What the game’s been missing

For as long as I can remember the MLB has been all about offense. Mainly about who can hit the most homeruns each year. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing but it took a lot away from the game, and any true baseball fan can see that.

Finally in 2010 the “Year of the Pitcher” has, at long last, arrived again (I know it’s cliche but I had to use it). What else can you call a year where there have been two perfect games thrown and three no hitters. On top of that, four no-hitters have been broken up in the 9th inning. Most notably Galarraga’s perfect game that was nullified by the one of the worst calls in baseball all season long.

This season has seen the most no-hitters (5) since eight of them were thrown in 1991. What a coincidence, the last time there were more no hitters than this season was right before steroids began to make a strong presence in the game.

There is something majestic about a pitcher going into the 9th and having zeros’ across the board. No matter what pitcher it is you find yourself rooting for them to finish off their gem (Well they’re usually gems except for Edwin Jackson’s 8 walk no-hitter).

I don’t know anybody who was rooting against Armando Galarraga. I can’t remember being as frustrated with a call as I was with the blown call at first base, and I don’t even like the Tiger’s.

Brandon Morrow had what was probably the most dominating pitching performance of the year when he struck out 17 Rays. He too lost a no-hitter in the 9th inning with 2 outs. It doesn’t get much more exciting than that.

To me watching the last inning of a game with a pitcher trying to finish a no-hitter is more exciting and riveting than watching a hitter go for homerun number 600 or 700. Maybe it’s because I know that the last few hitters to get there (besides maybe Griffey) have betrayed the game of baseball.

The re-emergence of strong pitching (or have hitters just gotten worse?) has forced baseball to go back to what I like most about it: teams playing small ball. Sure a homerun is needed at times, but now teams are stealing more bases and relying more on stringing together hits than just sending up a juiced up goon to smash one out of the park.

I don’t know if anyone will agree with me but I have enjoyed this season of baseball more than any recent season. Yes even more than the Yankee’s championship season last year.

And it’s not like offense is gone from the game. Jose Bautista has hit 37 homeruns already. Arod has almost 100 RBIs. Simply put, offensive numbers are coming at a more steady, normal rate, not the inflamed and exponential rates that we had seen in the past decade or so. As a matter of fact, this year has seen the lowest power numbers in the league since 1993.

Hopefully baseball continues on the path that it has taken this year.

P.S.- Can anyone explain why the Rays are always in the middle of no-hitters? I mean they’re an awesome hitting team. Just doesn’t make sense to me.




Tags: galrraga, game, morrow, perfect, pitcher, smallball