MLB trying to pick up pace of play

[Angel Oracle]

I can hardly wait for the day MLB goes to a 28 man roster, and 7 relievers routinely pitch in every game.

Oh joy 

[Docwaukee]

to me it's a slippery slope.  

 

speeding up the game is to get more people to go to the park because at home, an extra half hour isn't that big of a deal.  

 

we've got DVRs and the ability to rewind so if you walk away and something happens, you just click a button to see what it was.  

 

most of the money being infused into the game right now is thru the TV contracts.  Advertising is huge so they want people on their channel for as long as possible.  

 

But here is what I think happens.   They institute some measures that force the players to speed up their pace.  It works and then they start to creep in that extra commercial between innings.  

 

You want people to come to the stadium?  Put a good team on the field.  

 

Games are a full commitment.  Both financially and temporally.  I just don't see the extra 20 minutes being that big of a deal to someone who is willing to make that commitment.  

[ELEVEN]

to me it's a slippery slope.

speeding up the game is to get more people to go to the park because at home, an extra half hour isn't that big of a deal.

we've got DVRs and the ability to rewind so if you walk away and something happens, you just click a button to see what it was.

most of the money being infused into the game right now is thru the TV contracts. Advertising is huge so they want people on their channel for as long as possible.

But here is what I think happens. They institute some measures that force the players to speed up their pace. It works and then they start to creep in that extra commercial between innings.

You want people to come to the stadium? Put a good team on the field.

Games are a full commitment. Both financially and temporally. I just don't see the extra 20 minutes being that big of a deal to someone who is willing to make that commitment.

More commercials is exactly what will happen once there is more time available to squeeze them into a broadcast.

Ever wonder why the Yankee Red Sox games are the slowest? They get the highest ratings.

****ing with the game is not a solution.

[red321]

 

they're going to use a pitching clock in AA and AAA as a pilot for 2015, I guess

 

pretty sweet

 

I'm not sure why they need to institute a clock for a rule they already have on the books. Just have the umpires enforce the rules.

 

Besides, the bigger issue is when people are on base and I don't think this rule pertains to when runners are on base, right?

[Blarg]

 

 

 

I'm not sure why they need to institute a clock for a rule they already have on the books. Just have the umpires enforce the rules.

 

Besides, the bigger issue is when people are on base and I don't think this rule pertains to when runners are on base, right?

 

 

You can argue rule interpretation, you can't argue the clock that runs out.

[red321]

true...but I have no desire to see the shot clock in the background...or the new graphics FOX and ESPN will add to the telecast. Tell the umps to enforce the rules as written and it should do wonders

[Butcher'd]

It's about ****ing time.

 

They're literally losing fans because of how long these games take. It's best for everybody involved to pick up the pace. There is a rule about the time in between pitches. It needs to be enforced.

[red321]

It's about ****ing time.

 

They're literally losing fans because of how long these games take. It's best for everybody involved to pick up the pace. There is a rule about the time in between pitches. It needs to be enforced.

 

How many people do you literally know that have stopped watching games because of how long the games are? Not friends of friends, but people you literally know, who have literally stopped watching games because of the length.

[Butcher'd]

How many people do you literally know that have stopped watching games because of how long the games are? Not friends of friends, but people you literally know, who have literally stopped watching games because of the length.

 

My brother was a  fan for years and has now stopped watching baseball because of how long it takes in between pitches...can't say I blame him when I watch a fast paced sport like hockey in comparison. I love baseball and will never stop watching but for the casual young fan, why would you want to watch baseball when most of the time the batters are scratching their balls and adjusting their gloves?

 

I am just saying that the longer these games take, the more it's going to drive away young fans. I get that there is no clock in baseball and that's what 'makes it great', but no one wants to watch a 3 and a half hour game when it can easily be reduced to 2 hours and 25 minutes if the umps would enforce the rule book

[ScottT]

I don't like the pitch clock. I like the idea of cleaning up some of the other things like stepping out of the box after taking a pitch, the challenge delay, mound visits.  I think there is a lot of grey area with the pitch clock and it isn't worth the hassle.... even danger of a pitcher rushing to pitch the ball.  I wouldn't consider myself a traditionalist (I wish both leagues used the DH), but it just seems wrong.  

[disarcina]

the pitch clock!!

 

"hey we lost the game on turnovers.........."

 

last year that game where the Halos clinched the division -- Texas was playing Oakland (in Oakland), I think it was Texas?  anyway, that game went on and on and on, the Halos were playing at home and fans waited in the park watching the Texas/ A's game on the big screen after the Halos win.

