit aging lefthanded batters, most of whom are notorious low-ball hitters. Who can figure this stuff out?

The A's preach plate discipline, and their hitters finished second in the majors (to the Mariners) last season in pitches per plate appearance. Maybe their on-base percentages will suffer. But general manager Billy Beane, like many in the game, says the calling of the high strike will only amplify existing trends.

For example, the Expos were the only team in the majors to draw fewer than 500 walks last season. Now, they might take even fewer pitches. A pitcher such as the Brewers' Jimmy Haynes, meanwhile, isn't going to suddenly turn into Randy Johnson -- if he were so good at hitting locations, he already would be a success.

The Diamondbacks could benefit with Johnson and Curt Schilling, both of whom can throw high fastballs past hitters, in their rotation. The Braves, by contrast, will scream if the narrowing of the zone disrupts Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, who like to work the edges.

Still, these things tend to balance themselves out: The good teams will be good. The bad teams will be bad. Baseball will be baseball.

Senior writer Ken Rosenthal covers baseball for The Sporting News. E-mail him at krosenthal@sportingnews.com.

[Kevin]

Call me crazy but when a hitter connects with a high pitch the ball soars. I think it might add to run production. Just an opinion though. Am anxiously awaiting to see what comes of it.

[JT]

My guess is runs and batting averages will drop to a degree, perhaps not a large one but home runs will stay level. Another factor is the zone will not be as wide so that might squeeze guys like Glavine and Maddux. I am sure we will find out.

[sportshobby]

Ronbets, there are so many different opinions it's unlikely you'll help anyone too much.

[hart attack]

the opening up of the strike zone will definitely hurt the hitters. how can it not? hitters will be behind in counts more often & thus averages will suffer. to me, this is a no-brainer. hitting a ball up in the strike zone only guarantees one thing- the ball will be hit in the air- certainly in wrigley or colorado that may get a few more HRs. but how many other ABs will suffer from hitters having to hit behind in the count?
pitchers benefit here.

[Railbird]

Ronbets is right,the umps will totally ignore the new rule,they will comply for a week at the most.Pitchers dont want to go up there anyway.

[hart attack]

pretty sad state of affairs in MLB when a 394lb. human blimp dictates his interpretation of the rules of the greatest game on earth. was there any truth to reports out of spring training that eric gregg ATE one of his base umpires?

[Unnamed Sources]

I would expect inconsistant enforcement of the new zone. Thus, historical umpire statistics (many bettors use these to bet totals) may have to be re-developed to reflect which particular umpires are enforcing the new strike zone. The most significant effect could be that traditional "under" umps may not call the pitch 8 inches off the corner anymore, thus raising the runs per game for these umps.