Quote:
Originally Posted by 757690
Runs scoring is almost identical these days to the 70's and 80's. From 1977-1987, the NL averaged 4.12 runs a game. The past two years have averages 4.17.
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The run-scoring environment is similar, but a higher percentage of the runs come as a result of home runs these days.
And that shouldn't be surprising. As others have pointed out, in the '70s and '80s, many teams played on Astroturf. Turf put a premium on defensive speed. Speedy defenders usually aren't power hitters too, so unlike most of today's lineups, there wasn't home-run power all the way through the order. So teams had to find ways to score beyond sitting around waiting for the dinger, and the turf gave basestealers a fast track. It's all connected.