WARNING TRACK POWER
Home Runs and Fan Safety Reach A Tipping Point
Weekly roundup of MLB news and notes
As it often happens during the baseball season, writers identify a trend and cover it a variety of ways. This season’s home run explosion is no great secret, and it’s been receiving more attention from the media as of late.
Ken Rosenthal detailed his views on it Thursday, and he closed his column by saying he has the “same uneasy feeling” he did during the steroid era. Other articles have followed, chronicling the absurdity of the homers, including the 13-HR output between the D-backs and Phillies last Monday.
Nobody, including officials with Major League Baseball, denies that the current baseball creates less drag and therefore travels further. Fine, but physics aside, my uneasy feeling doesn’t come from a manufactured increase in home runs; it’s about fan and player safety.
There has already been one scary moment in the stands caused by a batted ball, and on Saturday night Braves pitcher Sean Newcomb was hit in the head with by a line drive. Newcomb, fortunately, came away unscathed, likely not even requiring a stint on the Injured List.
Pitchers have always been at risk, given their proximity to the batter. But if there’s a correlation between these current baseballs and a decreased reaction time for players and fans alike, what is the responsibility of the league, the uniformed personnel and front office staffers? Are the additional home runs really worth it?
Conspiracy theorists point to the MLB’s June 2018 purchase of Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, the longtime manufacturer of the official MLB baseball, as a way to control data and information about the balls.
Increased netting in some ballparks this year provide more — but not enough — protection.
In the aftermath of the scary situation in Houston last month, Jeff Passan called for more protective netting, a notion that is supported by many players.
The NHL had its darkest day 17 years ago when a puck traveled into the seats. The NFL is confronted regularly with its concussion issues, tragedies caused by CTE and an apparent lack of action to remedy a known problem. Major League Baseball has the opportunity to avert disaster before it strikes. Perhaps addressing the current baseball can help.
On Friday against the Rockies, Manny Machado hit a home run that looked like a routine fly ball to the right fielder off the bat. It wasn’t a home run swing; Machado’s lower half was not nearly as incorporated as when he really gets into one. Even Rockies announcer Drew Goodman said, “Wow, that thing, off the bat, you figure it was going to be deep right field but playable.” The exit velocity was 97.4 MPH, the launch angle was 36 degrees.
There have been 12 opposite field home runs hit by right-handed hitters this season at Coors Field. Machado’s homer on Friday night had the lowest exit velocity (5% less than the average) and the highest launch angle (28% greater than the average) of all. It was yet another example of a home run that simply didn’t pass the eye test based off swing, yet the ball still traveled 381 feet.
In 2018, there were 38 occurrences of balls put in play with an exit velo of 97 MPH and a launch angle of 36 degrees. Hitters were 5-for-38 in those instances with four home runs. Less drag, greater carry. And the right time for extended netting around the field level.
REAR VIEW MIRROR
Congrats to Brett Martin, who picked up his first Major League win in Friday’s game vs. Cincinnati. I saw Martin in July 2015, during his first full season of professional baseball when he was with the Hickory Crawdads, the Rangers low-A affiliate in the South Atlantic League.
He showed many fundamental elements for success as a pitcher — projectable body, athletic delivery, clean arm action and the makings of a quality breaking ball and changeup. He reminded me of Patrick Corbin at a similar age.
Injuries cost him time in 2016 and 2018, and he failed to crack the Rangers’ Top 30 prospect lists of Baseball America and MLB.com heading into this season.
Drafted out of Walters State C.C. in Tennessee, the Rangers’ selection of Martin is the byproduct of an excellent allocation of resources by the amateur scouting department. The Rangers employ (and value) a scout dedicated to the community college and junior college circuits, a good reminder that competitive advantage comes in many forms beyond analytics and technology.
THE FUTURE IS NOW
Good to see MLB adjust its format for the Futures Game to a traditional American League vs. National League arrangement. For years I’ve heard from former players how baseball — and sports in general — transcends race; if a player is a good teammate, nobody cares about nationality or ethnicity. The Futures Game will be better for no longer dividing its participants by nationality.
For more news and notes, follow me on Twitter @RyanLIsaac
