In baseball, batters have to make decisions to swing or not. And, for a batter, it’s extremely important to know the strike zone and understand when to swing and when to take. If a batter can take a pitch off the plate, he is probably going to help his team do some good things such as drawing a walk.
6/30/2021
6/28/2021
Good night
The Dodgers and the Cubs were playing on Sunday Night Baseball. Well, the first pitch was actually at 4:08 p.m. (PDT) and the lights at Dodger stadium weren’t even turned on. Clayton Kershaw tossed 8 innings with 13 strikeouts. After making 17 starts, Kershaw has a 3.25 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP. But, he’s doing much better in night games with a 2.88 ERA and a 0.84 WHIP. By far this season, who also plays well in night games?
6/25/2021
I can throw more
Last season, it was a shortened season and only 4 pitchers made 13 starts. In 2021, the baseball season is a marathon and each team has to play 162 games. By far, a few pitchers already made 16 starts. A team has to be carefully monitoring each pitcher’s workload and helping their pitching staff stay healthy is indeed important. Recently, I watched a baseball game and a starting pitcher threw more than 110 pitches. And, I’m wondering who’s working more this season?
6/23/2021
Game 5 again
On May 25, 2021 the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Houston Astros on a 9-2 win. Three-time Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw was brilliant, tossing 7.2 innings with only one run allowed. It was Kershaw’s first start at Minute Maid Park after game 5 of the 2017 World Series, which was probably a nightmare that Kershaw doesn’t want to remember. However, after watching Kershaw’s dominant start in Houston, I watched game 5 of the 2017 World Series again.
6/21/2021
Home sweet home?
It’s almost the end of June and each MLB team plays around 70 games so far. We’ve seen some stadiums with full capacity. Audience factors may influence the home field advantage. So far this season, which teams do enjoy playing at home?
6/18/2021
On the edge, work?
A few weeks ago, I watched a game, which two AL West teams were playing. A pitcher threw several borderline pitches, most of the time, the umpire called balls. I can see that the pitcher was frustrated. But, that makes me think of a question, which pitchers throw more pitches on the edge of the strike zone?
6/16/2021
Good choices?
Watching MLB drafts is one of the most interesting things to do. A team has to evaluate a player and identify the player’s potential. After the draft, MLB teams will develop players in their farm systems. Sometimes, it might take one or two years to see a player make his MLB debut after being drafted. Sometimes, it takes 3 to 5 years to make sure that a player is ready for the big league. After 6 years, it might be reasonable now to look back to the draft, so let’s see which team did a great job in the 2015 draft.
6/14/2021
3-0, swing?
In mid-May, Yermin Mercedes swung on a 3-0, 47.1mph pitch from a Twins position player and the result of that swing was a home run. And, that swing became a topic of baseball conversation. Well, I guess we might still talk about swinging on 3-0 counts in the future, but let’s look at players’ performances on 3-0 counts.
6/11/2021
0-2 count, all is under control?
6/09/2021
Rivalries are fun
Last month, I listened to a podcast show and a player that used to play for the Dodgers talked about rivalry. The host mentioned the player’s performance against a pitcher from the Giants. Rivalries in sports are common and fans love to watch competition between rivalries. After listening to the podcast, I’m just thinking of some players’ performance in this Dodgers-Giants rivalry.
6/07/2021
Enjoy the sunshine? Day games
A couple of weeks ago, I watched a baseball game and the play-by-play guy indicated that a team isn’t hitting well in day games. Well, I heard some players have a tough time in day games, but some players really like to play in day games. Let’s see who’s better in day games.
6/04/2021
Open a box of 2020 Topps Gallery
Last month, I went to meet an old friend that we haven’t met for around two years. We had a lot to chat and, of course, we enjoyed good food and beers. We talked about baseball, soccer and sports. It was a fun night and we recall many funny stories. When I went back to the hotel, I saw a sports card shop, which is nearby the hotel. Well, I came in and tried to see whether there was something cool. I found that 2020 Topps Gallery was on sale. So I decided to get one box.