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MLB says Yankees’ new “torpedo bats” are legal and likely coming

(thelibertyline.com)
302 points cf100clunk | 5 comments | 31 Mar 25 15:27 UTC | HN request time: 0.639s | source
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kaycebasques ◴[31 Mar 25 16:03 UTC] No.43536546[source]▶
If only the Yankees get access to it (e.g. they patented it and won't let other teams use it) then I could see it as an unfair advantage. In most other areas of America life, though, this innovation would be allowed or even celebrated.

I imagine it will go the way of the brilliant strategic innovation a few years back of shifting defenders heavily depending on the batter's statistical hitting patterns. It'll get banned because it makes the game more boring. If home runs happen all the time, they lose their excitement. I imagine it's quite expensive or impossible to shift the outfield walls back farther in most MLB stadiums.

I actually would love more of a no holds barred evolutionary battle in the MLB [1] but I know it's not gonna happen.

[1] https://youtu.be/gTmLz9B8wls

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SkyPuncher ◴[31 Mar 25 17:12 UTC] No.43537319[source]▶
If only the Yankees get access to this, the rest of the league will simply vote to outlaw it.

You see something similar going on in football, right now, with a play known as the "tush push". It's not a particularly complex play, but for some reason the Philadelphia Eagles can pull it off astoundingly better than anyone else in the league. In response, several teams are petitioning rules to outlaw it. All it takes is enough teams to vote for banning this play and it's gone.

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adzm ◴[31 Mar 25 19:12 UTC] No.43538628[source]▶
> the "tush push". It's not a particularly complex play, but for some reason the Philadelphia Eagles can pull it off astoundingly better than anyone else in the league

I looked this up and am still unclear why only the Eagles seem to be able to perform this maneuver effectively, other than having an exceptionally strong person at the front?

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tedunangst ◴[31 Mar 25 19:53 UTC] No.43539125[source]▶
Contrary to popular belief, it requires a fair bit of practice to get right, which is why you see hater GMs saying oh, yeah, it's so simple we could do it if we wanted, but then they try it in a game after one practice and it fails. The Eagles spent several years practicing it, so now they're that far behind.
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1. eszed ◴[31 Mar 25 20:57 UTC] No.43539905[source]▶
They need to get some rugby coaches in to teach it. That's a super-basic rugby technique, which even I (as only a very casual rugby fan) can see most teams getting wrong.
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2. panzagl ◴[31 Mar 25 21:25 UTC] No.43540154[source]▶
The Eagles did- one of their players has a rugby background.
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3. dmurray ◴[31 Mar 25 23:11 UTC] No.43540997[source]▶
What basic rugby technique?

A rugby scrum is highly regimented, it's not the optimal way for 3 (or 5 or 8) guys to push the other team back, it's the optimal way to do it given that they must be bound in a particular way.

A rugby ruck or maul is more freeform and maybe some of the techniques from those can be applied to NFL, but small differences in rules make a big difference there too.

On a different question, though, sure, the Eagles have a massive and strong QB who is perfect for this play, but other teams have huge guys playing other positions. Why not have a different quarterback for your QB sneak / tush push plays? Specialist players for niche situations is a trademark of the NFL compared to other professional sports, and this play doesn't rely on the element of surprise. You don't need to have your best player at passing the ball also be the strongest at breaking the line.

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4. eszed ◴[01 Apr 25 06:26 UTC] No.43543460[source]▶
I was thinking of a maul, yeah. What I've spotted is NFL guys pushing with their hands on a teammate's back, instead of (like in rugby, or what the Eagles do) getting their shoulders against his ass or upper thighs, which gives more power and better leverage.

Good point about using different players, and I even think I've seen that a time or two. As for why not always do it, I'm only guessing, but there may be an inherent advantage in preserving the possibility that it won't be a "tush push" play (I mean, maybe not for the Eagles, because they're so good at it, but for other teams who aren't). Like, maybe it keeps the linebackers a step or two deeper and increases the likelihood of success; or, if they provoke a "tush push" defense that opens up a more-promising play then the QB is best placed to run the counter. I don't really know, though.

5. eszed ◴[01 Apr 25 06:28 UTC] No.43543466[source]▶
Yeah, I think that's their secret sauce. It's curious that other teams haven't followed suit.