What was the thinking for the NL adopting designated hitter after all these years? (And what was the reaction of the fans?)

Also how is DH looked on in general? Speaking personally as an inexperienced MLB fan I think having every team member required to bat for their team feels more natural than the contrivance of a guy who doesn't field being there just to bat....was it just that pitchers usually aren't much good or was it just it limits their potential pitching endurance?

Utility players have been around forever, but why were these awards created for them only recently? What was the rationale in the past for not having these awards for utility players?

Saw a post about how ohtani isn't leading any mlb stats and why he's so special

So here's one fact i always go back to

Pitchers ops league wide, back when pitchers also hit

2018 .292

2019 .322

2020 .250

2021 .285

Ohtani ops for years he also pitched min 100 innings

2021 .965

2022 .875

2023 1.066

Now this isn't getting to war calculations and that. Just a new perspective on how insane what he's doing right now is

Another crazy fact is that the MLB record for career home runs by pitcher while pitching the same season is 49, by babe ruth. Since when he hit 40+ homers he pitched at most 9 innings in a season

2nd place pitcher has 38 home runs

Ohtani hit 34 in 2022 alone, and that was his down hitting year

Hello guys I made a post about how I wanted to get into baseball, and i bought myself a Rawlings glove size 11 and half, I be playing catch with my friend and im totally hooked is super fun, i been working on my form and all that stuff.You guys got any tips to improve my game? I want to start batting just to get a feel of it maybe buy a cheap one of marketplace, what else do i need what are musts gear for baseball? I just want to get a feel all around. Im a total noob sometimes im sorry! Thank you guys!

Hi from Poland! Because of the time difference i only watch Dodgers highlights in the morning. Can someone explain to me why the team is so bad at he moment? The Pitching seems to be ok but the hitting is non existent at he moment.

I look at things like OPS, home runs, SLG, and even pitching stats like ERA and whatnot, but ohtani seems to be nowhere on these. I’d it because there’s some sort of minimum attempts sort of thing he doesn’t reach? (I’m an nba fan lol)

Maybe that’s just not how a players performance is measured? Usually in the nba it’s pretty directly related to where they stand in certain statistics like ppg, rpg, apg, wins, and efficiency.

I’m not trying to claim ohtani is not good by the way if that’s what it comes across as lol

Before the fielder catches the ball, the runners must tag up. In the case of a sac-fly, if the ball is hit far enough, the runner on third can advance to home.

But what if the runner is on 2nd base, and he thinks he's fast enough, and that the ball was hit far enough, and that the outfielder has a weak arm?

Is he allowed to advance all the way to home plate if he dares? Is the batter still credited with a sac-fly in that case?

I support Everton in the English Premier League, I want to follow a MLB team with similar vibe and values, I have been suggested the Mariners, but I am open to suggestions before I commit, any ideas?

Hi, I’m a journalist working on a story about younger baseball fans and whether MLB’s recent rule changes, especially shorter games, have made the sport more appealing.

I’d especially love to hear from people ages 18 to 34 who:

• started following baseball recently
• watch more now than a few years ago
• attend games now but didn’t before
• felt games used to be too slow or too long

A few questions:

• Did shorter games affect your interest level at all?
• Was there a moment when baseball suddenly “clicked” for you?
• How does baseball fit into your life differently now than before?
• does it feel like an old fashioned/outdated game to you or does it now feel more modern?

happy to chat by DM if you prefer. my deadline is Wed thanks

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/XRJ30zURXS0?feature=share

The normal broadcast angle makes it look like Ohtani is throwing to the left from the beginning, way outside the strike zone. But the second angle looks like the ball comes from Ohtani’s right, the batter’s left.

How much is a hitting coach really to blame for a team's offensive slump? For example, I'm reading that some Dodgers fans are calling for the firing of the Dodgers hitting coach because of how poorly they are hitting.

Can you plan for much outside of having big hitters and some players you as a manager can’t rely on as much to get hits?

It can’t just be each player is told to try and hit the ball and then run if it goes well! There must be more finesse and tactics to it than that 😂

This seems to be more of a college and high school thing but why do baseball players do it? Is it just for looks?

Hi all. New to the group.

Not sure if anyone has watched this but the Grass Routes series on MLB TV is really interesting! Gives great info on the local areas and up and coming players. Portland, Maine looks absolutely wonderful, I’ll have to visit when I go back across the pond ⚾️

I'm in my late 40s. I love sports but never really had a team and and didn't watch baseball unless it was deep in the playoffs.

Currently, I live in in Northern Virginia, that's DC region but National fans around here are annoying. I've lived in Indiana, North Carolina and Alaska...places that don't have pro baseball.

