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Over the weekend Major League baseball's competition committee reportedly approved two proposals: one that eliminates throwing four pitches to issue an intentional walk, which is, whatever; the second being to raise the strike zone to just above the knee.
Let us focus on this second one for now.
While the true difference is only a few inches of strike zone, where the zone is shrinking is the key part. Conventional wisdom says that keeping the ball low in the zone decreases the likelihood of a ball being hit for extra bases. Decreasing that part of the zone could lead to more offense, or at least that is what Adam Wainwright believes per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post Dispatch:
"It's a horrible, horrible idea," he [Wainwright] said. "One, I'm a pitcher. And I'm a pitcher who likes to keep the ball low. Two, and mainly, all this talk about making the games shorter -- what part of raising the strike zone up is going to do that? ... They want more offense. I understand that. But taking 45 seconds off for an intentional walk one out of every three games isn't going to make up for the added balls in the gap by raising the strike zone, in my opinion."
The strike zone has been artificially expanding for years. Perhaps it better serves MLB's interests to address that before making any changes.
Because if they do not, does it even really matter?
Wainwright: Leave strike zone alone | St. Louis Cardinals | stltoday.com
MLB competition committee agrees to changes to strike zone, intentional walks | ESPN
Raising the strike zone could have unintended consequences | SweetSpot | ESPN
what else is going on in baseball...
- Bartolo Colon, Ichiro defy age, put on show | MLB.com
- Matt Harvey is proof of how baseball is a humbling game. | Sports on Earth
- Matt Harvey commits baseball's ultimate sin, doesn't talk to press after game | Amazin' Avenue
- Albert Pujols homers, Angels shut out Rangers | MLB.com
- Bradley Jr. reaches 28 in pursuit of DiMaggio | MLB.com
- Kershaw Is Forcing Us to Confront the Pedro Question | FanGraphs Baseball
- 2016 Broadcaster Rankings (TV): Complete Table and Notes | FanGraphs Baseball
- Noah Syndergaard Is an Elite Contact Pitcher, Too | FanGraphs Baseball
- The Yankees are at the crossroads, which makes them baseball's most fascinating team | SBNation.com
- Now you can have a minor league baseball mascot perform your wedding ceremony | SBNation.com
- MLB competition committee agrees to changes to strike zone, intentional walks | ESPN
- Raising the strike zone could have unintended consequences | SweetSpot | ESPN
what the cardinals are up to...
- Grichuk's 1st walk-off HR closes Central gap | MLB.com
- Wainwright: Leave strike zone alone | St. Louis Cardinals | stltoday.com
- Heyward who? Piscotty has been Cardinals' MVP | Derrick Goold: Bird Land | stltoday.com
- Wacha hit hard again and can't figure it out | St. Louis Cardinals | stltoday.com
- Turn Back the Clock: Cardinals Are Bashing Homers Like It's 1998 | 101Sports.com
- Redbirds Reverb: Matt Adams and Cards Pinch-Hitters are Ridiculously Good | 101Sports.com
KNOW THINE ENEMY...
the chicago cubs
- Murphy, Zobrist Worthy of All-Star Game nods | cubs.com
- Cubs break out just as Maddon expected | St. Louis Cardinals | stltoday.com
- A wild and crazy idea: Jake Arrieta, future Hall of Famer | SweetSpot | ESPN
the nl central
- A fan threw a paper airplane on the field and Joey Votto stomped it into oblivion | SBNation.com
- Brandon Phillips' 2-year-old son has a blast at practice | ESPN Video
- Gregory Polanco now a major force for Pittsburgh Pirates | Stats & Info | ESPN