Looks like the SEC is going with a 10-run mercy rule after 7 innings for all conference games. I guess I'm OK with this, but wondering why implement it now? What do y'all think?
Mercy rule in SEC baseball
- Thread starter patdog
- Start date
I'm indifferent. If it's the first part of a double header or the last game of a series, I get it. I kind of hate it for the bench warmers that will miss playing time because of it. I guess maybe there should be a minimum time also? Probably wouldn't ever be an issue with how long games take now, but I would think there should be some minimum time length too, where it's past 7 inning and more than 3 hours after first pitch. Or maybe 2.5 hours after first pitch? Or however long TV schedules a broadcast for?
I think it's a good rule for college baseball; wouldn't approve in the professional leagues. Don't like it? Well don't dig yourself into a 10 run deficit.. Call it quits and let the boys get back to class.
I agree. Good rule for double headers and 3rd game of a series.
I don't like it. Play it all the way out. You never know what might happen those last 2 innings. Especially in college ball.
Probably a good idea. I'm thinking that in the end you save some arms, too.
Yeah, I’ve seen us blow some big leads.
Who was the team that beat us after we were up by 12 in the seventh inning? I'm thinking Cohenz was coaching.
No. Baseball at this level should never have a clock.
But I agree with 1st game of a DH mercy rule. 10 runs is just too low though, IMO.
It's likely to speed up games for TV.
Doesn't matter anyway, college baseball is win-at-all-costs, so there's not much actual development going on. That generally happens in summer ball.
I agree, but they better do something in the MLB. Viewership is down, so is attendance. Of course, there's not as many blowouts in the MLB either, so this wouldn't help. But the analytics and crap has made it more boring, along with pitching dominance.
Two things:
1) As long as owners are paying players to either K or HR, & nothing in between I'm not sure how it changes.
2) I don't follow MLB closely enough to watch Sports Center or Baseball Tonight, but it seems they would be hard pressed to find Web Gems whereas before it was difficult to eliminate some, with the significant drop in playable short balls. Is this the case?
10 is too low. I know we have all seen teams, every team, blow a 10 run lead in the end. Especally on a Sunday when the bullpen can start getting thin.
Didn't Tennessee beat us like 30-0 last season? Could've used it then.
I don’t really like it. Removes an advantage of a team that plays really well on Game 1 or Game 2 of a series and makes the losing team have to use less pitching. Game 3 of a series….maybe OK, but I still don’t even like it for the first game of a double header.
Then in tie games, rather then have extra innings, put the ball on a tee for each line up like penalty kicks in soccer. My gosh, make sure everybody gets a trophy at the end of the game.
Are you thinking about the Polk 2.0 team that choked away a huge lead at Louisiana Tech in the 9th inning?
2004. I remember the game, but had forgotten we were ranked #3 that week.
Up 12-6 in B9. Get first two batters out. Then:
Single
Single
Double
Single
Double
Walk
Single
Single
Single
You can relive it here!
See, I think of it the opposite way. If you've got a 10 run lead and have 2 more innings to play, you may still have to burn arms to close out the game. If you've scored 10 runs, the losing team has already very likely burned through between 2 and 4 pitchers by the time the 7th has rolled around. If you've got a 12-2, 11-1, or 10-0 lead in the 7th, you could still be on your starter and not have to burn your first relief guy or closer. If the game stretches to an 8th or 9th inning and the other team scores, say, 3 more runs in the 8th and another 2 in the 9th, you're still not in 'danger', but probably going to use at least 2 more guys to close the game out. I think in general, by the 7th inning of a 10 run game, the winning team is working harder to maintain a lead than the losing team is to close the gap.
Plus, I think anything that speeds the game up is probably a good idea.
Not really in favor of it but kinda wish we had it in game 1 against UT last season.
I didn't mean for development. I just meant for the players that do all the practice and workouts for the rare playing time in garbage time. It's not related to winning so it's way down the list of important things for major college sports, but I'm sure to them getting to actually play on DNF in a real game, even if it's garbage time, is a big deal. Baseball is different in that it will probably mostly be younger players that will eventually compete for playing time getting that experience whereas in basketball and football you might have seniors that are never going to play a meaningful minute get to see garbage time. But still good to give a taste to younger players to keep them motivated.
I understand that line of thinking and don’t really disagree… but so many teams now start putting position players in to pitch when it’s a game out of reach that I think this is where the rule is coming from.
2006, but this part is just brutal to read:
Louisiana Tech 9th - Bratton to rf for Flagg. Grunenwald to c for Boyce. Grunenwald grounded out to p. Lacy pinch hit for Cobb. Lacy grounded out to ss (0-0). Jones singled through the left side (3-1). Shaw pinch ran for Jones. Bascle singled to left field (0-0); Shaw advanced to second. Kersten doubled down the lf line, RBI; Bascle advanced to third; Shaw scored. Hamilton singled to left field, RBI (0-0); Kersten advanced to third; Bascle scored. Valentine to p for Wilson. Ramon doubled to left center, RBI (0-0); Hamilton advanced to third; Kersten scored. Tabor pinch hit for Thomas. Tabor walked (3-2). Winn pinch ran for Tabor. McCarthy singled through the right side, RBI (0-0); Winn advanced to second; Ramon advanced to third; Hamilton scored. Grunenwald singled to left field, 2 RBI (0-0); McCarthy advanced to second; Winn scored; Ramon scored. Lacy singled to right field, RBI (0-1); Grunenwald advanced to second; McCarthy scored. 7 runs, 8 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
The biggest Cohen flop I could find just by scanning through the seasons was this beauty from 2016 against Kentuck-... wait scratch that, EASTERN Kentucky:
Baseball vs Eastern Kentucky on 3/15/2016 - Box Score - Mississippi State
The official box score of Baseball vs Eastern Kentucky on 3/15/2016
Had a:
7-1 lead after 5 innings
9-4 lead after 6 innings
12-6 lead after 7 innings
12-12 tie after 8 innings
16-12 loss after 10 innings
Most incredible part of this collapse is we only helped them with 1 walk and no errors. 8 hits and 1 walk in 9 plate appearances. That shouldn't even be possible.
Should maybe only apply for the last game of a series or possibly for a DH game. Baseball games are supposed to be 9 innings and blowout games give guys that don't normally get a chance to pitch and hit in actual games a chance to do so. So if a basketball game is 20+ points difference with 5 minutes to go are we all ok with just stopping it???
Disagree, I think you have a much longer leash with your starter (or whoever is in the game at the time) and can operate strictly based on pitch counts until the game gets closer. Then you can put in one of your end of the bench guys to steal innings. The losing team doesn’t have either luxury.
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