Some general questions about MLB baseball

[baseballdude]

I've got a few general questions about MLB, and maybe we could have a nice general purpose thread here. Thanks for responding.

1- Why aren't there as many knuckleball pitchers as before?

2- Why are catchers not generally that good of a batter? You'd think that being behind the plate so much, you'd know the incoming pitches so well. Is it simply because catchers are beat up on their hands and are working so hard when the other team is batting?

3- We often see defensive players run toward a foul ball and it's way over in the grandstands, totally out of reach. Is it that hard to see where the ball is coming down? I suppose yes, but you'd think that after some experience, a player would see that the ball is much too far into the stands. I can understand a close ball, sure.

4- Why do lefthand pitchers generally have an advantage over righthand batters?

5- When did bullpen pitching become a specialty with long and short relievers, 1-inning closers, etc? In the old days, bullpen was a sort of wasteland for aging or newbie starters. But I'm thinking it all began to change with bullpen specialists about 20 years ago? Sound right to you?

Thanks!

[LJMets1989]

1) It's harder to be good at and less sexy?
2) I don't think that's universally true. Plenty of catchers can hit the hell out of the ball. Better question is why most pitchers can't hit better.
3) Just in case the wind blows it back.
4) They don't. Pitchers have an advantage over batters who hit the SAME handedness because the pitcher's body hides the ball a split second longer.
5) In the 90's, I'd say.

[HollywoodLeo]

Regarding #2, part of why you might see a perception of catchers not hitting well is a lot of times when a catcher is an excellent hitter you'll see the team eventually move him to another position to limit the wear and tear on his knees. This lessens the number of overall great hitting catchers.

Regarding #5, pitchers throw the ball a lot harder in today's game than they did in the past. That leads to greater wear and tear on the throwing arm. A lot of hub-bub is made about pitchers today being more fragile and not as gritty as pitchers in the past, but pitchers in the past didn't throw the ball as hard as they do today. I mean, there are obvious exceptions (like Nolan Ryan) but for the most part they throw harder today.

Also, there was less regard to health back then. If you didn't suck it up and get back in then you were a pansy. Taking precautions to preserve health is a good thing, not a bad thing.

[baseballdude]

Thanks for the replies.

Re. foul balls, the wind would be a factor if played outdoors but I see the same thing with enclosed ballparks. Maybe it's just a force of habit, and maybe partly it's not being sloggy, like not running out a ground-out? If the 3rd or 1st baseman just stands there, the players look lazy, even if the ball is way out of play. Mebbe?

[HollywoodLeo]

Regarding chasing foul balls that are going into the stands I think a lot of that has to do with sheer hustle. You don't want to be the type that gives up on a ball until you know for sure it's unreachable.

Also, from personal experience, (but this might be due to not being that good...) it's not always that obvious right off the bat.

[baseballdude]

Thanks again for the comment. I'm clueless as to the standings listed in your reply and how they relate, however.

Re. the foul ball, listening to the Astros game last night, a foul was hit behind home plate and the catcher ran over and caught it about 2 feet from the net. The commentator remarked how the ball curves in flight and scoots back into a catchable area. I hadn't though about that, and I suppose it's a factor, that the spin on the batted ball makes it veer either into or out of the stands. So for high soaring foul balls and those especially for infield fouls, the ball will curve and so it's likely that the catcher or 1st or 3rd baseman will keep track of it.

And yeah, I'm sure it's also hustle, like running out a ball that is certain to be an out at 1st.

[Mach]

Those standings are part of the signature, something that follows every post. They are for the sim leagues.

[baseballdude]

Thanks, didn't recognize the standings. Sure beats idiotic cartoon images that repeat idiotic movements that have zero meaning, though. (ha ha)

I think that your response about hustle was spot on. I guess that it's so apparent that for the most part, modern baseball players are much better athletes that their predecessors. Of course there are exceptions but overall, the degree of athleticism and general skill is obvious if you watch teams that are leading.

I'm an Astros fan and really appreciate how they've improved across the board this year. I also grew up in KC and was a Royals fan from their inception, so I also root for them unless they're playing the Astros, but nevertheless I appreciate their teamwork. This past weekend, the Royals won the series vs the Stros 2-1 and I enjoyed all the games, even when the Astros lost, due to the spirit and overall skill of both teams, very much alike and very well matched, a preview of the playoffs, perhaps.

Thanks for the commentary. Some of the "inside" stuff I don't know and appreciated getting the feedback.

[Trendy Bastard]

Thanks, didn't recognize the standings. Sure beats idiotic cartoon images that repeat idiotic movements that have zero meaning, though. (ha ha)

[Mach]

modern baseball players are much better athletes that their predecessors.

than*, which you'd know if you didn't grow up in the bumfuck midwest and didn't avoid idiotic cartoon images that repeat idiotic movements that have zero meaning. (ha ha)

[baseballdude]

Good one. I make the "than" vs "that" tpyo all the time.

I'm a writer and just sold my 3 mystery novels to a publishing house, nice contract, nothing huge, and so I've been going thru all the books, about a quarter million words, tweaking and messin' with the typography. Eeek!

[Tobywan]

We make typos and mix up words all the time around here, he just mad you poked fun at his cartoons.