Change?
Posted: Tue Sep 24, 2019 3:14 pm
We all love and admire Greg.
Each one of has something we wish we would like to add or change to our contest.
But we know in our heart of hearts that the contest is in very capable hands.
For my part, I love brainstorming, especially in a KJ way, in trying to find new ways for folks to enjoy the NFBC.
Most of these ideas are a bit radical. Most of the time too radical for a National contest.
At the same time, we have to keep our minds open.
Over the years, baseball has been a fluctuating sport.
Nobody hit home runs. Then, only Babe Ruth. Then, only a handful of sluggers.
During the 30's, everybody seemed to hit. Heck, there were five Triple Crown winners.
Then during the war years of the 40's, very little happened except for Dimaggio and Williams.
The 50's saw a handful of blooming stars.
The 60's were the golden age of baseball.
The 70's changed baseball with free agency.
The 80's were solid.
The 90's and 00's brought steroids.
And now we have the new ball thing where home runs are being hit like the steroid era, only everybody hits therm.
Home runs, walks, and strike outs are the colors of the day.
There are many, many ebbs and flows to baseball. This ball thing will pass too.
The thing that isn't ebbing and flowing are pitchers.
With each generation, pitchers are throwing fewer and fewer innings.
Three years ago, Corey Kluber became the last pitcher to average seven innings per start.
Last I checked, this year there are only 24 Starters who even averaged six innings per start.
MLB still holds five innings as the hurdle to be credited with a Win.
For the fantasy side of things, the best thing that could happen is for Major League Baseball to lower the bar to four innings pitched.
When five innings was introduced, it was thought to be an exceedingly easy bar to leap.
After all, most pitchers were throwing Complete Games.
44 Complete Games were thrown this year.
Walter Johnson threw 36 CG in 1916, 103 years ago, well after the W was created.
If Major League Baseball does not lower the standards for a Win, or worse, gets rid of the Win as some Analytics folks are pushing for, what then?
At least as far as our game?
I am not talking about now, I am talking five. six, or seven years from now when even the Quality Start becomes a major hurdle.
Agents are pushing for their clients to throw less. That won't change.
We will see six-man rotations way before we see a pitcher throw six Complete Games.
It's the way of our world.
It is why ideas for the Wins category were noted.
A few NFBC friends and I make a little fun of Greg.
He holds the 10 categories highly. I mean Everest high.
Avg, R, HR, RBI, SB, W, ERA, K, WHIP S....That's it! In stone!
To us, they have become the 10 Commandments.
No change shall ever take place!
We continue to have open minds and put our ideas on the Boards.
But we know what will happen
We also know that the reaction on the Boards will be against any kind of change.
The word 'change' is the f-bomb of the NFBC.
Along with the 10 Commandments of categories, there are also the Seven Deadly Sins.
These are ideas that come from years ago that our group does not particularly care for, but know that NFBC holds dear.
Any time these are brought up, they are summarily dismissed too.
We barely bother any longer.
Heck, I don't even know if there's seven, it's just something I made up to go along with the 10 Commandments.
They include having the playoff games counting towards our stats, two catchers, and others that I've simply forgotten along the way.
We have a good leader. To be sure.
He has thick skin. A lot thicker than mine!
He also has a damned good head on those skinny shoulders.
We know that we can freely come up with ideas and that those ideas may even be used some day...uh, just not today
Give 'em (me, spelled backwards) Hell, Greg!
What HAS changed (I just said the f-bomb) is the technical aspect of the NFBC.
Long a laughing stock, the NFBC has become very respectable in all facets of gaming.
They still have a couple of shortcomings that my friends would like to see, but I am damned happy with the progress made over the last couple of years.
When recruiting folks for the NFBC in the past, I would have to tell them, "But the tech sucks."
I don't any longer.
That change (f-bomb alert) has been a good one.
And like any change in the 10 Commandments or 7 deadly sins, it came darned slow.
But, it is here and that's a good thing.
Do we really expect change in the next couple of years?
No.
But, we will still be here, coming up with new changes for folks to disagree with.
One of these days, it'll be time.