 

the Texas/ A's game featured about 7 pitchers on each side and numerous pitching changes......the game went on and on and on and was never-ending.

 

I think the "Change of Pace' Committee had just been announced that week or something........my suggestion is that they should have been ordered to sit through that A's/ Texas game.

 

the game turned out well for us -- the A's leading the entire game, gave up four or five runs in the ninth and I think the thing went extra innings with the Texas (I think it was Texas) winning the game and the A's were eliminated as the Halos clinched.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

I don't like the pitch clock. I like the idea of cleaning up some of the other things like stepping out of the box after taking a pitch, the challenge delay, mound visits.  I think there is a lot of grey area with the pitch clock and it isn't worth the hassle.... even danger of a pitcher rushing to pitch the ball.  I wouldn't consider myself a traditionalist (I wish both leagues used the DH), but it just seems wrong.  

 

One of the beauties of baseball is it is an untimed game. I don't care for the pitch clock idea. Batters stepping out after every pitch is a big deal, as is a pitcher throwing to first base 87 times without throwing a pitch (although I have never understood why crowds boo when an opposing pitcher does this, but not their own).

 

In terms of the game's traditions, if a pitcher hits a batter and it appears to be intentional, the other team should get a free shot without a warning from the umpires. Once it is even, then tell both sides, "No more".

[Bobster7587]

I don't like the pitch clock. I like the idea of cleaning up some of the other things like stepping out of the box after taking a pitch, the challenge delay, mound visits.  I think there is a lot of grey area with the pitch clock and it isn't worth the hassle.... even danger of a pitcher rushing to pitch the ball.  I wouldn't consider myself a traditionalist (I wish both leagues used the DH), but it just seems wrong.  

 

I think the pitch clock can be effective, once the players get used to it. The pitcher does not have to literally pitch the ball within 20 seconds. They only have to come set on the rubber within 20 seconds. Once they come set, I believe they can stand there for as long as they want before they pitch the ball or throw to first. This would still eliminate the drawn out performance that many relief pitchers perform, in which they take forever to get the sign, play with their hat, fiddle with their glove, spit on their hand, and fix their jock in between each pitch before getting on the damn rubber. 

 

Having said that, I do agree that literally placing a pitch clock in every stadium seems wrong. It could work fine if the umpires actually forced the pitchers to become set on the rubber within a reasonable amount of time. 

 

I'm glad that MLB is also looking into changing the rules on challenges. It's really lame seeing the managers come out of the dugout 3 or 4 times a game just to stand around and BS with the umpire until the coach in the dugout signals whether or not they should challenge the play. 

[Bobster7587]

This will be heavenly if it ever gets to the bigs.  

 

As far as standing there as long as they want when they come set, really, there's only so much time they can stand perfectly still before committing to the throw.  

 

Yep. But at least this will give the pitcher a chance to hold the runner before throwing the ball. Otherwise, runners could use the pitch clock to time their steals. 

[Bobster7587]

None. The dwindling number of us by generation who are already fans haven't gotten to the point where it's that much of a turnoff yet, though as you can see, it is something a lot of us find obnoxious.  

 

I do have friends who won't even give baseball a chance because of the pace, though, and that's just sad.  

 

Baseball was a much faster-paced game for the majority of its existence than it has become in the past 30 years, and it's not just because of pitching specialization.  I love that they're doing the clock thing in the minors.  If it makes it to the bigs and fails spectacularly, then so be it.  I'll live. 

 

I don't think baseball fans are giving up on watching the games because they've become too slow paced. However, I have heard many people say that they will not watch baseball because the game is too slow paced and boring. A lot of people won't give the game a chance because it's too slow paced, not because it takes too long. It's probably especially boring for people that don't understand many of the game's nuances. 

 

If MLB made it so that the game moved at a significantly faster pace, I think young people and casual fans would give it a try. 

[Hollyw00d]

****ing chuck knoblauch 

 

god that guy would put on a little broadway show between pitches fiddling with his batting gloves

Nomahhhhh

[ScottT]

I think the pitch clock can be effective, once the players get used to it. The pitcher does not have to literally pitch the ball within 20 seconds. They only have to come set on the rubber within 20 seconds. Once they come set, I believe they can stand there for as long as they want before they pitch the ball or throw to first. This would still eliminate the drawn out performance that many relief pitchers perform, in which they take forever to get the sign, play with their hat, fiddle with their glove, spit on their hand, and fix their jock in between each pitch before getting on the damn rubber. 

