Temper the Hate

The 2020 year is apparently the year of “the unexpected”. At least that’s what it seems like up until this point. As we are all well aware, COVID is the culprit in this widespread disruption to all phases of life with many wishing to return to “normalcy”. I’m sure the virus’s influence will not disappear when it comes to baseball as the pandemic continues to spread here in the United States. Yet, we have been blessed with good news this week; MLB and specifically Rob Manfred announced that baseball would resume on July 23rd.

Even still the Debbie Downers among us are still as loud as ever. Many of which are not content to get baseball back but instead now want to complain about how the season won’t be as meaningful. And furthermore, that somehow the champion crowned this year should be less valued than in prior years.

So I have taken it upon myself to challenge this notion. To squash it and punch holes in the very soul of all it stands for as an idea. In a word, the concept that this year’s season and subsequent champion is a farce is laughable in every aspect. So sit back and soak in what I’m about to lay out for you and you be the judge of whether or not I’m right or if the naysayers are in fact hitting the nail on the head.

For starters, winning games is not a lock for any team. If you look back to only last season around the 60 game mark you will find that 18 of the 30 MLB teams were in a position of double digit game defecits out of first place. That is almost two thirds of all of MLB being on the outside looking in at any type of automatic qualification for the playoffs. I even looked back over the course of the past five seasons (I was tempted to go farther). In the course of the past five seasons the number of teams outside first place by double digit games has hovered around a third of all MLB clubs (2019-18 teams, 2018-8 teams, 2017-10 teams, 2016-9 teams, 2015-4 teams). This fact is appalling given that the idea behind having so many games is that it’s supposed to give and provide a more level playing field for all teams, while also making the league more competitive as a whole. At least that is the narrative we have been fed.

I realize that there is much more behind the reason there are so many games. For many, the main argument is that the modern era player salaries are so much higher now than they were all those decades ago when the sport was founded. Therefore baseball has now all but assured the need for the full 162 game season given the fact that players salaries are so excessive. However, this shouldn’t be used as an excuse as to why we can’t have or shouldn’t have a 60 game season.

Another issue being brought up is that batting averages and offense will sufre. I know that many worry about batting averages suffering with a shorter season and whether or not the season will be competitive. But if that’s your fear listen to these stats. In 2019 after 60 games 62 players were batting .280 or higher. On top of that 50 plus batters had 15 or more RBI’s. This was all done, mind you, with these players knowing that they had an additional 60 games to pad their stats. There’s no doubt in my mind that a shortened season will improve these numbers and offense will reign supreme.

I base this off the fact that starting pitching more than likely won’t be given the customary 4 to five day rest period due to the amplified importance of each game. I see the rest periods changing to more of a 3 to 4 day schedule. This way teams can cram as many starts as possible out of their aces in the hopes of securing prime position in the standings early. This will in turn make each team’s bullpen crucial to their respective success. The deeper their bullpen the better chances teams will have of securing a playoff spot. Some might even convert their 5th or 6th starter into a long relief pitcher to help bridge the gap between the more skilled front end starters and the Closer on their team. The possibilities are endless as I’m sure many teams will get creative to find ways of gaining an advantage in this race for the crown.

In addition, an added benefit or possible outcome of all this might be the emergence of teams originally thought of as outsiders under normal circumstances, to become legitimate title contenders. Perineal bottom feeders like Toronto and Baltimore in the AL East. Kansas City, Detroit and Chicago in the AL Central might reignite the fires of their old glory days. Seattle and LA Angels (or more accurately Anaheim) might finally make good on their potential. Or maybe the wayward teams of the NL might rise up and shake off the rust. Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Miami and NY Mets forging a new era and hope to franchises that haven’t seen a championship in so many years. Heck the NL West might even become challenging for the Dodgers. Who knows?

My point is let’s not write off this season as some foregone conclusion. That it will be a drag or underwhelming. Or that it will be tainted and unworthy of our viewership, a stain on the good name of baseball some might even go as far as suggesting. The league needs no help in that category. They are more than capable of shooting themselves in the foot with the Steroid Scandal of the late 90’s and Astro and Red Sox scandal of recent memory. But let us take a minute. Pause. Let us watch this unfold organically before we cast our judgements. Because that is the beauty of this game. It’s what many love so much about this game. It’s purity. The rawness and power of natural talent taking the field. Pitcher versus Batter. Nine innings of rollacoaster-esque madness. Because in the dog days of summer amid a world of uncertainty this just might be one thing that we won’t have to analyze or worry about. We can just let it be what it always has been. A game. America’s oldest and timeless pastime.