My adult team occasionally plays on a field that's 304 down the line and 310 to center. It's a ******* joke. Lazy fly balls hit with wood bats by out of shape 36 year olds off of 65 mph fastballs go out all the time.

Not a solution.

Well, first, I don't think JoeBurnsy483 would walk into a BL stadium after not playing for quite some time and consistently stroke homers against BL pitching. 

Nonetheless, as this discussion started, players are striking out at record rates.   And, partly because of that, run scoring is way down.    Is that how the game is supposed to be played?   A few years ago, homers were being hit at record rates.   Seems, in your opinion, that was not how the game was supposed to be played.
So I guess the question is "How is the game supposed to be played?"   I don't think we're going to get to determine that but I'd like your opinion.  I submit that 1 in 5 AB ending in a whiff is not how it should be played.  I think that's a snoozefest for a lot of fans(by any definition). 

I didn't say I'd hit BL pitching.  But put me in that rec baseball league I played in and I'd be hitting multiple homers.  Which is hysterical.  It becomes a different game.

I'd argue that there would be more strikeouts in your scenario.  Many more runs, but also more strikeouts.

You'd lose a lot of fans by doing that.  I'd probably be one of them.  It becomes a much different game.  If your concern is more runs, lower the mound some more.

Point noted.

I don't know how there can be more strikeouts.  Record rates right now.

It becomes the game people loved when Mac, Sammy and Barry were cranking out homers regularly.    Or, IOW, the same game that brought baseball back from the strike in 1994. 

More Adam Dunn types and less Craig Biggio types = more strikeouts

I'm ok with ideas for more scoring to make the game more appealing to younger fans.  Just not this one.

I don't think you can just ignore defense and put 7 Dunns in the field.

Anyway, I don't think 20 feet is that much.    Next game you watch, count how many balls were caught(or hit the ground) 20 feet from the fence. 

You know what wouldn't be too bad?  Make the maximum distance for a home run lower.  385 feet or something.  Would lead to more homers, but it wouldn't drastically change the game, and you still have to hit a ball hard to get out.

Posted by MikeT23 on 5/14/2014 5:03:00 PM (view original):
I don't think you can just ignore defense and put 7 Dunns in the field.

Anyway, I don't think 20 feet is that much.    Next game you watch, count how many balls were caught(or hit the ground) 20 feet from the fence. 

Not Dunn defensively, obviously.  Although defense becomes less important with less outfield to cover.

If you want more offense you lower the mound, juice the ball, and add the DH to the National League. No reason to **** with the fences.

Posted by bad_luck on 5/14/2014 5:09:00 PM (view original):
If you want more offense you lower the mound, juice the ball, and add the DH to the National League. No reason to **** with the fences.

I'd rather just lower the mound than juice the ball.  And yea, I guess add the DH, as much as it kills me.  But these are things to help with pitcher injuries too, so I'm for them.

Posted by burnsy483 on 5/14/2014 5:05:00 PM (view original):
You know what wouldn't be too bad?  Make the maximum distance for a home run lower.  385 feet or something.  Would lead to more homers, but it wouldn't drastically change the game, and you still have to hit a ball hard to get out.

Well, I think I suggested minimum fences of 300/380/300.    Not everyone would do it.   How many 325/400/325 fields are there?

I honestly don't know how many more homers would be hit if the fences were 20 feet closer to home plate.   I don't think it's as many as you do.   But, of course, you'd have batter swinging a little differently too, I suppose.

Aluminum bats+L-screen+catcher's gear for infielders.

I'm sure I'd get sick of it after a while, but that would be entertaining as hell in the beginning.

PINGGGGGGGGG

Well, that's certainly not changing the game as we know it.