By William Coppola: Bronx Chronicle Sports
Baseball is rich in tradition. The records set by the greats from the past have set the bar very high for all those who have followed. Yet records, as they say, are meant to be broken.
There have been numerous stories recently about the possibility of someone actually hitting .400 in the major leagues this season. The one name that keeps coming up is Rockies right fielder Charlie Blackmon who is batting .500 through 17 games. Wow! That is with 28% of the season already done.
But is this something we can take seriously? The last hitter I can remember who accomplished this in a 60 game schedule, was my 8 year old granddaughter two years ago. Is this even a valid subject for discussion?
The only records that could be considered for this abbreviated season, would be single game records. Like a no-hitter, perfect game or four home runs in a game. By the way, the way balls are flying off the bats today, 5 home runs in a game is going to happen.
Sunday National’s Asdrúbal Cabrera reached down and almost one handed a low and away 84 mph splitter off of Mets reliever and one time Yankee Chasen Shreve, sending it into the left center field seats. That is what a big league hitter can do when the baseballs that are being used are made like golf balls.
So can Blackmon hit .400? Absolutely. Will it count as a legitimate MLB record? Why not? MLB is trying to sell us a full season as legitimate, including a playoff and World Series. Complete with a trophy Ceremony and locker room celebration. So why not a .400 plus batting champ?
When you visit the HOF inCooperstown, there is a board with all the record breaking achievements of players through the years. If I see Blackmon or any other name at the top of that list with a .487 BA for 2020, I hope they have those paper bags we see on airlines for when you feel sick.
One of the things that is also being talked about, is the 7 inning game. Forget doubleheaders, we are talking every game. The top ten starters in baseball have only averaged 6 2/3 innings over the past five years so maybe we will see complete games again? Plus a 7 inning game could average two and a half hours. Let’s face it, the big topic for years has been the length and speed of the game and pitch counts to save arms. Why not? Please excuse my attempt at sarcasm here people.
For most fans, watching the games on TV are just ok. That’s fine, the players do have amazing skills that are watchable. Leave it at that. Don’t try to make apple pie out of ritz crackers. 60 games does not make a real season in baseball. Fake people in the seats, fake crowd noise and now fake batting champions. Nice try guys.
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