The Official MLB Rule Change Thread

[Stradling]

With some rules going to be altered what are your thoughts on them or how would you like them to go?

Pitch Clock:

One proposal I saw had it 14 seconds for the pitcher to pitch if no one is on base and 19 seconds when someone is on base.  

I am fine with this as this will also force the batter to stay in the batters box.  The game used to be much quicker pace and I would like to get back to that.  

The Shift:

I would propose one of two things, but not both.  I would like either two guys on each side of 2nd base or all four infielders being on the dirt or in front of the dirt.  If we have two guys on each side of second they can be anywhere on the field as long as it is on the correct side of 2nd base.  If we decide all four have to be on the dirt or in front of the dirt they can be anywhere on the field.  

Playoffs:

I don’t have an opinion really of how many teams are in the playoffs, whether that is 12 or 14.  I would say that if a division winner has to play in the opening round they should get not just home field advantage but play all three games at home.  Oh and none of this ghost win shit.  

[tdawg87]

The shift is gay. Get rid of it completely.

[Taylor]

I think hitters should just learn how to hit against the shift.

[Stradling]

8 minutes ago, tdawg87 said:

The shift is gay. Get rid of it completely.

 

5 minutes ago, Taylor said:

I think hitters should just learn how to hit against the shift.

Facebook.AngelsWin.com

[tdawg87]

6 minutes ago, Taylor said:

I think hitters should just learn how to hit against the shift.

I think pitchers should learn to stop being little bitches and needing 18 players on one side of the infield so the rocket liner they give up can turn into an out.

[Stradling]

Can we even call it the shift anymore if they play there 75% of the time. 

[tdawg87]

The Shit

[Docwaukee]

I.....agree.....with.....oh man.....it......burns.......taylor.  

wow.  that sucked.  

[HanfordGuy]

1 hour ago, Taylor said:

I think hitters should just learn how to hit against the shift.

Hitters should just hit the ball over the fence. Problem solved.

[HanfordGuy]

2 hours ago, Stradling said:

I am fine with this as this will also force the batter to stay in the batters box.

I like Jered Weaver’s solution…

 

[AngelsLakersFan]

I can’t wait until umpires are throwing flags on the field and we’re repeating the 3-1 pitch after going to replay to determine if the shortstop was moving past the second base bag prior to the release of the pitch.

[Taylor]

3 hours ago, Dochalo said:

I.....agree.....with.....oh man.....it......burns.......taylor.  

wow.  that sucked.  

I'm pretty sure we agree on 97.5% of things.

[tdawg87]

52 minutes ago, Taylor said:

I'm pretty sure we agree on 97.5% of things.

No you don't.

[Taylor]

1 minute ago, tdawg87 said:

No you don't.

I disagree.

[Lazorko Saves]

1 hour ago, AlwaysAnAngelsFan said:

Rule 3-1-4 now allows the starting designated hitter to also be a starting defensive player.

Unfortunately, I suspect among the owners/GMs there would be 1 vote in favor and 29 opposed to that rule.

Edited March 7, 2022 by Lazorko Saves

[arch stanton]

I'd like to see them scrap the 3 batter rule and just limit it to one pitching change allowed in any given inning unless the hitting team bats around. If you violate due to injury that pitcher has to go on the IL

I would consider finding a way to soften the bats and balls a tad

Use the robo umps to call the outside and bottom edges of the zone at least

Once the game starts the only electronics allowed should be the bullpen phone. No video replays. No communication outside the dugout crew. This also limits challenges to obvious missed calls

[Second Base]

I really like the either/or approach to the shift. I haven't seen that before and feel it's a good compromise. Good for baseball. 

[Jeff Fletcher]

4 hours ago, AlwaysAnAngelsFan said:

Now that it is going to be in both leagues I'd like to see the MLB DH rule to work like the the HS DH rule does.

https://www.nfhs.org/articles/expanded-designated-hitter-role-coming-to-high-school-baseball/

"There are now two scenarios in which a designated hitter may be used. The first scenario is the traditional use where the designated hitter may be a 10th starter who hits for any one of the nine starting defensive players. The team begins the game with 10 starters: nine defensive players and nine hitters in the batting order, one of whom is the designated hitter hitting for a defensive player. The change to Rule 3-1-4 now allows the starting designated hitter to also be a starting defensive player. Utilizing this option, the player has two positions: defensive player and designated hitter. The team would begin the game with nine starters -- nine defensive players -- one of whom also assumes the role of the designated hitter."

