Ties

[MathBandit]

Originally Posted by Brad K

And the managers agree with you! On May 3 they'll play slightly injured stars risking greater injury that might put them out of action for weeks. They'll exhaust the bullpen in a blow out, never bringing in a position player to pitch, on the slim chance they can come back from a mighty deficit. All because, as everyone knows, on May 3 there's no tomorrow.

For one, if your point is that I understand and can execute basic in-game tactics better than probably 50-60% of current MLB managers, then yes - you're right. Having a better understanding of baseball tactics than MLB managers hasn't been a particularly high bar to clear for about 30 years now at least.

More importantly though, why are we now talking about a blowout? We were talking about a 1-run game in the 9th inning before you walked away with the goalposts.

[pauwoo]

Originally Posted by Brad K

For those who insist a win be worth more than twice a tie, there's an easy solution. Award 1 point for a win, 0 point for a tie, and negative 1 point for a loss. Problem solved. Actually even better. Instead of a win being worth 3 times a tie its worth infinitely more. Cool eh?

Yikes... gross... not cool... I don't like this one bit. My solution: If the game is tied after 12, let a HR Derby settle it. If that also ends in a tie... hand-to-hand combat. Easy. Clean.

[Brad K]

Originally Posted by MathBandit

For one, if your point is that I understand and can execute basic in-game tactics better than probably 50-60% of current MLB managers, then yes - you're right. Having a better understanding of baseball tactics than MLB managers hasn't been a particularly high bar to clear for about 30 years now at least.

More importantly though, why are we now talking about a blowout? We were talking about a 1-run game in the 9th inning before you walked away with the goalposts.

I mentioned blow out because the exaggerated circumstances are needed to make it clear a game on May 3 isn't as important as a very late season game in a tight race. The differences in one run games aren't as evident but they're still present. I manager isn't going to risk additional injury to a star who is already injured by sending him up to pinch hit. Do you think Kirk Gibson would have been sent to the plate in that situation on May 3? I don't.

[Brad K]

Originally Posted by pauwoo

Yikes... gross... not cool... I don't like this one bit. My solution: If the game is tied after 12, let a HR Derby settle it. If that also ends in a tie... hand-to-hand combat. Easy. Clean.

Contrived means to break a tie that have little to do with the overall talent of the team... just do the coin toss after nine.

[Brad K]

Originally Posted by pauwoo

Yikes... gross... not cool... I don't like this one bit. My solution: If the game is tied after 12, let a HR Derby settle it. If that also ends in a tie... hand-to-hand combat. Easy. Clean.

How about a HR Derby between Mario Mendoza and Ray Oyler?

[monkeyman576]

Originally Posted by pauwoo

Yikes... gross... not cool... I don't like this one bit. My solution: If the game is tied after 12, let a HR Derby settle it. If that also ends in a tie... hand-to-hand combat. Easy. Clean.

Not a terrible idea but also already in place in the Pioneer League.

[pauwoo]

Originally Posted by Brad K

Contrived means to break a tie that have little to do with the overall talent of the team... just do the coin toss after nine.

Coin toss?!? Pfft. Rochambeau, best two out of three,

[pauwoo]

Originally Posted by Brad K

How about a HR Derby between Mario Mendoza and Ray Oyler?

I support this. 100%.

[Brad K]

Originally Posted by pauwoo

I support this. 100%.

You really don't want games to end!

In my current game Mendoza hit .270 something. Only a bit over 200 PAs though.

[Brad K]

Originally Posted by pauwoo

I support this. 100%.

Could be interesting. Mendoza actually hit reasonable above his line for his career and Oyler still holds all the Pilots offensive records for short stops

[Dutch Alexander]

Never understood this aversion to ties. Now in baseball there is actually something to be said to continue playing until you have a winner since it is not time based. But in time based games it makes no sense to force a winner in the regular season. I mean, the rules are simple: You play for a certain amount of time and the objective of the game is to outscore your oponent within that timeframe. If the game is tied at the end of regulation then you have failed to outscore your oponent and you do not deserve a win. Extra time to force a winner then gives a win to a team that did not earn it. Unfair to teams that win their games in regulation.

In a playoff game you need to have a winner so overtime makes sense. But in a regular season game it is just a gimmick.

[Brad K]

What I don't understand is an aversion to ties combined with a willingness to tolerate them after some half baked effort to break them.

[AstroDeke]

In the regular season, I would much rather prefer to have an automatic runner at 2B than a tied game. Can you imagine a team coming from an 8-0 deficit, or leading 8-0, to either coming from behind or leading in the bottom of the 9th, and then not have a chance to win it in the 10th. Players and fans will feel cheated. As much as a ticket cost these days, a tied game won't cut it.

I know many fans don't like the automatic runner, but it's much better than a tie. I've loved baseball since 1962, but I'm not one of those traditionalists that don't like changes to the game. I understand the game needs to change with the times. I'm okay with the latest changes MLB has made. I personally believe it is a better product and I'm not stuck on how it was in the 60's. But having said that, fans like what they like, and I have no issues with that at all.

[daves]

I actually wish they would bring back ties in hockey.

Tired of shootouts determining wins. It's like an HR derby determining the outcome after 10 innings.

[Durfio]

I do not like the idea of ties in baseball, but if they absolutely had to do something, I'd take ties after 3 or 6 extra innings over this ridiculous ghost runner. I can't stand what they have done to the most perfect game we used to have!

[Durfio]

Originally Posted by daves

I actually wish they would bring back ties in hockey.

Tired of shootouts determining wins. It's like an HR derby determining the outcome after 10 innings.

In hockey, I agree! 1 point for a tie was fine. I really don't like the shootouts or getting points for losing games either. If you don't want ties then treat it like a playoff game, or if they wanted to reduce the amount of times teams play for a tie, make it a full 20 minute OT. Then teams are forced to consider the value of aggressively pursuing a win vs an extra full period of fatigue.