So who would have thought the Texas Rangers would be the team to post the new modern-era record for runs scored in a game? Pretty cool (at least from a neutral observer's, not an O's fan's, perspective) to see the incredible hitting.
Makes me wonder though, why do baseball teams always seem to pour it on from start to finish even if they have a huge lead? I'm not saying it's right or wrong, but in the NHL if a team gets up by too many goals, they simply go in "puck posession mode" which might not be the most exciting thing to watch, but it eats up the clock. It always seemed kind of the "gentleman-ly" thing to do. Take your win and go home. Don't embarass the other team by running up the score for no reason. Same thing happens in the NFL - all the backups enter the game in a blowout. Why is this different in MLB? Is it because there is no clock to run down? Is it too weird to allow yourself to strikeout or ground into an out? I can't believe these guys "can't help" but hit HR and line drives...
I really thought ESPN bottom line had messed up and put "Texas" instead of "Texans" while referring to a pre-season NFL game. I thought the Ravens' defense was better than that...
running it up isn't as big of a problem in my opinion once you get to the pros, as the pay structure is such that you are paid on your stats, AND you still have your at-bats. You can stop taking threes in hoops (along with putting in the scrubs), you can simply run clock in football and refrain from passing downfield, and in hockey you can go into puck possession mode, (but those guys still take shots).
In baseball though, I think the fact that you still have your abs and if you left the bat on your shoulder, you would be negatively affecting your stats for doing the right thing. In the other sports, you don't move backwards by doing the right thing. That, and the fact that no matter what, the game only ends after all the necessary outs have been accounted for (and you can't wholesale swap out your team) mean you play start to finish.
Incidentally, I was never one to complain about pro blowouts anyway. Its the professional level, and professionals should play the game to the best of their ability while on the field.
great gretzky wrote:In baseball though, I think the fact that you still have your abs and if you left the bat on your shoulder, you would be negatively affecting your stats for doing the right thing. In the other sports, you don't move backwards by doing the right thing.
Very good point there. I never really thought blowouts were a sign of a classless team and I share your viewpoint on playing to the best of your ability. That being said, I also don't mind "running out the clock" when possible becaue a pro season isn't about that 1 game. You need to make sure you don't wear yourself out for no reason, refrain from injury, etc.
I guess it's not the "right thing" or the "wrong thing" to keep racking up runs. I guess I just found it interesting that the 3 other major sports seem to let up more. Still, the point about negatively affecting stats in baseball pretty much sums up a good answer for me.
nyrblue2 wrote:Very good point there. I never really thought blowouts were a sign of a classless team and I share your viewpoint on playing to the best of your ability. That being said, I also don't mind "running out the clock" when possible becaue a pro season isn't about that 1 game. You need to make sure you don't wear yourself out for no reason, refrain from injury, etc.
I guess it's not the "right thing" or the "wrong thing" to keep racking up runs. I guess I just found it interesting that the 3 other major sports seem to let up more. Still, the point about negatively affecting stats in baseball pretty much sums up a good answer for me.
The biggest difference between protecting a lead in baseball and other sports is that there is a very big advantage for the offense to continue to attack in baseball. The more pitchers you can burn through in the opposing team's bullpen, the less effective they may be on the next day. Also confidence for major league hitters can be a major thing. If you are hitting the ball well you don't want to alter your swing to try and make outs.
Baseball is sooo much different than the other major sports that it amuses me when people think things could/should happen similar to those sports when possible. I'm not directing this to anyone in specific, just in general. A few guys have pointed out things already but there are alot of things that one could go into detail about in regards to how different baseball is and how you can't and shouldn't expect baseball to behave the same ways. Tavish understands and speaks about all this better than anyone i've ever heard/seen/read.
Depends on how a score is run up. I don't think a hitter ever wants to give less than his best effort at the plate. To do otherwise undermines the integrity of the game, not to mention his own stats, as others have pointed out.
On the other hand, if you've got a 14-3 lead in the bottom of the eighth and the opponent's catcher is one of the worst in the league at throwing out runners, do you steal 2B? Nah. That's running it up, rubbing salt in the wound.
Man, I wish I'd seen that Tex-Bal game! Must have been outrageous.
They weren't really trying to running up the score. In the 8th and 9th innings, they were merely going base-to-base...no SB attempts, stretching singles into doubles, etc. They were hustling (and you should never stop hustling or trying your best, especially with a team full of youngsters playing for lineup spots for next year) and did have a couple infield singles, but you should never just give up an at bat!
They also subbed out Michael Young, the team's only real everyday "proven" hitter, in the 7th with a 14-3 led.
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by nyrblue2 » Thu Aug 23, 2007 8:33 am 