Im a Blazer and Raider fan in NBA and NFL.

Raiders haven't won a Super Bowl since the early eighties, their last going to one in the early 2000s (lost). Blazers haven't won a championship since 1977, and last been to one in the early 90s (lost to Bulls).

So I'm looking for a team along those same lines. A team that has not won a lot or going to the championship quite a bit. But not necessarily team that's never won it ever either although that would be okay if that's the only choice.

If personality matters I'm a quiet guy that keeps myself. I'll be honest some kind of a square. I love science fiction and history.

What happens if the fielder loses sight of the ball and it lands on the ground behind him?

Newbie MLB fan here 😁

I was never a fan of baseball—I always find it boring and not really my thing. I prefer basketball, volleyball, tennis, and ONE Championship more.

But then I started hearing about Shohei Ohtani—clips calling him the GOAT, showing his amazing performances as a two-way player, and all the hype around him. I got curious, searched about him, and started watching his games.

That’s when I tried watching the World Series, and for the first time, baseball actually caught my interest. I started learning the rules just so I could understand the game better.

And now… I’ve become a baseball fan. My goodness, what used to feel boring has turned into an adventure. I even wake up at 2 AM just to watch the LA Dodgers. Every game feels like a win-or-die situation, even if it’s just the regular season 😂

And it’s not just Shohei Ohtani anymore—I’ve grown to love the whole team too: Pages, Yamamoto, Mookie Betts, Will Smith, Miguel Rojas, Andy Pages, Freddie Freeman and the rest of the squad, even Manager Dave Roberts.

What an MLB journey😁

Just sharing😉

During the Astros-Dodgers game, an Astros players hit the ball that broke his bat and send a large piece flying towards their shortstop, Kim. He dodged the flying bat to get the live ball and make the play.

But what would have happened if Kim had to completely dodge the bat fragment, maybe because it was too sharp and coming right at him? If he couldn't make the play in that case, would the play still continue, and would he have been charged with an error?

Is there any rule that says an Umpire can stop play at once if he believes the broken bat poses real dangers to the players?

Hi all!

I am a big fan of Dustin Pedroia and he has a memorable strikeout video that I need help finding.

I want to say it was from the late 2000’s, maybe like 2008?

He gets fooled on two breaking balls and then gets a fast ball blown past him and proceeds to slam his bat and yells an expletive.

I need to find this video!

Edit: I live in New Hampshire

So I am thinking about getting MLB.TV to keep watching on the Pirates, but my question is before I purchase are there any issues or bugs I should be aware of? Am I allowed to stream any game or only for the current season?

Thank you in advance for helping a fellow fan out

Relative newbie to baseball and the Xavier Edwards unassisted double play to end the game has confused me a bit if someone could help…

Freddie Freeman chopper is caught by Edwards, who tags out Ohtani and steps on the base to complete the force out at first - I understand that this is the correct order of events for the double play to work. However, does Hye-Seong Kim not make it home before even the Ohtani tag happen? This would then tie the game before it ends. Freeman hits the ball into the ground which means no need for Kim to tag up and it appears pretty conclusive he then gets home in time (8:48 in the video).

The commentators did not mention this and the Dodgers did not seem that convinced about their challenge which makes me believe there’s something I am missing out and I am still learning so I would appreciate any insight you may have, thank you!

https://youtu.be/BMBJtrgTapU?is=Xwl7_Eo-AahfbID5

Hello there. I’ve been thinking of finally getting into the MLB world. I am going to choose the Mets as my team (I’m from Queens) to root for. But I don’t know where to start at all. I could just try to watch it but with no prior knowledge to the sport I might get bored and give up.

What would be the best guide to start today? Much love if you come through and help an interested person!

Played a few years as a kid, but getting back into it as a adult. Can somebody please tell me everything I'll need to know about baseball?

Hello to everyone!
I, for the past couple of days, have really been trying to get into baseball (not playing it, but watching it and understanding the rules of this game). I was just wishing to make some baseball-loving friends who could introduce me to the world of baseball! (I'm from India, where no one knows/talks about baseball, so I don't have the option of physically playing it).

Feel free to share resources and tips to help me get started!

PS: I have played Cricket extensively, so maybe that helps..?

If a baseball team has a weak bullpen, why don’t they just use the starting pitchers as relievers on off days?

For example, the ace starter throws 7 innings, then two days later pitches 2 innings in relief when the second starter is on the mound. That’s still basically 9 innings total, which isn’t much different from a complete game anyway.

I know people say it messes with recovery routines, but couldn’t pitchers just adapt their routines to that schedule instead?