Side note/question ... are they changing the bats in the NCAA also?

The cheap hits will be reduced...those little flares become pop outs, etc, so averages will likely be lower. Home runs will also be down. Hopefully those 12-10 games will mostly be things of the past. Pitching and d really have always been important. Dominant pitchers are dominant regardless of the bat being used. This switch in bats is going to help the number 3 or 4 guy in your rotation (as long as your defense is solid). I still don't see a big change in how the games are played with a complete return to all small ball.

 

Because as you correctly pointed out, gone are the days of 12-10 games, scoring runs 1 at a time will become the standard. If you can get the first batter on and then get him in to score each inning, that's 6/7 runs a game and that, if you have quality pitching and "D" will win you games this season.

 

The game is coming back to where it started and is best played on the HS and College level and I for one am glad. The little kid in RF with a cannon for a arm and who can run down a flare or a shot over his head but has no pop in his bat but can bunt and steal bases, is going to be very, very valuable this season.

Side note/question ... are they changing the bats in the NCAA also?

 

They made the change last year

Because as you correctly pointed out, gone are the days of 12-10 games, scoring runs 1 at a time will become the standard. If you can get the first batter on and then get him in to score each inning, that's 6/7 runs a game and that, if you have quality pitching and "D" will win you games this season.

 

The game is coming back to where it started and is best played on the HS and College level and I for one am glad. The little kid in RF with a cannon for a arm and who can run down a flare or a shot over his head but has no pop in his bat but can bunt and steal bases, is going to be very, very valuable this season.

 

Speed and defense will be more important than bunting. Bunting in my opinion is an overrated tactic..there's a reason you don't see it much in the majors anymore except in the National League where pitchers still hit. My college coach hated the bunt so obviously I'm a bit influenced by him. The bunt disappeared from the college game when they started using aluminum bats. You only get 21 outs in a high school game, and giving several up a game, when you're still not guaranteed to get a run just doesn't make sense. Unless you've got a kid up who has no chance of putting a ball in play, a bunt is typically not a good play. Even if runs will be down this year in the high school game, you're still going to see 10-12 runs scored (combined by both teams), which means you're going to need big innings. To have big innings you need baserunners, and giving up outs doesn't get you baserunners...it MAY get you one run. That's not to say all bunts are bad...late in game, you need a run, man on first, and a sure hitter on deck, a bunt can be a good call. Bunts, stolen bases, hit and runs, swinging at a pitch to protect a runner are all products of the dead ball era and a time where it was ok if you're shortstop and second basemen hit .225 and each lineup only had a couple good hitters. Roy Halladay has interesting thoughts about the bunt http://ondeckcircle.wordpress.com/2010/04/13/stupid-manager-tricks-part-2-the-sacrifice-bunt/. There are lots of complicated analysis out there that even show bunting sometimes even lowers the expectation to score runs.

 

Again, if you've got a team that doesn't hit well from top to bottom, or you have 4 dominant pitchers, bunting and stealing can be effective strategies. But while typically these teams can beat anybody, they struggle to win it all (just like teams that rely on home runs often struggle in big games). I know a lot of people don't agree with this (my dad is one of them...we can't watch baseball together without arguing about this:)), but I don't think old school, small ball baseball is the way to win anymore.

 

Defense on the other hand, is always important, and I don't think enough teams spend enough time on that part of the game.

ERA's, slugging percentages, home run production and runs scored will all likely be down. Batting averages likely won't change much overall because good hiters are good hitters, but the marginal hitters won't be getting that extra "umph" from the bat they've gotten in the past. Good teams will still generate runs because they know how to do it. But the BBCOR will take the game back more to pitching, defense and offensive strategy. All great changes in my book!

I agree 100% with you bulldog77. I do believe we will see some increase in small ball.

