Baseball has changed in the last 20 years whether you like it or not. For me, it has been a hard pill to swallow. I am going to take a deep dive into the changes that have occurred in the sport and how they have impacted my passion as a fan in a series of blogs. We open the discussion with an overall look at the recent rules changes to the game that have left me scratching my head quite a bit recently.
Baseball Was Different Back in 2004
The 2004 season was a magical one in Major League Baseball. The Boston Red Sox broke the Curse of the Bambino in amazing fashion by sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series after trailing 3-0 in the ALCS to the New York Yankees.
I was fresh out of high school (Holy Cross – Delran Class of ’04!) and embarking on the start of my freshman year at Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey pursuing a degree in Radio/TV/Film (now simply just Communications). While at Rowan I joined the radio station (Rowan Radio 89.7 WGLS-FM) and had the opportunity to broadcast Rowan Baseball and Camden Riversharks games. I then moved into coaching, returning to both Holy Cross (2007-2009) and Rowan (2010-2011) as an assistant coach.
My Foray Into Baseball Began at a Young Age
As with many children in America, I was introduced to the national pastime when I was a toddler. From t-ball to coach pitch to player pitch to high school baseball; the game has been part of my life for as long as I can remember.
I credit my grandfathers with my love of the sport. Always willing to answer my questions, impart wisdom about the game, and teach me the ins and outs of the sport; they instilled a love of the game in me from a very early age.
I spent many a summer night sitting on the couch of our house in Ocean City watching our beloved Phillies lose another heartbreaker in the 90s and early 2000s with my maternal grandfather (we will call him GG). My other grandfather (Pop-Pop) would call me on the landline (yes, pre-mobile phone days) to discuss the latest Phils loss or how I was doing in my Malton rec league season.
And then, there were countless nights spent at Veterans Stadium with my Gia and Pop-Pop, mom, dad, and brother and only a few thousand other fans watching Kent Bottenfield or Amaury Telemaco serve up homers, Ron Gant track down fly balls, Scott Rolen make diving stops at third and Travis Lee or Rico Brogna scoop low throws at first.
I have the autographs of all these players and then some. My dad would take me to the annual Phillies ALS Festival every year. It was a fundraiser to help fight Lou Gehrig’s disease. Here I would get to talk to my childhood heroes from the 1993 World Series team in Mickey Morandini, John Kruk, Darren Daulton and Harry Kalas.
Ahh, the golden age of Phillies baseball!
Citizens Bank Park opened in 2004 and there was a buzz in the Philadelphia region like no other. The team kept getting oh so close to the playoffs under Larry Bowa and with a new stadium, players were starting to notice a shift in the organization. Jim Thome chose to come play for the Phillies (what a coup that was!). But I digress.
Where Did it All Go Wrong for the Sport?
Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa effectively saved baseball during the summer of 1998 as they both pursued the single season homerun record held by Roger Maris since 1961 of 61 roundtrippers. McGwire eventually broke the record and set a new one at 70 that year, only to be broken by Barry Bonds in 2001 with 73.
Baseball has changed since the 1950s to today, but never more so than it has in the past 20 years. We have gone from multiple 300-game winners, 300-strikeout seasons, players with 40 or more stolen bases to barely scratching the surface of a few of these categories today.
We will never see Cal Ripken Jr.’s consecutive games played streak broken, or another 300-game winner, or even a pitcher hit a home run in a World Series game. The last to accomplish this feat was Joe Blanton in 2008 with the Phillies against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Many thought Bud Selig overstayed his welcome as the league’s commissioner. Well, Rob Manfred has done his absolute best to destroy the game many of us once loved. I will admit; it is very hard to watch games these days because of all the changes, many of which have not been for the betterment of the sport in my humble opinion.
Baseball Has Changed: Rules Changes Have Altered the Game I Once Knew
Since the home run race of 1998, things have changed drastically for baseball as we once knew it. In fact, baseball has changed so much since 2004 that it is almost unrecognizable at this point for diehard fans stuck in the past (hi, that’s me!).
Teams no longer bunt (many players simply do not know how to bunt), hitting with runners in scoring position is a thing of the past, pitchers barely break five innings and being a sound strategist in the dugout as a manager is no longer necessary (thanks DH in both leagues and limited pitching changes).
I have seen quite a few posts from friends on Facebook and members of baseball groups I belong to complaining about the way the game is played today. I have to agree. Here is a list of what no longer happens or is no longer allowed to happen because of rules changes:
- Runners are no longer allowed to break up double plays
- The catcher is no longer allowed to block the plate
- Infielders cannot block the bases during steal attempts
- The designated hitter (DH) is now permanent in both leagues
- A pitch clock has been added to increase the speed of the game
- Pitchers cannot fake to third and then throw to first on pickoff attempts
- Pitchers have limited opportunities to pick off runners
- Hitters or pitchers are automatically assessed a ball or strike if they fail to adhere to the pitch clock
- A relief pitcher is required to face at least three hitters before being removed, unless it is the start of a new inning
- Teams are only afforded five total mound visits per game
- A runner is placed at second base to start each half inning during an extra inning game (the player who made the final out of the previous inning)
- The need for multiple digital accounts to watch your favorite team
The addition of these rules has changed the game as we know it. While game speed has increased over the past two seasons, gameplay is much different than it was 20 years ago.
Baseball Has Changed: The Art of the Sacrifice Bunt is Gone – Part Two of This Blog Series
One of the most frustrating changes to the game is the lack of sacrifice bunts by teams throughout the league. I watch a lot of baseball, not just the Phillies, and it has become problematic from coast to coast. Part two of this blog series will take a look at the lost art of the sacrifice bunt. Be on the lookout soon for this blog and more on how baseball has changed in the last 20 years as I delve into a different area of the sport with each blog.
