Matt Garza just threw a no-hitter
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Remember how much fun 1998 was with guys hitting 500+ foot home runs?
But....but....it's NOT real....Joe DiMaggio didn't have steroids! I want baseball to be "pure".
I say so what? to the "pure" baseball people. Home runs make the game fun, and are what put butts in the seats. Babe Ruth proved it, and Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Ken Griffey, Jr. proved it (What's that you say? He didn't use steroids? And you know this with 100% certaninty how? During this era, your much better off believing that everyone this side of Tim Laker used, trust me. Andthat includes the sacred Cal Ripken), and Barry Bonds proved it to. If you do it, it's real. Nothing is scripted.
The players have come such a long way over time in regards to physical skills and overall training.
A lot of people forget just how bad the pitching was back in the late 90's- and then you had two new expansion teams coming into MLB on top of all that. You look at today, and we are seeing more guys hitting triple digits than ever before. And pitching is going to continue to get better- I really think that this new Nolan Ryan pitching program is going to change pitching and baseball forever, as well as improved surgical techniques- I mean who doesn't have Tommy John surgery now? Improved pitching health care has meant fewer guys breaking down, and quicker recovery when they do. That means more good pitchers in the game. In 1998, there were only about 15 truly elite pitchers in the game. Now every team it seems like has at least one elite pitcher- heck, the Royals have one in Zack Grienke who won the Cy Young last year.
As much as I complain about ESPN, and the inforgiveable sin of unleashing Joe Morgan's ego unto the world, their Web Gems segment really caused players to really start to focus on defense, and now I would have to say that defense in the game is the best that it has ever been. Watch some old highight films on MLB Network from the 60's and you will see what I mean.
The rise of the five tool player has brought speed back into the game. So, that with improved pitching has lead to more small ball.
So what's left? POWER!
The power hitters will come back- I don't know that they will hit 70, but if you look at the history of baseball, things come and go in trends, and things change every 10 years or so. Home runs and power will always and forever more be the most desired skill of baseball players, and so it is only a matter of time before guys start to hit them out again.
But it's all moot because you have to be really naive to believe that steroids are out of the game. There were several minor league players suspended today for PED's. MLB players as recent as last year were using them. Baseball is no cleaner now than it was in the late 90's. I think what has actually happened is the pitching has finally started to catch up to the power guys.
But....but....it's NOT real....Joe DiMaggio didn't have steroids! I want baseball to be "pure".
I say so what? to the "pure" baseball people. Home runs make the game fun, and are what put butts in the seats. Babe Ruth proved it, and Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Ken Griffey, Jr. proved it (What's that you say? He didn't use steroids? And you know this with 100% certaninty how? During this era, your much better off believing that everyone this side of Tim Laker used, trust me. Andthat includes the sacred Cal Ripken), and Barry Bonds proved it to. If you do it, it's real. Nothing is scripted.
The players have come such a long way over time in regards to physical skills and overall training.
A lot of people forget just how bad the pitching was back in the late 90's- and then you had two new expansion teams coming into MLB on top of all that. You look at today, and we are seeing more guys hitting triple digits than ever before. And pitching is going to continue to get better- I really think that this new Nolan Ryan pitching program is going to change pitching and baseball forever, as well as improved surgical techniques- I mean who doesn't have Tommy John surgery now? Improved pitching health care has meant fewer guys breaking down, and quicker recovery when they do. That means more good pitchers in the game. In 1998, there were only about 15 truly elite pitchers in the game. Now every team it seems like has at least one elite pitcher- heck, the Royals have one in Zack Grienke who won the Cy Young last year.
As much as I complain about ESPN, and the inforgiveable sin of unleashing Joe Morgan's ego unto the world, their Web Gems segment really caused players to really start to focus on defense, and now I would have to say that defense in the game is the best that it has ever been. Watch some old highight films on MLB Network from the 60's and you will see what I mean.
The rise of the five tool player has brought speed back into the game. So, that with improved pitching has lead to more small ball.
So what's left? POWER!
The power hitters will come back- I don't know that they will hit 70, but if you look at the history of baseball, things come and go in trends, and things change every 10 years or so. Home runs and power will always and forever more be the most desired skill of baseball players, and so it is only a matter of time before guys start to hit them out again.
But it's all moot because you have to be really naive to believe that steroids are out of the game. There were several minor league players suspended today for PED's. MLB players as recent as last year were using them. Baseball is no cleaner now than it was in the late 90's. I think what has actually happened is the pitching has finally started to catch up to the power guys.