Saving Baseball: Some new rules for an old game

[nate]

I don't agree with all of these, but still good for conversation.

 

http://www.baseballnation.com/2013/11/8/5081096/mlb-baseball-new-rules-radical-changes

[Adam]

I'd be cool with a pitcher clock. 

[mtangelsfan]

I'm all for making the DH rule consistent for both leagues.  It's stupid not to do so.

 

Not allowing the overshift is one of the dumbest ideas I have ever heard in my life.

 

The others, meh.

[Adam]

I think a lot of this "baseball is dying" and "change the rules" is a response to the success of the NFL. Why does MLB need to compete with the NFL? Why do fans care if 200 million people watch the world series or if 12 million do? 

[gotbeer]

I know how to speed up the game.  How about limiting it to 1 minute between changes of offense to defense.  That would shave 18 times at least 2-3 minutes per, so 36-54 minutes a game.  And heck, it wouldn't impact the game at all.   Oh wait, that would cut commercials.  never mind.  

[nate]

I liked the plate appearance one.  Also the DH rule should definitely be in both leagues.

 

The others were meh...  some hitters stall the game more than pitchers.  The over shift one and the number of throws to first base were pretty dumb.

[Stradling]

I agree with the DH in both leagues. I'd be in favor of a pitch clock as well. I recently watched a game that Mark Fidrich pitched and it was a different game. It was fast paced. While we're at it let the pitcher determine the pace of the game along with the pitch clock. When the pitcher is ready to pitch he can pitch, regardless of whether or not the batter is adjusting his batting gloves for the fifth time in the at bat. I'm in favor of expanded instant replay but not with the umps leaving the field. Just have major league office make the call. I'll throw out another crazy idea. Hit a batter and he goes to second base. If the batter leans in to intentionally get hit he is out. If there is a dispute look at instant replay. Cut the season by 12 games making it a 150 games, thus cutting two weeks off the season. Start season in mid April to eliminate a lot of the early season rain outs. Lastly have one scheduled double header a month this would cut another week off the season that way the season is over in early October. On scheduled double header days allow for a 26 man roster but the player you call up must be a pitcher. I also think since Monday's are usually off days you could schedule all double headers on Sundays so teams have the following day off.

[Catwhoshatinthehat]

I think a lot of this "baseball is dying" and "change the rules" is a response to the success of the NFL. Why does MLB need to compete with the NFL? Why do fans care if 200 million people watch the world series or if 12 million do? 

 

1. Probably

2. MLB wants to compete or attract new fans because they see how successful the NFL is and how much money the NFL makes

3. Fans may not care but again MLB does because attendance, viewers and merchandise purchases drive their revenues.  When teams have success they usually spend more so for at least that reason fans should care a bit.

 

I think there's definitely a chance for MLB to attract some other sports fans but there's only so much they can do to appeal to certain fans.  I like baseball and enjoy going to games but to me baseball is pretty boring on TV and not much will ever change that.   

[tdawg87]

NL fans would lose their superiority complex if they adopted the DH.

[Ohtaniland]

Hanson's windup takes a full 30 seconds.

[LBHalos17]

DH or no DH for both leagues.  And beer sales til bottom 8th at least.

fixed.

[Angel Oracle]

I agree with having the DH in both leagues, because the NL is the ONLY place in baseball (HS and above?) where there isn't a DH.

I also agree with the "Skanks" rule...err "pitching clock and catcher visits being limited" rule.

 

We didn't need so many catcher visits to the mound in the old days. 

Edited November 8, 2013 by Angel Oracle

[Adam]

1. Probably

2. MLB wants to compete or attract new fans because they see how successful the NFL is and how much money the NFL makes

3. Fans may not care but again MLB does because attendance, viewers and merchandise purchases drive their revenues.  When teams have success they usually spend more so for at least that reason fans should care a bit.

 

I think there's definitely a chance for MLB to attract some other sports fans but there's only so much they can do to appeal to certain fans.  I like baseball and enjoy going to games but to me baseball is pretty boring on TV and not much will ever change that.   

 

I think MLB would like to make more money too. I constantly hear baseball fans ripping MLB because it is not at the level of the NFL. I don't really see why the success of another sport financially matters at all to a single fan of a MLB team. 

