Between the dodgers getting Skubal and the Guardians posturing
over a bunt attempt, it's hard to like the MLB right now.
It is hard to imagine a pair of headlines that better
capture the modern fan's frustration with Major League Baseball:
- Financial
Oligarchy: The Dodgers—already stacked with a surreal concentration of
elite, highly paid talent—go out at the trade deadline and pull off a deal
for Tarik Skubal, a back-to-back Cy Young winner. It makes the regular
season feel like a minor inconvenience for a couple of super-teams with
blank checks while small-to-mid-market fan bases are left acting as farm
systems.
- Fragile
Unwritten Rules: Meanwhile, you have the Guardians getting their
collective blood pressure up and clearing the benches in the pouring rain
because Tim Tawa had the audacity to try a bunt in the sixth inning of a
game.
The Guardians situation is a textbook example of how
backwards the logic of "unwritten rules" can get. The 6th inning
isn't even late-stage! A hitter is trying to spark an offense against a pitcher
who is currently dominating them. To act as if a batter owes the opposing
starter a pristine, unbunted environment halfway through a game is absurd.
Expecting an opponent to play soft-ball for your guy’s stat line cheapens the
competition.
When you stack giant market teams hoarding all-world arms on
one end and teams throwing tantrums over basic competitive strategy on the
other, it’s completely reasonable to feel alienated by the product.
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