Baseball is BACK!!

[MacLaren]

Looks like we have a 60 game season.
That works for me!! :D
I'm ready for some Braves games!! :D

[SG89]

How do y'all feel about the new rules? Such as extra innings are to be started with a runner on 2nd base, a pitcher must pitch against at least 3 batters or until the inning is over, national league games will now have a designated hitter. I don't like the first rule and I'm fine with the second and third rule.

[Doc Dan]

Wooohooo!

[benben]

How do y'all feel about the new rules? Such as extra innings are to be started with a runner on 2nd base, a pitcher must pitch against at least 3 batters or until the inning is over, national league games will now have a designated hitter. I don't like the first rule and I'm fine with the second and third rule.

My daughter plays college softball, we've been playing ITB (International Tie Breaker) in travel ball for years! I really don't care for it but it does speed up the ending of the game, which is usually what tournament director (and umps) want!

Usually the key to starting out putting a runner on 2B is where you are in your hitting lineup, makes a huge difference if you're at the top of your lineup and the opposing team has their 7 through 9 hitters coming up!

I'm just used to it in fastpitch, it's just not right in baseball, especially MLB baseball!

[benben]

Looks like we have a 60 game season.
That works for me!! :D
I'm ready for some Braves games!! :D

Pitchers should be fresh & healthy after a 60 game schedule, should make for an interesting post-season!

[MacLaren]

Looks like we have a 60 game season.
That works for me!! :D
I'm ready for some Braves games!! :D

Pitchers should be fresh & healthy after a 60 game schedule, should make for an interesting post-season!

That's a dam good point!!

[MacLaren]

How do y'all feel about the new rules? Such as extra innings are to be started with a runner on 2nd base, a pitcher must pitch against at least 3 batters or until the inning is over, national league games will now have a designated hitter. I don't like the first rule and I'm fine with the second and third rule.

Good questions.
I don't think I like the first one either.
The 2nd is OK, and the last - its about dam time :D

[benben]

I try to be a National League purest but they've needed the DH rule changed for about two decades now, at least two decades!

[wrdwrght]

Anything to hurry play along, but I do like the strategic distinction the designated hitter has given the two leagues and would not have changed it.

I’ll take 60 games over none, but will remain worried that it’s too soon.

[Doc Dan]

I do not like #1. I do like #2 and think it is long past due. #3 is so-so.

[legOFwhat?]

I've been clamoring for the DH in the NL forever! The other changes are fine with me, it does get a little monotonous swapping pitchers every batter.

Love to see my Dodgers back in action but I'm having a hard time getting excited about all of this. No March Madness, no cheating, no fantasy baseball, no Wildcat basketball...no disappointment :p

[bearrowland]

I've been hoping for a DH in the NL for a long time. It should definitely be a fun season! I'm just glad for something normal to return

[legOFwhat?]

The boys of summer (mid-summer) hit the fields tonight! Yankees/Nats and Dodgers/Giants :D

I truly didn't expect baseball to be back this year, nor did I think my Dodgers would sign Mookie so early... :p

Let's play ball!

[JuPaul]

Watching my beloved Cards play Pittsburgh right now! There is something about having baseball back that makes things feel like they're gonna be okay.

[TkoK83Spy]

Watching my beloved Cards play Pittsburgh right now! There is something about having baseball back that makes things feel like they're gonna be okay.

Ugghhh...as a Brewers fan, you've dropped a few notches on my favorites list around here!! Just as bad as Pat being a Cubs fan! :p

I hear ya though, even though the Brewers were just televised here on ESPN...and lost to the Cubs, it was great to see some live sports. So bizarre without fans though!

[JuPaul]

Watching my beloved Cards play Pittsburgh right now! There is something about having baseball back that makes things feel like they're gonna be okay.

Ugghhh...as a Brewers fan, you've dropped a few notches on my favorites list around here!! Just as bad as Pat being a Cubs fan! :p

I hear ya though, even though the Brewers were just televised here on ESPN...and lost to the Cubs, it was great to see some live sports. So bizarre without fans though!

No. Nothing is as bad as being a Cubs fan. And don't hate me just because my home team happens to be one of the winningest teams in all of baseball history!

In one of the expo games they had cardboard cutouts of fans in the seats behind home plate - that was wierd! I think they should keep doing that, but make a joke out of it. Like put in cutouts of celebrities doing wierd stuff, or stick the whole muppet gang in the seats.

[TkoK83Spy]

I agree! I bet the players would get a kick out something like that too. Heck, us as fans think it's weird looking at these empty stadiums, I can't imagine being an actual player. Home field advantage really doesn't have its benefits this year. Or watching Rizzo blast a homerun last night, all you heard was faint cheering from the Cubs dugout...and they were at home!

[JuPaul]

I agree! I bet the players would get a kick out something like that too. Heck, us as fans think it's weird looking at these empty stadiums, I can't imagine being an actual player. Home field advantage really doesn't have its benefits this year. Or watching Rizzo blast a homerun last night, all you heard was faint cheering from the Cubs dugout...and they were at home!

My husband and I were just talking about that today (as we watched the Cards take home another win :D ). We both wondered if there'd be any real home field advantage this year since the players must get so hyped up from listening to their fans. Then again, maybe they learn to zone all that out and it's just the familiar field that gives them the advantage. It'll be interesting to see.

Edit: So they have been playing fake fan noises during the games - not sure if they're piping it into the stadium or if it's just on tv. My husband said when soccer first came back without any spectators, they didn't do that at first, but quickly realized they had to do it to cover up all the cussing and trash talking the players do on the field!

[MacLaren]

Well, my Braves are 1-1.
Pulled it out in 10 innings today.

[ugaarguy]

I liked the pitchers hitting in the NL, but I realize that the game has evolved too much to expect pitchers to hit. I'll miss the days of the likes of Glavine and Smoltz being threats to go yard.

I like making relievers face three batters or get to the end of the inning. The figurative chess match was getting very close to becoming a literal chess match.

I'm not sure about the ITB rule. It was fun to occasionally get a long extra innings game on a night where I wasn't working the next day so I could stay up. But I also understand the need to keep younger fans engaged and better fit within TV time slots. It certainly made the ending of the Braves / Mets game exciting this afternoon.