MLB: Enlarged strike zone irrelevant

By Vishal Patel Sports Central Columnist

When the umpires announced that high pitches that were previously neglected are now going to be called strikes, players, as well as owners, are suddenly on a mission to revamp their swings and their rosters.

The appreciation of young low-ball hitters like Eric Chavez of Oakland and Daryl Ward of Houston are now suddenly dumping material while the demand for publicity-drawing sluggers are hot stocks. This was a measure to increase the power of the pitcher, which has, over the last couple, years shifted to the hitter, capable of intimidating the pitcher like never before. The plethora of versatile batsmen who are capable of hitting the high ball a long distance refutes the action taken by the umpires union and could cause an adverse effect in actually increasing home run totals rather than reducing them.

Fly ball pitchers are at a serious liability since the meat of their strength comes from the breaking ball that often players would not swing at until it dipped too low. Because of the upward extension of the strike zone, players will be free-swinging on breaking balls due to the fact that the possible high, non-breaking slider will be called unlike in previous years. To a pitcher who knows how to use one, the breaking ball was their main advantage against trigger-happy, power-minded sluggers who would lay off the high pitch and be forced to swing late when the ball breaks at the last second. When a hitter becomes free-swinging on high breaking balls, there's a likely chance he'll connect since more than a quarter of breaking ball pitches never break.

Targeting the eradication of homerun hitters was the main objective for the umpires union who felt that the power must return to the pitchers through the upward extension of the strike zone. They felt that this would eliminate the low-ball homerun threat. Many sluggers are indeed low-ball hitters, but through the excessive publicity created through the ballooned homerun races in the past couple years, many hitters have learned the art of hitting of the homerun and are able to successfully hit higher pitches for dingers. Lack of pitching skill, as well as the rise of smaller ballparks to target a large fan clientele, are the main debilities behind the rise of 400-foot bombs from the pitching dominated league prevalent until late '90's.

Apart from not likely eliminating the tear of homeruns that are likely to continue, their decision might also take away the traditional sacrifice bunt if the pitcher becomes excessively indulged with throwing the high heater. Despite this advantage to the pitcher, the high strike zone also strengthened the power of the traditional hit-and-run intensifying an obstacle in which pitchers were not too wary of in past years. This hindrance ends up contrasting the whole impetus behind shifting the power back to the pitcher.

Toying around with the game of baseball will be a lesson felt and learned by baseball. Breaking the homerun record and allowing the media to take control of the way the game was played and managed through the disproportionate spreading of wealth has dug a hole for the game. Enlarging the strike zone has created an abyss that will only depend on time to climb out of.

We're seeing a new phase of baseball different from one that's pitching dominated so the world of baseball might as well swallow its pride and find that ladder. It's a long climb back up.

Article courtesy of Sports Central