[Spirit]

I think MLB would like to make more money too. I constantly hear baseball fans ripping MLB because it is not at the level of the NFL. I don't really see why the success of another sport financially matters at all to a single fan of a MLB team. 

 

But we all have to be equal!  It's the (new) American way!

[Blarg]

Pitcher clocks are stupid when you have guys like Trumbo outside of the box staring at his bat as if it is the first time he has seen one. If you want to put a pitcher on a clock then put a batter in the box and don't let him out to play with is junk between every pitch.

[nate]

Lol.  I agree.  Make the batter stay in the box and the pitcher stay on the mound.

[Brandon]

I've always wanted an automated strike zone as well. This shit of accepting that umpires have different zones is for the birds, plus they screw up a lot.

They should get rid of the petty stuff like warm ups between innings or how you have someone warm up in the bullpen only to come out and warm up more. Same with dumb shit like throwing it around the horn.

Anything to speed up pace and get rid of these four hour games is good in my book. I can tell over recent years I'm becoming one of these dudes that affected the low ratings and am becoming like the dude that wrote the article.

MLB needs to ditch this old school, purist, and human ideology that is beyond archaic.

[Tank]

i like this idea:

 

"The baseball season needs to be cut down. Part of the reason football fans love the sport so much is because there are only 16 regular-season games. Every game means so much. There are 162 games in the baseball season. Even diehard fans can suffer from fatigue by the middle of September. I've long thought that 140 games would be a better number, with the season starting in the middle of April. Make it a summer sport while making each game mean a bit more by having fewer of them. And every World Series should conclude during the third week in October, preventing a potential Game 7 on Halloween."

[HaloFan85]

Saving baseball from what?  The $7.5 billion in annual revenue over the last few years which is expected to rise by another billion in 2014??

[Angel Oracle]

Lol.  I agree.  Make the batter stay in the box and the pitcher stay on the mound.

Sign me up for that too.   No more Nomah adjusting his glove or Trumbo doing his thing after EVERY pitch! 

How the heck does that do any good to do it for EVERY pitch?

This is baseball, not chess!

[AngelsLakersFan]

I really hate everyone that wants to 'fix' the game. The game isn't broken, but of course I would be open to some minor tweeks to keep the game moving.

 

• Get rid of the free timeout - no more reaching second, and calling TO so you can bring your shoulder pads over to the third base coach. This should make players consider the mobility of their armor, and turn the post at bat down time into a moment where the defense still needs to be attentive. This will limit catcher / pitcher meetings because they need to pay attention to the base runners, and put a greater emphasis on the value and excitement of great base running.

 

• Give managers one time out per inning (ie start with 9 and get one per extra inning) - to be used for mound visits, pinch runners, in-inning defensive substitutions. This will make bullpen management a bigger deal and limit unnecessary pitching changes and mound visits.

 

 

• Force the batter to stay in the box. I say you enforce this by allowing him to be tagged out if he completely exits the batters area.

[Ohtaniland]

 

I really hate everyone that wants to 'fix' the game. The game isn't broken, but of course I would be open to some minor tweeks to keep the game moving.

 

• Get rid of the free timeout - no more reaching second, and calling TO so you can bring your shoulder pads over to the third base coach. This should make players consider the mobility of their armor, and turn the post at bat down time into a moment where the defense still needs to be attentive. This will limit catcher / pitcher meetings because they need to pay attention to the base runners, and put a greater emphasis on the value and excitement of great base running.

 

• Give managers one time out per inning (ie start with 9 and get one per extra inning) - to be used for mound visits, pinch runners, in-inning defensive substitutions. This will make bullpen management a bigger deal and limit unnecessary pitching changes and mound visits.

 

 

• Force the batter to stay in the box. I say you enforce this by allowing him to be tagged out if he completely exits the batters area.

 

 

Do not allow the batter to leave the batters box to adjust his batting gloves after every pitch.

[Brent Maguire]

I would love for there to be a rule on how many times a batter can step out of the box. It gets tiresome to see a batter call a timeout 2 or 3 times.

Part of that comes with the pitchers timing too. The guys like Buccholz are brutal to watch. You really need 30 seconds between each pitch? 15 seconds should be the absolute max.

[Ohtaniland]

[Ohtaniland]

And this....