Evolution Of Strategy In Baseball

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I understand the fact that Sports evolve over time.  Sometimes the rules change slightly for either safety or time, or whatever the circumstance may be for the Sport to adapt to modern times.  But for the most part, Baseball has stayed the same and it has also changed a lot... if that makes any sense.  The objectives of the game are the same and the one significant change to baseball has nothing to do with the rules.  It is a change in philosophy and strategy.  This one particular change is one of my pet peaves.  It is the majority of modern players' inability to hit with 2 strikes.  And it is because of this, in my opinion, that we see a big change in how the game is played in the late innings.  Growing up, I was always taught, that it is good baseball to take a strike when your team is trailing in the last inning.  I understand that in the Major Leagues, pitchers have better control and throw strikes more consistantly than the lower levels.  I understand that if you get a pitch you can hit, no matter what the count, in the Big Leagues, you should take advantage and try to drive that first good pitch you see.  I am also aware, that one of the greatest managers to ever manage, Tony La Russa, greatly disagrees with me as he should since he knows a hell of a lot more about the game than I do.  But I will still express my opinion on this subject.

When you are trailing in the final inning, you need base-runners.  You need to get as many people on as you can and they need to get on base any way possible.  My belief, is the way you go about doing that, is making the pitcher work.  That means going deep into counts, taking a walk, not swinging at bad pitches, and being tough to strike out and being a good hitter with two strikes.  In my opinion, not being able to hit with two strikes is a big reason why teams don't take a strike in the last inning.  Throughout my baseball career, my approach and what I was taught, is to take until you get a strike when you are trailing in the final inning.  Thus, it made me a good two strike hitter.  Obviously not good enough, because I only made it to the College level.  But I saw it last week, when the Cardinals were down by one going into the 9th inning, and the first batter up, swung at the first pitch.   That pitch was a ball.  He swung at a ball out of the zone on the first pitch.  That just drove me nuts.  In today's game, everyone is consumed with the home run.  Most players today take a huge swing on every pitch, no matter what the count is.  There are very few players who bare down, and change their approach with two strikes.  When was the last time you saw a player choke up with two strikes, and just make contact?  You put the ball in play, and anything can happen.  You can't get a hit if you don't hit the ball.  I may just be old school and refuse to change, but I am going to teach young ball players the way I was taught and the way I think the game should be played, and that is being a good two strike hitter and to make contact.  I know all the arguments against taking a strike in the last inning, but I am sticking to my guns and expressing my opinion.