would baseball be more "interesting" if you scored each time you safely reached base?

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BlahBlahYouToo

Lifer
Jul 10, 2007
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let me start off by saying that i'm a baseball fan- as opposed to those who say baseball is boring, they stand around doing nothing in the field, the game is so slow, etc.

but i can see where they're coming from. to a casual fan, i can see how it's hard to watch.
there's no way you can turn defense instantly into offense (football, interception leads to a TD, bball a block/steal leads to a fast break dunk, etc.).
scoring is pretty difficult, which makes comebacks hard. if you're down 3 or more runs in the 9th, the game is basically over.

so what if you were awarded a point for each time you safely reached a base. so a single/walk/HBP/SB/balk is worth 1 "run", a double is worth 2, a triple = 3, HR = 4.

the game changes instantly. scoring will dramatically increase and small ball will be favored. there's going to be much more action and (different) strategies, and comebacks will be much easier. the game won't be as stagnant as it is now and should attract more fans.

obviously this is hypothetical. or should be a new sport.
 
kranky

kranky

Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
21,019
156
106
Since this is just hypothetical...

It could make some big changes regarding how the game is played. I'm going to assume that with a big increase in "scoring" that the games will be less close.
Would anyone play the infield in any more?
If I'm leading by 5, wouldn't I want to intentionally walk power hitters even with the bases empty? The one point they would gain from a walk isn't going to hurt me too much.
If a stolen base is worth the same as a single, catchers with great arms would be very valuable.
 
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thegimp03

Diamond Member
Jul 5, 2004
7,420
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Baseball would be better if it weren't around IMO. Due to idiots like McGwire, Bonds, and numerous others, the sport and a lot of its hitting records are now tainted.
 
erikistired

erikistired

Diamond Member
Sep 27, 2000
9,739
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i have a better idea. charge pitchers a ball every time the intentionally hold up the game for more than 30 seconds between pitches. then charge batters a strike every time they step out of the batters box to swing their bat 10 times. that should speed games up a bit.
 
SunnyD

SunnyD

Belgian Waffler
Jan 2, 2001
32,674
146
106
www.neftastic.com
Baseball would only be interesting if there were several real 250lb athletes along the base path that would attempt to "prevent" the runner from reaching the next base. The runner would have 4 chances to reach the next base, and would have to carry the ball instead of hit it with a stick. If he loses the ball or fails on all four attempts, the other team gets the ball and attempts to do the same. If he reaches the base, he receives another 4 chances to reach the next base. 7 points will be awarded and the ball will be turned over to the other team if he reaches home plate in such a manner. He also has the option to hit the ball out of the park, which will result in 3 points and will then turn the ball over to the other team. This will continue for 4 "innings" that last approximately 15 minutes each. In the event of a "tie game", additional "innings" will be played, up to two, after which if neither team scores the game ends with in a "draw".
 
O

oddyager

Diamond Member
May 21, 2005
3,398
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thegimp03 said:
Baseball would be better if it weren't around IMO. Due to idiots like McGwire, Bonds, and numerous others, the sport and a lot of its hitting records are now tainted.
Click to expand...

So an entire legacy of baseball should be just erased because of a select few individuals? Great.
 
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BlahBlahYouToo

Lifer
Jul 10, 2007
12,041
3
0
kranky said:
Since this is just hypothetical...

It could make some big changes regarding how the game is played. I'm going to assume that with a big increase in "scoring" that the games will be less close.
Would anyone play the infield in any more?
If I'm leading by 5, wouldn't I want to intentionally walk power hitters even with the bases empty? The one point they would gain from a walk isn't going to hurt me too much.
If a stolen base is worth the same as a single, catchers with great arms would be very valuable.
Click to expand...

yup, like i said, there will be different strategies will be used, comapred with what we're used to.

if you didn't play the infield, you'd risk having men on where a HR is worth a lot more now.
a grand slam would be 16 runs (if not counting the "base runs", or 10 if you count them).

intentional walks already happen, not often with no one on base, but its happened before (bonds and pujols come to mind).
and you run into the same risk where a HR by the next hitter is worth more now.

yup, defense is more vital, as is speed.
how often does an error end up not costing the team anything. now, an error is a run or more for the other team.
 