Speed and defense will be more important than bunting. Bunting in my opinion is an overrated tactic..there's a reason you don't see it much in the majors anymore except in the National League where pitchers still hit. My college coach hated the bunt so obviously I'm a bit influenced by him. The bunt disappeared from the college game when they started using aluminum bats. You only get 21 outs in a high school game, and giving several up a game, when you're still not guaranteed to get a run just doesn't make sense. Unless you've got a kid up who has no chance of putting a ball in play, a bunt is typically not a good play. Even if runs will be down this year in the high school game, you're still going to see 10-12 runs scored (combined by both teams), which means you're going to need big innings. To have big innings you need baserunners, and giving up outs doesn't get you baserunners...it MAY get you one run. That's not to say all bunts are bad...late in game, you need a run, man on first, and a sure hitter on deck, a bunt can be a good call. Bunts, stolen bases, hit and runs, swinging at a pitch to protect a runner are all products of the dead ball era and a time where it was ok if you're shortstop and second basemen hit .225 and each lineup only had a couple good hitters. Roy Halladay has interesting thoughts about the bunt http://ondeckcircle.wordpress.com/2010/04/13/stupid-manager-tricks-part-2-the-sacrifice-bunt/. There are lots of complicated analysis out there that even show bunting sometimes even lowers the expectation to score runs.

 

Again, if you've got a team that doesn't hit well from top to bottom, or you have 4 dominant pitchers, bunting and stealing can be effective strategies. But while typically these teams can beat anybody, they struggle to win it all (just like teams that rely on home runs often struggle in big games). I know a lot of people don't agree with this (my dad is one of them...we can't watch baseball together without arguing about this:)), but I don't think old school, small ball baseball is the way to win anymore.

 

Defense on the other hand, is always important, and I don't think enough teams spend enough time on that part of the game.

 

I am not challenging what you have said but, I have been to D-1 camps where I have heard the head coach speak of the importance of being able to bunt in college. Just different philosophies I suppose. For high school, I believe the ability to bunt is very important. A good bunter changes the defense. JMO

I am not challenging what you have said but, I have been to D-1 camps where I have heard the head coach speak of the importance of being able to bunt in college. Just different philosophies I suppose. For high school, I believe the ability to bunt is very important. A good bunter changes the defense. JMO

 

Again, I'm not saying ALL bunts are bad, just that it's not usually as good a play as most think. I played D-1 ball for four years and spent a year as a grad assistant in the late 80's and early 90's and teams rarely bunted. Watch d-1 baseball and MLB baseball, especially the American league and it's rare that you see a bunt. The National League rarely bunts unless the pitcher is up. Outs are the "clock" in baseball, and sacrificing advances the clock nearly 5% every time you do it. You better darn sure know you will score directly because of it. I'm not saying it shouldn't be taught ( my teams work on bunting).. But bunting is not one of the "five" tools for a reason...and while bunting does challenge defense a little, I'd rather field a bunt than a rocket. And if I'm playing a team, and I have my stud on the mound, I'm happy if a team wants to bunt 3 or four times a game... I'll take the outs.

I've talked to several college coaches at all levels this winter and they said high school teams better learn how to bunt and defend the bunt if they want to have a chance to win many games with these BBCOR bats.

So just how many Brook Robinson do we have playing 3rd base in HS or Johnny Bench behind the plate to field, and quickly/accurately throw that ball to 1st Base to get the out?

 

There is HUGE, HUGE, HUGE difference in the ability to field a bunt and throw the ball between D1 College/MLB and HS baseball players, and if you don't agree to that, them I question just how many HS games you have seen played.

So just how many Brook Robinson do we have playing 3rd base in HS or Johnny Bench behind the plate to field, and quickly/accurately throw that ball to 1st Base to get the out?

 

There is HUGE, HUGE, HUGE difference in the ability to field a bunt and throw the ball between D1 College/MLB and HS baseball players, and if you don't agree to that, them I question just how many HS games you have seen played.

 

A++ Old Guy...

TOG is correct that a lot of teams struggle with handling bunts. However, it's a dreadful game to watch when that's how you're moving runners.

 

Only because of poor defense do I think it's solid strategy for many high school teams. Beyond that I'm completely with RJS on this issue.

So just how many Brook Robinson do we have playing 3rd base in HS or Johnny Bench behind the plate to field, and quickly/accurately throw that ball to 1st Base to get the out?

 

There is HUGE, HUGE, HUGE difference in the ability to field a bunt and throw the ball between D1 College/MLB and HS baseball players, and if you don't agree to that, them I question just how many HS games you have seen played.