I may not be here for it, if not, think of me when it happens.
Each one of has something we wish we would like to add or change to our contest.
But we know in our heart of hearts that the contest is in very capable hands.
For my part, I love brainstorming, especially in a KJ way, in trying to find new ways for folks to enjoy the NFBC.
Most of these ideas are a bit radical. Most of the time too radical for a National contest.
At the same time, we have to keep our minds open.
Over the years, baseball has been a fluctuating sport.
Nobody hit home runs. Then, only Babe Ruth. Then, only a handful of sluggers.
During the 30's, everybody seemed to hit. Heck, there were five Triple Crown winners.
Then during the war years of the 40's, very little happened except for Dimaggio and Williams.
The 50's saw a handful of blooming stars.
The 60's were the golden age of baseball.
The 70's changed baseball with free agency.
The 80's were solid.
The 90's and 00's brought steroids.
And now we have the new ball thing where home runs are being hit like the steroid era, only everybody hits therm.
Home runs, walks, and strike outs are the colors of the day.
There are many, many ebbs and flows to baseball. This ball thing will pass too.
The thing that isn't ebbing and flowing are pitchers.
With each generation, pitchers are throwing fewer and fewer innings.
Three years ago, Corey Kluber became the last pitcher to average seven innings per start.
Last I checked, this year there are only 24 Starters who even averaged six innings per start.
MLB still holds five innings as the hurdle to be credited with a Win.
For the fantasy side of things, the best thing that could happen is for Major League Baseball to lower the bar to four innings pitched.
When five innings was introduced, it was thought to be an exceedingly easy bar to leap.
After all, most pitchers were throwing Complete Games.
44 Complete Games were thrown this year.
Walter Johnson threw 36 CG in 1916, 103 years ago, well after the W was created.
If Major League Baseball does not lower the standards for a Win, or worse, gets rid of the Win as some Analytics folks are pushing for, what then?
At least as far as our game?
I am not talking about now, I am talking five. six, or seven years from now when even the Quality Start becomes a major hurdle.
Agents are pushing for their clients to throw less. That won't change.
We will see six-man rotations way before we see a pitcher throw six Complete Games.
It's the way of our world.
It is why ideas for the Wins category were noted.
A few NFBC friends and I make a little fun of Greg.
He holds the 10 categories highly. I mean Everest high.
Avg, R, HR, RBI, SB, W, ERA, K, WHIP S....That's it! In stone!
To us, they have become the 10 Commandments.
No change shall ever take place!
We continue to have open minds and put our ideas on the Boards.
But we know what will happen
We also know that the reaction on the Boards will be against any kind of change.
The word 'change' is the f-bomb of the NFBC.
Along with the 10 Commandments of categories, there are also the Seven Deadly Sins.
These are ideas that come from years ago that our group does not particularly care for, but know that NFBC holds dear.
Any time these are brought up, they are summarily dismissed too.
We barely bother any longer.
Heck, I don't even know if there's seven, it's just something I made up to go along with the 10 Commandments.
They include having the playoff games counting towards our stats, two catchers, and others that I've simply forgotten along the way.
We have a good leader. To be sure.
He has thick skin. A lot thicker than mine!
He also has a damned good head on those skinny shoulders.
We know that we can freely come up with ideas and that those ideas may even be used some day...uh, just not today
Give 'em (me, spelled backwards) Hell, Greg!
What HAS changed (I just said the f-bomb) is the technical aspect of the NFBC.
Long a laughing stock, the NFBC has become very respectable in all facets of gaming.
They still have a couple of shortcomings that my friends would like to see, but I am damned happy with the progress made over the last couple of years.
When recruiting folks for the NFBC in the past, I would have to tell them, "But the tech sucks."
I don't any longer.
That change (f-bomb alert) has been a good one.
And like any change in the 10 Commandments or 7 deadly sins, it came darned slow.
But, it is here and that's a good thing.
Do we really expect change in the next couple of years?
No.
But, we will still be here, coming up with new changes for folks to disagree with.
One of these days, it'll be time.
I may not be here for it, if not, think of me when it happens.