{"id":132550,"date":"2020-06-29T03:49:54","date_gmt":"2020-06-29T08:49:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/?p=132550"},"modified":"2020-06-29T03:49:57","modified_gmt":"2020-06-29T08:49:57","slug":"monday-mailbag-major-league-baseball","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/2020\/06\/29\/monday-mailbag-major-league-baseball\/","title":{"rendered":"Monday Mailbag: Major League Baseball"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

SCOTT TRUXELL\/<\/strong>independent sports editor<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the announcement that Major League Baseball is returning next month, this week\u2019s Monday Mailbag features questions about the shortened season, rules and strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: With the National League adopting the DH, at least for this season, could you briefly summarize \u2014 statistically, strategically, and otherwise \u2014 how the two leagues have differed since the American League adopted it in 1973? Name withheld upon request<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A: I can say this \u2013 the American League as a whole has had a higher batting average each and every year since adopting the designated hitter rule 47 years ago. Some years it\u2019s been close (.255 vs. 254 in 2012) and other years it hasn\u2019t (.269 vs. .259 in 1980). Those are just two examples, but you get the idea.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s not a big surprise, because Major League Baseball pitchers obviously bring down overall batting averages. I grew up an hour west of Cleveland and have always been an Indians fan, so at least as a kid and even a young adult, I didn\u2019t see much of the National League style of play, the strategy involved, bunting, pinch hitting, stolen bases, etc.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, it\u2019s different than the American League and I\u2019ve now come to better understand and appreciate the National League strategy. I have to admit, I\u2019m kind of torn by the idea of a universal DH. I do believe both league should have the same rule, but it doesn\u2019t seem right in the National League. On the other hand, I don\u2019t necessarily want to see American League pitchers with a .091 or worse batting average standing at the plate.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m sure I\u2019m not alone with those feelings. Anyone else want to chime in?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: What are your thoughts on a 60-game baseball season? It almost doesn\u2019t seem worth it. Name withheld upon request <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

A: It\u2019s a shame the players and the owners couldn\u2019t agree on something earlier. An agreement reached in May or early June could have led to an early July start and perhaps a schedule closer to 81 or 82 games.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re dying to see Major League Baseball, I suppose 60 games is better than none.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Personally, I haven\u2019t missed MLB nearly as much as I thought I would and the bickering between the two sides had a big effect on those feelings. It\u2019ll be nice to watch pro baseball, but the league has some damage control to do. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Could a team we don\u2019t expect take advantage of a shortened baseball season and win a World Series title, someone like the Reds? Name withheld upon request<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A: In my mind, yes, but we\u2019ll see what actually happens.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s no surprise that the Yankees and Dodgers are among the favorites, but who knows, it might be the year another team comes out of the woodwork to win it \u2013 the Reds, Cubs, the Indians, etc. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, people will say there should be an asterisk included with this year\u2019s results. Maybe so, but I have yet to see a championship banner or trophy with an asterisk on it. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Am I the only one who likes MLB having a runner on second to start extra innings? It sure seems that way. Name withheld upon request<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A: You\u2019re not alone \u2013 I like it too. It\u2019ll be interesting to see how it\u2019s accepted overall and if perhaps it\u2019ll become a permanent fixture in the rule book, given the fact that Major League Baseball has been trying to speed up the pace of games.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have a question for the next Monday Mailbag, please email it to sports@thevwindependent.com<\/a>. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

SCOTT TRUXELL\/independent sports editor With the announcement that Major League Baseball is returning next month, this week\u2019s Monday Mailbag features questions about the shortened season, rules and strategy. Q: With the National League adopting the DH, at least for this season, could you briefly summarize \u2014 statistically, strategically, and otherwise \u2014 how the two leagues […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-132550","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sports"],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-09 11:42:22","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132550","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=132550"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132550\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=132550"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=132550"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=132550"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}