It gets a bad rap now and then, because today's perception is that baseball is just too slow. No, the sport is MEANT to be played at a leisurely pace.
What's slowing down baseball? Constant pitching changes, delays between pitches, delays with replay. I do like the move towards a set number of mound visits in a game (call this the "Wilson Contreras Rule" since the erstwhile Chicago Cubs pitcher would make a mound trip on pretty much every friggin' pitch).
But the overuse of replay seems to be taking baseball's soul. Personally, I like the human aspect of the umpire. Right or wrong -- and usually right -- it's nice to have that aspect. Do the Men In Blue need to call the strike zone on a consistent basis? Of course, but as long as they call 'em the same for both teams the whole game, I'm good.
I don't think we'll see a .400 hitter again, nor will we see anyone break. Why? Several reasons. These marks were set when baseball didn't have an outpost west of the Mississippi, when St. Louis was the farthest outpost. Travel was done by train. More leisurely. And less media scrutiny as well. Today's instant news, and need for it, keeps a player in an ever-growing spotlight as he nears records. It's just a fact.
Here's a tidbit I ran across recently that astonished me. Before the Boston Braves moved to Milwaukee, just as the 1953 season was starting, there was a move afoot to buy the St. Louis Cardinals. In financial trouble, the Cards could have been moved. But the Auggie Bush family stepped forward and saved the day. Who knew?
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