You're right about that.

I wouldn't refer to it as a "participation rule" so much as a tournament "depth gauge."

Getting a hit off these 70mph pitchers throwing from 43feet away is like a soccer goalie trying to stop a penalty shot. One side has a completely lopsided advantage which, sadly, diminishes the spectator value of the sport. Everybody pretty much knows what the outcome is going to be; the batter probably won't be successful and neither will the goalie.

I'm a fan of the sport. I'm OK with the fact that it is pitcher-dominated. I've gotten used to it. Hell, my daughter is a pitcher. I just think sometimes it would be interesting to see if some other facet of the game could determine the outcome. It seldom does. Most games are just pitching duels.

I'd say it's about 10% defense, 20% hitting, and 70% pitching. So, a team's efforts are much better spent in simply recruiting an ace pitcher. That will go a long way to getting them where they want to be, even if they only have mediocre hitting and fielding.

David Emerling
Memphis, TN