I haven't really followed baseball intently for 5 years or more now. I won't say it was the steroid issue that drove me away because that would be much too simplistic, and frankly not true. Probably a combination of factors: work commitments meant no more studenty late nights, the retirement and decline of my favourite players (Pedro, Randy etc), obviously the steroid issue, the Red Sox finally winning the WS removed one of my favourite recurring sub-plots, Vintage Drafting being much more interesting than fantasy baseball ... lot's of factors.
I have occasionally tried dipping back in, especially near the end of the season, but it didn't really feel like the old pre-steroid-scandal days, when there were legends past, present and future all over the place.
After being away so long, you do notice the differences much more sharply: the top producing players don't seem to have the wow factor any more, and obviously, the power and production numbers seem way down, pitching numbers seem way up.
What do the stats say on the difference between the 90's and early 00's? +/- 20%? More? Anyone got any good links to articles etc?
2000 19 hitters got 120+ RBI's
2005 7 hitters got 120+ RBI's
2010 3 hitters got 120+ RBI's
2000 16 hitters got 40+ HR's
2005 9 hitters got 40+ HR's
2010 2 hitters got 40+ HR's
That is quite a shocking decline for me having been away (which incidentally also makes the numbers Pedro posted even more insane). The games have also changed ... a little bit more boring and ordinary. Possibly due to the loss of much of the star quality, but also the decline in hitting.
2000 53 hitters hit .300+
2005 33 hitters hit .300+
2010 23 hitters hit .300+
The SB numbers have also declined ... although I suppose that could be attributed to the lower OBP.
Pitching by contrast (and obviously):
2000 4 pitchers with an ERA of 3.00 or below (4 all-time great pitchers: Pedro, Randy, Brown, Maddux)
2005 9 pitchers with an ERA of 3.00 or below
2010 15 pitchers with an ERA of 3.00 or below
Are we talking about mediocre pitchers (relatively speaking) shutting down teams here due to the decline is hitting? Or is this decline in hitting being exacerbated by a golden crop of pitchers?
I have occasionally tried dipping back in, especially near the end of the season, but it didn't really feel like the old pre-steroid-scandal days, when there were legends past, present and future all over the place.
After being away so long, you do notice the differences much more sharply: the top producing players don't seem to have the wow factor any more, and obviously, the power and production numbers seem way down, pitching numbers seem way up.
What do the stats say on the difference between the 90's and early 00's? +/- 20%? More? Anyone got any good links to articles etc?
2000 19 hitters got 120+ RBI's
2005 7 hitters got 120+ RBI's
2010 3 hitters got 120+ RBI's
2000 16 hitters got 40+ HR's
2005 9 hitters got 40+ HR's
2010 2 hitters got 40+ HR's
That is quite a shocking decline for me having been away (which incidentally also makes the numbers Pedro posted even more insane). The games have also changed ... a little bit more boring and ordinary. Possibly due to the loss of much of the star quality, but also the decline in hitting.
2000 53 hitters hit .300+
2005 33 hitters hit .300+
2010 23 hitters hit .300+
The SB numbers have also declined ... although I suppose that could be attributed to the lower OBP.
Pitching by contrast (and obviously):
2000 4 pitchers with an ERA of 3.00 or below (4 all-time great pitchers: Pedro, Randy, Brown, Maddux)
2005 9 pitchers with an ERA of 3.00 or below
2010 15 pitchers with an ERA of 3.00 or below
Are we talking about mediocre pitchers (relatively speaking) shutting down teams here due to the decline is hitting? Or is this decline in hitting being exacerbated by a golden crop of pitchers?
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