The numbers back up the grouchy old men in this case.

I'm not sure why Bob Nightengale feels a need to disparage the activity which indirectly employs him ... (have you ever thought about the actual job of being the baseball columnist for USA Today? ... it must be like being the crossword puzzle editor for Reader's Digest) ... but it's hard to argue with the facts:

"For the 12th consecutive season, hitters are on pace to break the strikeout record with 42,607 – 1,400 more than last year.

This year, 36% of all plate appearances have resulted in a strikeout, homer, walk or hit-by-pitch.

'We’re seeing all kind of guys who can hit home runs,' Rose said, but they can’t hit.'

Of course, that dovetails with the record home run rate this season. Entering Sunday, the league was on pace for 6,823 homers, more than 700 above the record set in 2017."

I also think the modern-day pitcher needs to be cut some slack.

I don't know how Seaver and Carlton would perform these days.

They'd surely be better than, say, Ivan Nova and his six innings per start.

But I'm almost 100% sure they couldn't sail through these lineups in these ballparks with these juiced up baseballs.