 

Having said that, I do agree that literally placing a pitch clock in every stadium seems wrong. It could work fine if the umpires actually forced the pitchers to become set on the rubber within a reasonable amount of time. 

 

I'm glad that MLB is also looking into changing the rules on challenges. It's really lame seeing the managers come out of the dugout 3 or 4 times a game just to stand around and BS with the umpire until the coach in the dugout signals whether or not they should challenge the play. 

 

 

Ah, that makes more sense.  I think clocks in the stadium would  be distracting... to me.  Hopefully, nobody puts the clock on tv broadcasts, especially  like they do for down and distance in football.  They've even done it with the shot clock in basketball.  I'd be surprised if a pitch clock is implemented.

Edited January 16, 2015 by ScottT

[ScottT]

i don't think if they will capture a younger audience if they cut the time between pitches, in a game, from 75 minutes to 65 minutes, It isn't football, basketball, or hockey, and it never will be.  You'd have to drastically change the game to do that, and that would turn off your core fans. 

 

$9,000,000,000. per year in revenue tells me  this isn't as big of a deal as it is being made out to be.  

[red321]

None. The dwindling number of us by generation who are already fans haven't gotten to the point where it's that much of a turnoff yet, though as you can see, it is something a lot of us find obnoxious.  

 

I do have friends who won't even give baseball a chance because of the pace, though, and that's just sad.  

 

Baseball was a much faster-paced game for the majority of its existence than it has become in the past 30 years, and it's not just because of pitching specialization.  I love that they're doing the clock thing in the minors.  If it makes it to the bigs and fails spectacularly, then so be it.  I'll live. 

 

Fair enough. Maybe I'm biased because I get a lot done during a baseball game. I hate the specter of having a clock and would prefer having the umpires enforce the rules as written which I think would go a long way to speed things up. Sure, you would have some initial blow ups, but once everyone understood this is how the rules are going to be implemented it would become less of an issue.

[Angel Oracle]

Somehow, the solutions have to be balanced between the pitcher/catcher and batter.

Both are partly responsible for the time increase, along with more pitching changes than ever before. 

 

Baseball was NEVER, EEEEVER meant to be a 3.5 hours long game, unless playing extra innings.

Edited January 16, 2015 by Angel Oracle

[HaloFan85]

i'm generally not bothered by the pace of the game currently, but one area I'd like to see them address is having the umpires enforcing the clock on pitchers between pitches. There's a few Beckett-like guys out there that take forever and make the games unbearable.

Same here.  I agree with the clock but only when the pitcher is on the mound.  I can't stand it when a pitcher is standing on the mound staring down the batter for like another 10 seconds (with hand and ball already in glove) before he throws the pitch.

[Brandon]

I consider myself a casual fan. I went from season seats in the early 2000's to slowly just a handful of games a year and have no plans to go to any games this year outside the random games with friends.

I'm next to the stadium now, but every game I went to last year I got home between around 11:30. That's just not feasible on a random Tuesday night. We left every game early because it was hitting close to 11pm. Add the fact if we stayed and had to deal with the exiting traffic, no thanks.

[Butcher'd]

I consider myself a casual fan. I went from season seats in the early 2000's to slowly just a handful of games a year and have no plans to go to any games this year outside the random games with friends.

I'm next to the stadium now, but every game I went to last year I got home between around 11:30. That's just not feasible on a random Tuesday night. We left every game early because it was hitting close to 11pm. Add the fact if we stayed and had to deal with the exiting traffic, no thanks.

 

Can't blame you for leaving early. I live in the San Fernando valley so if I go to a game I usually get back at around midnight if I stay the whole game. Haven't been able to go to many weekday games because of it

[disarcina]

Pitch clock means more batters 'oh, I twisted something on that last pitch and need an injury time out here'

[QuinlansMinion]

I consider myself a casual fan. I went from season seats in the early 2000's to slowly just a handful of games a year and have no plans to go to any games this year outside the random games with friends.

I'm next to the stadium now, but every game I went to last year I got home between around 11:30. That's just not feasible on a random Tuesday night. We left every game early because it was hitting close to 11pm. Add the fact if we stayed and had to deal with the exiting traffic, no thanks.

 

Awww, 11:30 too late for you mr geezer.

 

Im kidding by the way.  But seriously, how people leave games early is beyond me.  I mean isnt that a waste of money then since your paying to see a 9 inning game?

Edited January 17, 2015 by QuinlansMinion