By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Dominant pitching could lead to lower mounds once again
Lowering the Mound Ba Heal
In this combo of file photos, Mickey Lolich of the Detroit Tigers, top, is shown pitching during the second game of the 1968 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium in St. Louis while National Leagues Clayton Kershaw, bottom, of the Los Angeles Dodgers, pitches during the second inning of the 2013 All-Star game in New York. The spike in strikeouts, the dip in home runs and worries that the game is becoming boring for fans reminds some people of 1968, when Bob Gibson, Denny McLain and their fellow aces dominated. - photo by Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS — Baseball has a problem: Clayton Kershaw, Aroldis Chapman, Felix Hernandez and all the other kings of the hill are just too good. Ruling with an assortment of big-bending curveballs, sharp sliders and 100 mph heat, a new generation of pitchers has thrown major league hitters into a huge slump. The spike in strikeouts, the dip in home runs and worries that the game is becoming boring for fans reminds some people of 1968, when Bob Gibson, Denny McLain and their fellow aces dominated.