Hall of Famer Wade Boggs, renowned for his achievements in baseball, has expressed his discontent with the modern state of the game, lamenting the invasion of sabermetrics and the increasing reliance on analytics.
The legendary contact hitter made it clear that he is not a fan of how numbers and statistics have taken over the sport, making it seem like a complicated math equation rather than a thrilling game.
“It’s crazy how the sabermetrics has taken over the game, trying to make it cool, but it just doesn’t fit,” Boggs said, visibly disappointed with the direction baseball has taken.
He further suggested that the obsession with numbers might have been an attempt to engage younger generations, but in doing so, it has stripped away the simplicity and charm of the game.
One of the aspects that particularly irked the five-time batting-title champion was the role of broadcasters in perpetuating this obsession with analytics. He argued that the use of complex statistics during commentary only serves to alienate viewers and muddle the enjoyment of the sport.
Instead, he advocated for a more straightforward approach, stating, “‘He hit a bomb. And he hit it hard.’ That’s plain enough for the game. Don’t reinvent the wheel when it’s not flat.”
Another point of contention for Boggs was the implementation of new rules, with the extra-inning ghost runner being a particular sore spot for him. The idea of placing a runner on second base during extra innings to expedite gameplay didn’t sit well with the baseball legend, as he felt it deviated from the traditional purity of the sport.
“I enjoy aspects of the game. But for me, all the new rules? I’m not a fan. When you have a ghost runner on in the 10th inning for extra innings and you lose the game, I think they’ve missed the boat on that,” Boggs expressed.
When asked about how he would fare in today’s game, Boggs confidently asserted that he would walk approximately 300 times due to his disciplined approach at the plate.
He attributed the increasing number of strikeouts in the game to players’ inability to resist swinging at high pitches.
“Guys swing at that pitch above the letters and letter high and they can’t catch up to it. That’s the reason that they strike out as much as they do. But every once in a while they run into one.”
“When you have more strikeouts than base hits in a month, there’s a problem in the game. It’s just difficult to watch at times,” he explained.
Do you agree with Boggs’ opinion on the current state of baseball?