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darkxshade

Lifer
Mar 31, 2001
13,749
6
81
kranky said:
Since this is just hypothetical...

It could make some big changes regarding how the game is played. I'm going to assume that with a big increase in "scoring" that the games will be less close.
Would anyone play the infield in any more?
If I'm leading by 5, wouldn't I want to intentionally walk power hitters even with the bases empty? The one point they would gain from a walk isn't going to hurt me too much.
If a stolen base is worth the same as a single, catchers with great arms would be very valuable.
Click to expand...



I don't think it'll change anything, you walk a power hitter he's on base. I assume he stays on base until he's out so if the next better hits a double, the power hitter scores another 2(by getting to 3rd) while the batter who made the hit scores another 2. Now you're tied(1 walk + double x2 baserunners).

So hypothetically speaking, this would IMO make the game a bit more interesting as far as player acquisitions go. Good pitchers would be worth a lot more. Arod wouldn't have the kind of contract he has now.
 
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BlahBlahYouToo

Lifer
Jul 10, 2007
12,041
3
0
whattaguy said:
...if each base is a point, then each strike out should take away a point.
Click to expand...

sure, no problems with that. or instead of taking away a point, the pitcher's team gets a point.
reward your pitchers and punish your undisciplined hitters.

heck, we could come up with quite a sport.
 
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soulcougher73

Lifer
Nov 29, 2006
15,794
4,329
136
I am a baseball fan and it is an interesting idea and maybe seeing a game or 5 played out like this would be fun. But id still prefer it the way it is. I dont mind pitching games where its 1-0 games.
 
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darkxshade

Lifer
Mar 31, 2001
13,749
6
81
soulcougher73 said:
I am a baseball fan and it is an interesting idea and maybe seeing a game or 5 played out like this would be fun. But id still prefer it the way it is. I dont mind pitching games where its 1-0 games.
Click to expand...


The thing about this system, since we're having a discussion on it is that it makes comebacks more likely. Comebacks make for interesting games. Players are often stranded on bases, who knows how much of mlb games would have turned out differently if scoring is based on a per base system.
 
SP33Demon

SP33Demon

Lifer
Jun 22, 2001
27,928
142
106
Interesting idea but you're not rewarding players for clutch hitting, you're just rewarding players with the highest averages who get the most hits. Only the best homerun hitters hit 40 or more which would be 160 runs. Ichiro, in a bad year, has 200 hits and sometimes 240. Everyone would just acquire singles hitters and the homerun would be obsolete unless you made it count double.
 
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BlahBlahYouToo

Lifer
Jul 10, 2007
12,041
3
0
soulcougher73 said:
I am a baseball fan and it is an interesting idea and maybe seeing a game or 5 played out like this would be fun. But id still prefer it the way it is. I dont mind pitching games where its 1-0 games.
Click to expand...

As am I.
I just think it adds more excitement to the game, where a close game can be determined by a walk/hit without needing men on base.

How many times as a baseball fan, have you walked away because your team was down a couple in the bottom of the 9th with the bottom of the order coming up?
Won't be doing that as much when scoring can happen in a variety of ways.
 
I

illusion88

Lifer
Oct 2, 2001
13,164
3
81
BlahBlahYouToo said:
As am I.
I just think it adds more excitement to the game, where a close game can be determined by a walk/hit without needing men on base.

How many times as a baseball fan, have you walked away because your team was down a couple in the bottom of the 9th with the bottom of the order coming up?
Won't be doing that as much when scoring can happen in a variety of ways.
Click to expand...

FAIR WEATHER FAN!

And that's why it's way more exciting when the 7th batter who is 1 - 5 with a fly out knocks it out of the park! Or just gets on base and then then 8th batter comes up and knocks it out. It's baseball, anything can and does happen. Adding additional ways to score will screw the game up more than George Steinbrenner ever did.
 
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