 

Again, not all bunts are bad, and if you're doing to take advantage of a poor fielder, then I can live with that. In this case, you're using bunting to get runners ON base, not sacrificing to move runners up a base....completely different strategy. There aren't any Brooks Robinsons or Johnny Benches playing at any level anymore...Baseball is about hitting the ball and scoring runs in bunches now, not one run at a time. And the fact that you have to reference players that have been out of the game for over 30 years proves that point. At any rate, I'd also say, if a 3rd basemen or catcher isn't good enough to field a bunt, they likely won't make all the plays hit at them either, let alone turn a double play so you're just as well off swinging the bat and putting the ball in play hard and being able to maybe move a runner from 1st to third rather than station to station and giving up outs. Or steal the base. And let's be honest, if you're playing a quality team, most of the time they WILL be able to make the play. And I have seen plenty of high school baseball in a few different states. I'd rather face a team that relies on bunting and small ball than a team that can rake any day of the week. All other things being equal, the team that hits the ball better wins, regardless of the bat being used. Of course, all other things are rarely equal;)

Have to reference the old players because I am "old" and have quite honestly stopped watching the MLB game as its played today, as the MLB game is so terribly boring!

 

A lot of MLB players today lack the basic skills of fielding and throwing the baseball and their baseball IQ's of how to play the game and execute the hit and run or bunt is a joke because shows like sport-center on ESPN only show the big HR's and not the real game of Baseball, as it was meant to be played on the field.

 

The hit and run, hitting to the opposite field, the SAC Fly, the Bunt for a hit or to move a runner along, doesn't bring in the big money, so the players agents tell their players not to do it and as such they won't execute the play so the manger is powerless to use it...

 

The game was never meant to be a slug fest or a Home Run Derby affair. If that's what you like great but its surely not Baseball to this Oldguy!

 

Oh and BTW remember, a good hitter makes 7 outs in 10 AB's anyway, so in one way or the other, you are going to make an out and more times than not, your going to hit into a DP and make two outs!

Get the lead early and let your pitching and defense win you the game. The later in the game you have the lead, the more pressure the offense puts on themselves.

Have to reference the old players because I am "old" and have quite honestly stopped watching the MLB game as its played today, as the MLB game is so terribly boring!

 

A lot of MLB players today lack the basic skills of fielding and throwing the baseball and their baseball IQ's of how to play the game and execute the hit and run or bunt is a joke because shows like sport-center on ESPN only show the big HR's and not the real game of Baseball, as it was meant to be played on the field.

 

The hit and run, hitting to the opposite field, the SAC Fly, the Bunt for a hit or to move a runner along, doesn't bring in the big money, so the players agents tell their players not to do it and as such they won't execute the play so the manger is powerless to use it...

 

The game was never meant to be a slug fest or a Home Run Derby affair. If that's what you like great but its surely not Baseball to this Oldguy!

 

Oh and BTW remember, a good hitter makes 7 outs in 10 AB's anyway, so in one way or the other, you are going to make an out and more times than not, your going to hit into a DP and make two outs!

 

I grew up in the 70's and 80's, and can appreciate the way the game used to be played. It takes skill to drop a good bunt. But all the sports have evolved. How long has the 3 pt shot been part of basketball?? It wasn't too long ago you had to run the football and play good defense to be successful at football. Baseball players have gotten bigger and stronger, even at the youth level. I coached 14u in SWOL last year and we had several kids well over six foot tall and hitting home runs over 350 feet. That didn't happen when I played youth ball. Couple that with the evolution of bats (even the new BBCOR bats will have more pop than the Green Eastons, and Black Magics I used in high school and college), and the game is just fundamentally different. You mentiond how the kid in right field that can throw and track a ball will be more more valuable this year. I'd argue, he's always been valuable, but nowadays, you have to be able to hit. Good pitching and defense are important and always will be, but you can't win games 0-0...you have to hit the ball. Even the best pitchers now give up a few runs a game, and with pitch counts, your stud pitcher can't always finish a game. The physical and equipment advances are quickly rendering the bunt towards nostalgia. That being said, I still LOVE the suicide squeeze, which is why my kids all practice bunting.