New MLB Rules for 2023

[Ace-Of-Diamonds]

OFFICIAL: MLB adopts rule changes beginning next season. The pitch clock has been instituted (:15 with bases empty). Defensive shifts are banned. Bases are larger. 

Significant and substantive changes, with the objective of returning the game's natural rhythm. 

Thoughts? 

 

[Angelsfan1984]

Just missing robo umps for balls/strikes! 

[failos]

All of that sucks

[Revad]

Limiting the shift and the pitch clock should be fun.  How these changes move the game away from three true outcomes remains to be seen.  What changes can we expect from all of this?  Shave 15 minutes off games?  More players trying to use the whole field?

[failos]

2 minutes ago, Revad said:

What changes can we expect from all of this?

Umps having more power

[Revad]

Below is a link, this part stood out to me:  “Major League Baseball was unwilling to meaningfully address the areas of concern that Players raised, and as a result, Players on the Competition Committee voted unanimously against the implementation of the rules covering defensive shifts and the use of a pitch timer.”

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2022/09/mlb-to-implement-pitch-clock-limit-defensive-shifts-beginning-in-2023.html

[Taylor]

17 minutes ago, failos said:

All of that sucks

Why?

[Taylor]

Just now, Taylor said:

Why?

Now I understand;

4 minutes ago, Revad said:

Below is a link, this part stood out to me:  “Major League Baseball was unwilling to meaningfully address the areas of concern that Players raised, and as a result, Players on the Competition Committee voted unanimously against the implementation of the rules covering defensive shifts and the use of a pitch timer.”

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2022/09/mlb-to-implement-pitch-clock-limit-defensive-shifts-beginning-in-2023.html

 

[Angelsfan1984]

19 minutes ago, Revad said:

Limiting the shift and the pitch clock should be fun.  How these changes move the game away from three true outcomes remains to be seen.  What changes can we expect from all of this?  Shave 15 minutes off games?  More players trying to use the whole field?

According to one of the articles, it shaved 28 minutes off of the minor league games. Went from 3:06 down to 2:38. Pretty significant.

[HeavenlyHalos]

I love the pitch clock but think a good way to first implement it would have been applying it for the first 7 innings, with no clock in the more stressful 8th and 9th. Traditionalists won't like it but MLB has to do something with the average age of MLB fans increasing. Biggest complaint I hear is how slow/boring the sport is.

[Angelsfan1984]

5 minutes ago, HeavenlyHalos said:

I love the pitch clock but think a good way to first implement it would have been applying it for the first 7 innings, with no clock in the more stressful 8th and 9th. Traditionalists won't like it but MLB has to do something with the average age of MLB fans increasing. Biggest complaint I hear is how slow/boring the sport is.

I think after a while, pitchers will acclimate and the natural tempo of the game will increase whether its the 1st inning or the 9th inning. 

[ukyah]

11 minutes ago, HeavenlyHalos said:

I love the pitch clock but think a good way to first implement it would have been applying it for the first 7 innings, with no clock in the more stressful 8th and 9th. Traditionalists won't like it but MLB has to do something with the average age of MLB fans increasing. Biggest complaint I hear is how slow/boring the sport is.

i'm 49 the game is boring as shit now. i can't even watch a full mlb baseball game anymore. nothing happens, and unlike chicks i don't particularly care about the long ball. if that's true of me who grew up playing and watching the sport, then it's definitely true for young people. i'm happy to see those changes and more to come. bring me the robo umps!

[arch stanton]

It’s not the time between pitches that’s the problem. It’s the number of pitches that don’t end up in play that slows down the game 

[Duren, Duren]

A slap in the face for the analytics proponents regarding the shift. It means now that more emphasis will be placed on pitchers to work harder on pull hitters rather than depending on overloaded fielders.

It also vindicated the effectiveness of the shift.

But I think the objective is to play baseball in a more traditional way. With the more symmetrical alignments of infielders. They used to call it 'shading' to the left or right when it was more restricted, but the lopsided positioning turned extreme. Maybe if more hitters tried to go the other way the shift would have been neutralized. But that means changing the natural swings for most players. And there would be far fewer home runs. 

Not so sure about the time clock. Baseball was unique in not having time as a factor at all. But attention spans are shorter, and life is more complex. But games also used to be much quicker too.

One of the factors in lengthening the game was the increasing use of analytics for literally every pitch and situation. More information processing and deliberation about what analytics say about that moment. So coaching, catcher/pitcher, fielding decisions constantly adding little bits more time. Notice how fielders check their little strategy cards after every pitch or batter?  Like pieces on a chess board. 

Tweaking the extra innings rule was a radical change. Now pitch clocks are another. Maybe if they just played more natural, spontaneous ball. And  games would take less time. Strategy is something that should be part of pre game planning, and not so micro managed during games. Good managers have all options internalized and mix gut feeling with knowledge. 

Anaytics have lengthened the game and turned it into a quasi board game. Maybe enjoyable for math needs, but a by product are all these transformations of a sport that was doing fine for more than a century before becoming radicalized. 

 

[Inside Pitch]

40 minutes ago, Angelsfan1984 said:

According to one of the articles, it shaved 28 minutes off of the minor league games. Went from 3:06 down to 2:38. Pretty significant.

"with all the game time we are saving that should allow teams to sell more ad time on TV and radio" -- Manfred.

[Angelsfan1984]

6 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

"with all the game time we are saving that should allow teams to sell more ad time on TV and radio" -- Manfred.

New rule...no more eye black, will be ads for apple and bank of america instead.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

1 hour ago, Revad said:

Below is a link, this part stood out to me:  “Major League Baseball was unwilling to meaningfully address the areas of concern that Players raised, and as a result, Players on the Competition Committee voted unanimously against the implementation of the rules covering defensive shifts and the use of a pitch timer.”

Without them stating what they were, I really don't have an opinion on this.

[Revad]

8 minutes ago, Vegas Halo Fan said:

Without them stating what they were, I really don't have an opinion on this.

I agree not enough information, but not a good sign to me.  

[Vegas Halo Fan]

24 minutes ago, Revad said:

I agree not enough information, but not a good sign to me.  

It tells me that ownership essentially rammed this stuff through, which probably means that the next labor agreement negotiations are going to be a lot more contentious.

[Chuck]

I'd like one of @Inside Pitch, @ettin, @Angelsjunky or @Docwaukee to pull some data on how the shift ban could help some of the Angels hitters in 2023 and beyond. 

The first player that comes to mind is no longer with the Halos and that's Kole Calhoun. That guy hit into the shift on the right side all the time. 

[Angelsjunky]

7 minutes ago, Chuckster70 said:

I'd like one of @Inside Pitch, @ettin, @Angelsjunky or @Docwaukee to pull some data on how the shift ban could help some of the Angels hitters in 2023 and beyond. 

The first player that comes to mind is no longer with the Halos and that's Kole Calhoun. That guy hit into the shift on the right side all the time. 

Albert Pujols.

[ukyah]

8 minutes ago, Angelsjunky said:

Albert Pujols.

he was only an angels' hitter for one or two years.

[AngelsMetsWS]

Helps Shohei I think. 

[failos]

3 hours ago, Taylor said:

Why?

Umps can now call strikes/ball/balks at their discretion if a player takes too much time.

[AngelsMetsWS]

30 minutes ago, failos said:

Umps can now call strikes/ball/balks at their discretion if a player takes too much time.

Angel Hernandez laughs!