The MLB rules committee is close to changing a couple of rules. The strike zone could very well be shrinking, and the practice of the catcher standing up while holding his arm out for four straight pitches on intentional walks could become a thing of the past. Joe and Greg discuss whether these changes are necessary and if they will help the game at all.
Also, Matt Harvey is the Mets fallen ace. What should New York of the National League do with the Dark Knight? On the other side of that coin, Clayton Kershaw is putting up numbers that are more often found in video games. If he can keep up his unprecedented pace, how much history can he actually make?
Music in this episode:
Intro/Outro: “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” sung by Edward Meeker and “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” by The Isotopes Punk Rock Baseball Club
Break 1: “I Wanna Be Your Dog” by The Stooges and a quote from Bull Durham.
Break 2: “I Was a Teenage Anarchist” by Against Me and Miguel Cabrera’s RBI single off an intentional walk, courtesy of MLB.com.
Hosted by Joe Hojnacki and Greg Hessen, Crowding the Plate is a weekly baseball podcast here on Last Word on Sports. It aims to cover the fun, yet analytical, side of baseball once a week.
Joe Hojnacki writes about soccer for Last Word on Sports, and is also co-host of the Crowding the Plate Podcast. An avid Red Sox fan, Joe idolizes Bryce Harper and feels that his fun showmanship is the way to save baseball from becoming overrun by old folks, and from dying out.
Greg Hessen is the resident Tigers fan on Crowding the Plate. As somewhat more of a traditionalist, Greg longs for the days of pitchers hitting in the American League and a landscape that doesn’t include things like bat flips and PEDs tarnishing the greatest of all games.
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