You and every other Angels fan.

I imagine if this rule proposed it would be voted down 29-1.

[Jeff Fletcher]

55 minutes ago, Second Base said:

I really like the either/or approach to the shift. I haven't seen that before and feel it's a good compromise. Good for baseball. 

I think the problem with the “2 on each side” solution to the shift is it still allows one guy to be standing basically right behind second base, which is still going to allow the other middle infielder to be way in the hole. It won’t make much difference unless you create some kind of “no fly zone” that extends like 15 feet on both sides of 2nd and use that to separate the middle infielders. 

[ThisismineScios]

13 minutes ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

I think the problem with the “2 on each side” solution to the shift is it still allows one guy to be standing basically right behind second base, which is still going to allow the other middle infielder to be way in the hole. It won’t make much difference unless you create some kind of “no fly zone” that extends like 15 feet on both sides of 2nd and use that to separate the middle infielders. 

Why not say two starting on each side and start on the dirt? It seems “drastic” but I think people are so focused on “learn to hit the other way” that we don’t think about how little harm it does to ban the shift. It doesn’t change the game at all. It’s not a fundamental part of baseball. And it adds offense. 

[Jeff Fletcher]

10 minutes ago, ThisismineScios said:

Why not say two starting on each side and start on the dirt? It seems “drastic” but I think people are so focused on “learn to hit the other way” that we don’t think about how little harm it does to ban the shift. It doesn’t change the game at all. It’s not a fundamental part of baseball. And it adds offense. 

I don’t really think the amount of offense is an issue. The number of runs in a game is still totally within the normal range that it’s always been. 
 

The problem is that guys strike out too much, which means the offense comes from walks and homers. I’m not sure moving around the fielders will have any impact on the number of strikeouts, walks or homers. 
 

You can say that “guys strike out because they’re trying to hit homers because they can’t get a single through the shift,” but I don’t buy it. I think even if they could get a single they’d still just be trying to hit homers. I also think a lot of the strikeouts are because the pitchers stuff is too good, not because hitters have bad approaches. 

[AngelsLakersFan]

19 minutes ago, ThisismineScios said:

Why not say two starting on each side and start on the dirt? It seems “drastic” but I think people are so focused on “learn to hit the other way” that we don’t think about how little harm it does to ban the shift. It doesn’t change the game at all. It’s not a fundamental part of baseball. And it adds offense. 

The optimal positioning doesn’t change. That means the defenders will be positioned to the maximum position allowed by the rules, and they will move towards the desired spot while the pitch is being thrown. This now makes the umpires responsible for tracking defensive positioning and calling illegal defense on plays where the defender crosses the threshold too quickly. That is a fundamental change to the game.

Additionally it further incentivizes hitters to pull the ball and swing for the fences. Since you’ve removed a defender from the field.

[AngelsLakersFan]

4 minutes ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

I don’t really think the amount of offense is an issue. The number of runs in a game is still totally within the normal range that it’s always been. 
 

The problem is that guys strike out too much, which means the offense comes from walks and homers. I’m not sure moving around the fielders will have any impact on the number of strikeouts, walks or homers. 
 

You can say that “guys strike out because they’re trying to hit homers because they can’t get a single through the shift,” but I don’t buy it. I think even if they could get a single they’d still just be trying to hit homers. I also think a lot of the strikeouts are because the pitchers stuff is too good, not because hitters have bad approaches. 

Exactly, the hitters are approaching the at bat optimally. They solution is to find ways to change the hitters optimal approach. Reinforcing the current optimal play is working against you.

[arch stanton]

For 100 years the outside corner at the knees belonged to the pitcher. Even if you hit that pitch you probably rolled it over and grounded out to SS. A big part of that was fear of plate diving. Now they're armored up head to toe and not nearly as fearful as they were and also much stronger and trained in launch angle. So the out pitch becomes the high fastball (which if you watch clips from the 90s was never even called a strike) and this leads to more strikeouts and a nauseating number of full count at bats.

Bottom line is that if they can't find a way to make it harder to hit home runs the games will become more and more about hitting home runs and especially now that there's a universal DH so kids can start specializing at hitting by age 11

[ScottT]

Pitch clock?  Meh. Whatever.

Banning the shift?  I prefer not, but it seems inevitable 

14 team playoffs?  See comment on the shift.

Ghost wins? Go away