Baseball’s strike zone is small enough already

Jill and I watched Friday’s thrilling UD-Rhode Island game at Milano’s with some friends. Great atmosphere, people cheering, throwing up high-fives. And it’s not even March. The Flyers’ mission is to keep winning and avoid an 8 or 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament. An A-10 championship could vault them as high as a No. 6 seed.

Major League Baseball is talking about tinkering with the strike zone. A proposal to raise the zone is being tossed around as carelessly as sunflower seeds, another misguided attempt to appease whiny batters who prefer a strike zone the size of a grapefruit. They won't be happy until 12-10 games are the norm. We need action to appease the millennials, you know.

I’m OK with raising the lower part of the zone if those two inches are added to the top of the zone. But I don’t think that’s what MLB has in mind. I read a story last week that claimed 30 percent of batters either walk or strike out. So shrinking the zone is the remedy to all that standing around? I’d suggest batters swing at the first good pitch they see.

Even more ridiculous than shrinking the strike zone is talk of starting extra innings with a runner on second base. That makes as much sense as the NFL’s overtime rules (sorry, Patriots). I’ve seen that extra-innings rule used in youth baseball and it looks goofy at that level. It would be a laughable move in MLB games.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick surprised the ESPN guys, joining them on their set after his team pulled off a shocking comeback to win Super Bowl LI. The scene with Chris Berman and pals was about as surreal as the second half of the game, when Tom Brady ended all debate about who is the best quarterback in history. Belichick was candid, smiled, and seemed, well, human. It was a side of him we never see.

Belichick would’ve been growling had Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan managed the game better in the fourth quarter. After Julio Jones’ amazing catch set up Atlanta on the Pats’ 22-yard line with four minutes to play (and leading 28-20), a field goal probably would’ve clinched it. Instead, Ryan took a sack. A couple plays later Atlanta punted. You can’t take a sack in that situation!

The Cavaliers and Wizards hooked up last week for the rare NBA regular-season game that feels like a Game 7. I watched most of the second half and overtime. Amazing win for Cleveland. About the only thing more impressive than LeBron James' improbable 3-pointer that tied it at the end of regulation was this stat: Kyrie Irving is 43-for-44 from the free-throw line in overtime in his career.

Trending up: Chris Carter, Xeyrius Williams, Tia Karras. Because the Reds were so bad last year, I didn't watch a ton of games. Which means I didn't see the Brewers play. Which means I couldn't tell Chris Carter from Cris Carter. Chris Carter hit 41 home runs last year (who knew?) and last week signed a one-year, $3.5 million deal with the Yankees. Why just one year? Might have something to do with his .222 batting average and league-leading 206 strikeouts. Shades of Adam Dunn.

Trending down: Jay Bateman, Malik Dime, Linda Edmister. They're not big on dishonesty at West Point, so I'm surprised Bateman kept his job after it was revealed he was caught up in the Wake Forest football game-plan scandal. Bateman, Army's defensive coordinator, has been suspended for two weeks and fined $25,000 for receiving leaked info. He also must attend ethics training. And probably do a lot of pushups.


Knucklehead of the Week

Charles Oakley must be angling for a reality TV show, or looking to boost his popularity at autograph shows. How else do you explain his bad behavior at Madison Square Garden last week? Oakley, a Knicks legend and renowned enforcer, reportedly was squawking at Knicks owner James Dolan, who ordered MSG security to eject him. You can argue about the thickness of Dolan’s skin, but there’s no disputing Oakley crossed the line when he started throwing punches. He was charged with three minor assault charges and has been banned from the arena.

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