Bill Kauffman is one of my favorite writers ever. He has come to despise what the Major League Baseball product has become. His prose style might bring out the latent Luddism in me:

Major League Baseball has been de-charmed — dehumanized — by grotesque rule changes (a runner mysteriously materializes on second base during extra innings); and potential rule changes (a “Golden at-Bat” permitting a hitter to bat out of order); and the increasing subordination of humans to machines (robo-umps and instant replays). For Yogi’s sake, even catchers now signal the type of pitch they wish the hurler to throw not by wiggling fingers but rather via keypads and wireless receivers. To grouse about this is to be dismissed as an old man yelling at clouds, but g**d***it, some clouds deserve to be yelled at.

Major League Baseball has been de-charmed — dehumanized — by grotesque rule changes (a runner mysteriously materializes on second base during extra innings); and potential rule changes (a “Golden at-Bat” permitting a hitter to bat out of order); and the increasing subordination of humans to machines (robo-umps and instant replays). For Yogi’s sake, even catchers now signal the type of pitch they wish the hurler to throw not by wiggling fingers but rather via keypads and wireless receivers.

To grouse about this is to be dismissed as an old man yelling at clouds, but g**d***it, some clouds deserve to be yelled at.

Kauffman placed this one at The Spectator.

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