Would moving fences back...

[_MIA_]

Coaches paying more attention to proper IF depth (for a given situation) would work just as well to counteract high-speed GB eating up IF as moving the bases back and not slow the game down any. Moving fences back is just an effort to reward pitchers for inducing bad contact and not giving up a pop fly HR...The idea is to reward good execution not to penalize offenses.

Think of it this way..the furthest HR hit in baseball are around 500 ft and the furthest fence distances are around 400 ft (in CF). You rarely see poor contact in baseball result in a HR. In softball the best hitters can hit the ball close to 300 ft...work out what the fence distance in CF should be if the ratio would be made the same for softball and adjust 10 ft either way if you want. Either that or some smart person can figure out what the fence height should be to give an equivalent (or near equivalent) effect if you don't have the space to move the fences...

 

[Nimrod]

- bigger, more athletic players

There's some chicken and egg here. Livelier balls and hotter bats on 200-foot fields might make bigger players more valuable. And I'm not so sure it's pure size as much as weight training. There have always been big players (Nuveman, Bustos, Veronica Nelson), but I'd bet today's players are significantly stronger pound for pound as college softball has become more competitive.

 

[schwabach]

It's an easier change. I'm still not sure what it fixes.

Exactly. We seem to have a solution in search of a problem.

 

[schwabach]

Absolutely. Push fences back AND lengthen the base path. The sport would begin selecting for better overall athletes with a more open field configuration.

Gonna go out on a limb here and say that the players on the better teams are all good athletes.

 

[radness]

1) I think of the evolution of the game over the last several decades
- pitching circle moved back, twice
- composite bats
- optic yellow balls
- bigger, more athletic players
- courtesy runners
- double sided 1B
- ITB
- increased enforcement of pitching rules
All favor the offense.

Other than requiring only one pitching foot on the rubber, what changes have favored the defense?
(Don't argue with me about the batter's box; whatever the rule is today it will change next year. Guaranteed.)

********

When I look on TV I see pro and Olympic softball played on regulation-sized baseball fields modified to Little League standards, with fences just beyond the infield and, at times, a pitching mound sitting between the circle and 2B. I see six - and sometimes up to nine - full-grown adults occupying an infield space meant for 12 year olds; it looks crowded. I see infield errors increasing as the level of play increases. I see a playing field that does not reflect the progress of the game and, especially, its players.

Moving the bases back by 5 feet hopefully would not substantially slow the game. But it would help to even things out a bit, so the defense doesn't have to be near perfect to make routine plays, and so the SS doesn't look foolish trying to field an 85mph EV grounder. Puts a bit - and just a bit - of slack back in the system. Takes away some - but not all - of the power of the slap and promotes the power of the bunt. Obviously, it won't change or prevent check swing HRs, but that's not the core problem as I see it.

********

I guess what I'm getting at is that moving the bases back 5' is much easier and costs way less than moving the fences if you're looking to put forth a better product. Works within the confines the existing infrastructure. Costs almost nothing. Easily reversible. And, it's only 5 feet.

***********

In a perfect world, both the bases and the fences would move. And there'd be more seating. And billboards. Teams would charge more. And sell beer. We'd have bobblehead night and T-shirt giveaways. There'd be minor leagues and substantial money paid to players. And the MLB would finally have some competition.

All those changes were done to increase action by giving batters a better chance to get on base.
= more runners
= higher scores in games

While rule changes have happened,
The single most impactful change made is the flight of the ball.

Having experienced this difference, i know for a fact,
The ball impacted the speed of the game and more home runs the most...and it was immediatly noticable!
*regardless of training, or strength conditioning of today.

It actually is little funny /ironic to read anyone considering moving the bases back. To make a re-adjustment...
Basically thats changing the game A LOT.


The fastest running times like 2.7 to first that challenge the defense so much ARE exactly what differentiates fastpitch from bb.
That same runner 5 more feet reaching first would be a 3.0
Which is a common time frame for the defense to make outs in.
Double plays would increase.
Outs at second would happen far more often.
Average runners would certainly be out more, decreasing run opportunities.
Goes back to pitchers dual.

If running times that can beat the defense are taken out of fastpitch....just play baseball...
Double tap the ball in your glove while taking 3 or 4 extra steps to throw to first. And still get the runner out by 3 or 4 steps.
No thank you.

Will play fastpitch
Its a sport designed to be a faster game!!!!

*lets remember that in results of post 'is the sport balanced'
Folks were very close in thinking pitchers have the advantage
To batters have the advantage...
To its already balanced.

Appears the two groups pitching and hitting show an off-set to eachother that is balanced.

 

[625ender]

Go with wood bats if you really want to see who the hitters are

 

[quincy]

Nothing to do anything.

DD played a few times on a field that was a retaining pond. Every thing was concreat. OF fence was about 600 feet and about 20 feet high.

I enjoyed playing there because I liked the thought people put into it.

 

[CoachJD]

Absolutely. Push fences back AND lengthen the base path. The sport would begin selecting for better overall athletes with a more open field configuration.

We could also make the ball smaller, push the pitching circle back. Here's an idea, let's elevate the pitching circle some, and then let's have the pitchers start throwing overhand with that smaller ball.

 

[radness]

Go with wood bats if you really want to see who the hitters are

How about start using composite bats in mlb and see if they start wearing fielding masks...

 

[quincy]

Times have changed, people do not have a sense of humor, but years ago ESPN ran an April fools joke about MLB allowing hitters to use composite bats.

They had allstar players talking about the new rule change. Hitters were all over it, I am going to break the home run record. Pitchers were saying I am going to retire, I am going to be killed.