ROD CAREW & OTHER HALL OF FAMERS GO AFTER MANFRED ON "RUINING THE GAME"

Baseball can change back. Ted Simmons made that statement in his Hall of Fame speech in 2021 and it was incredible. He said:

“Our game can change back,” Simmons said. “Eventually, another George Brett will surface. He’ll hit .360. He’ll homer 40 times. He’ll drive in 160 runs. He’ll strike out 75 times. He’ll walk a hundred times. His on-base percentage will be .420. Our game is fluid. Hitters will begin to beat the defensive shifts, and the pendulum will swing back. The game evolves. It’s just a matter of time.”

And the reason he said it is simple. For one, he's a catcher, one of the most important jobs on the field... and for 2, baseball has been ruined and the real game of baseball that we know and love has changed for the worse. And the old timers and true baseball enthusiats are tired of it. We're tired of this commissioner and his cronies and all they are doing to ruin games, line pockets and find TV time to make money. I mean sure, it's a business... but it's also the most incredible game in the world full of talent, wit, strategy and hustle.  

Ted Simmons is and has been one of the smartest guys on the field. He like many are tired with the game right now, with the strikeouts, walks and home runs being mostly the only thing that happens. Watch that speech if you haven't already. It's amazing.

But it's more than Ted Simmons... it's about many who have played this game the right way and are just fed up. Mark Powell from Fansided writes:

"It's custom for the commissioner of baseball to have a private dinner with all the Hall of Famers in Cooperstown the weekend of the ceremony. Typically, the conversation is predictably about baseball, and the state of the game today.

In recent years, that conversation has become more contentious, and reached a boiling point in late July. Carew and a group of other Hall of Famers raised their voices about what they perceived to be issues with the game today. Manfred was clearly taken aback, and has since openly complained about Carew making that conversation public. Typically, that dinner has a 'what happens in Cooperstown, stays in Cooperstown' feel. Not this year."

Ken Rosenthal writes:

"...the Hall of Famers include the rise of defensive shifts and the offensive emphasis on launch angle, as well as rules changes such as the three-batter minimum and automatic runner on second base in extra innings. "

But here's the problem. MLB has no time limit and that's also something that Carew was annoyed about like many fans are. But MLB wants to change that, but only because of the TV dollars attached to it. If games linger, TV stations mess up schedules and so Manfred and his nerds found a way to do it so if these games fit in a certain amount of time, they get paid, TV doesn't lose and everybody wins.  But sadly... that's not baseball.

And then Powell said this: "Sadly, for Carew and many of the old heads in baseball, the game is merely moving forward in hopes of intriguing a new generation of viewers. Those who don't change with it are left behind, for better or worse."

Bad comment about being left behind. These baseball legends are not the "get off my lawn" folks Powell thinks they are. They are true baseball people, like you, like me. We don't want the change because it ruins the game. So being left behind doesn't make sense. We're baseball enthusiasts... traditionalists... loyalists to the way the game should be played.  It's a bad statement from someone that was never in Rod Carew or Ted Simmons shoes.

The fact that this spat with Carew and Manfred went public is huge. The fact that Manfred thinks he was probably disrespected is laughable. Bottom line... baseball DOES need to change back like Ted Simmons says. It not only effects MLB, it trickles down to College where even in D3 college scouts are looking for Big Boppers, not guys that hit for average. When compare guys, 6'4", 220 and hitting dingers compared to a guy that's 5'10", 160 and batting .360... they are now inclined to choose the big boy, because that's what MLB commands right now. But the .360 hitter is ACTUALLY baseball. Have we forgotten?    

What happened to the authentic hitter? Where's the George Brett? Will they ever come back... because hitting is a true craft, and guys like that are unique. I grew up idolizing Tony Gwynn, Don Mattingly and Wade Boggs because every year I knew they'd bat .350 and I was always amazed by that. Those days are over. If you don't believe me... just watch teams continually give chances to Aaron Hicks and Joey Gallo.

Baseball needs to change back. Rod Carew is right. Ted Simmons is right.  And once again, Rob Manfred sucks.

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