Why are so many people obsessed with the "pace of play" in MLB???
keets
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As part of his on-stage routine George Carlin did a parallel comparison of Baseball and Football. In a nutshell, he called Baseball "pastoral" and Football "technological" when he started. Baseball can go on forever while Football is so rigidly timed that it will end even if forced to go to sudden death!! It was/is brilliant from a thinking man's perspective as much of Carlin's material remains to this day.
My point is simple, why the constant obsession about speeding up a very relaxing sport that takes place under the summer sun and typically lasts from 2-3 hours??? Has American Society become so fast paced that we even need to hurry up to relax?? Personally, I can think of no better way to relax on a hot summer day/evening. My dad is 90 and I have some cherished memories of sitting on lawn chairs in the driveway listening to the Indians on a little transistor radio. Maybe if more of that went on today things would be better and would like each other --- or --- there might be better targets for drive-by's.
Keep it simple, MLB. Let the pitcher throw those four balls and have another beer.
Al H.
Comments
There's always a chance one of those pitches is going to the backstop, so the automatic walk
is a huge disappointment. Chalk one up for those that say baseball is boring.
The only time I will watch a MLB game in its entirety pitch by pitch is if the Red Sox make the ALCS and then the World Series
I find the pace of play in baseball today makes it BORING. One bright spot. If there is a game I really want to see such as Reds-Indians it may be in the third inning when my wife says "We're going to shop a little then you're taking me out to eat." We do all that and when I get back to the game it is the sixth inning.
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Ralph
There is a lot of down time. If they really wanted to make the game faster, keep the batter in the box. There is no need to step out after every pitch to adjust batting gloves, helmet, shoes, "other stuff" and to gaze longingly at the third base coach. Once the batter is in the box, stay there. Put a 15 second pitch clock in play and stick to it. After the pitcher received the ball, they don't need to walk around the mound, rubbing down the ball. Get the ball, the sign and then throw the pitch.
Problem solved
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
the average time of a game last season was right around three hours. I can't understand why everyone is so obsessed about it being quicker. I just think you guys don't really appreciate the Game.
If they want to shorten games, they should limit mound visits, warm up pitches before each inning and when relievers come in, and limit the amount of pitching changes. The worst thing is when a manager brings in 3 relievers in one inning. It takes forever. Something needs to be done about the matchup changes going on in games these days.
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If they were truly interested in reducing game time, they'd cut the ridiculous number of commercials during a game, but we know that will never happen.
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I think many of the long long long games seem to be happening during the playoffs. Some things do just seem insufferable like the things I mentioned above as well as what grote and Orioles mentioned.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
Something needs to be done about matchup changes
that's sort of absurd to even contemplate. that development has taken place over decades to the point where now there are very specific roles for pitchers, it is an ingrained element of all Sports --- it is called strategy. so we should ask for that type of thing to be taken away from a Manager and a Team?? all for the sake of speeding up a Game so it's over in 2-1/2 hours instead of three?? that's so ridiculous I can't even express how I really feel at this forum!!!
I suppose the next logical step would be to force a starting pitcher to pitch at least seven innings, right?? you realize that the end result of something like that would probably be longer Games?? I think if you nuts really focus you could come up with enough tweaks to baseball so we could have a Game over in about an hour and forty-five minutes. wouldn't that be exciting!!
there's an old saying --- If something ain't broke, don't fix it.
All sports games take 3 hrs. Not just Baseball. What's the big deal I like to watch sports. If you don't like it...don't watch it. Simple as that, I agree with Keets on this. I hate rule changes. Leave the game alone. Look what they did to Football. Move the extra point way back, which changes all the stats between kickers past and present. And they moved the touchback from the 20 to the 25. WTF is up with that!!!! Leave things alone!!!
I think that of the three major sports that Basketball is probably the shortest and only one that comes in under three hours. the problem isn't the individual sport but the advertisers and the way the contracts with the Leagues dictates air time. the worst case for Baseball is a long inning in the beginning of a game where there is no pitching change. for Football it's one of those rare 9-10 minute drives that uses running.
the networks hate not being able to go without a commercial every 3-4 minutes.
Agree completely! Most pitchers have two or three pitches they throw and generally throw their favorite pitch up to 80% of the time. Get the ball, get the sign, throw the ball. Batter needs to be ready. If pitcher takes too much time, call a ball, if the batter steps out of the box after every pitch, call a strike. No arguing the call either. PLAY BALL!
Not sure if it would shorten the game, but would make it more enjoyable to watch.
The intentional walk change is not going to do very much.
Joe, just reading your post makes me think that you are a very impatient guy. speaking only for myself, I enjoy the Game immensely and view watching it as a way to relax, not something that needs to be speeded up so I can get a "high" off of it and the thing can be over ASAP. if I want that I can watch Football.
Hence why soccer is the most popular sports in the "world"...just not here
they are concerned because the sport is dying. Back in the day it was the biggest sport , or close to it in the US , now its competing with a lot more sports and a lot more channels and the game is an hour longer than it used to be for no reason at all. I like baseball , but I don't have 3 1/2 hours per game times 162 games a year for it.
I put it on pitchers that take forever between pitches , batters that do the same and the greed for advertising dollars amount an even 3 way split. So nevermind the intentional walk garbage , put in a pitch clock , keep batters in the box , no extra commercial breaks . see where that gets us
Incidentally football has a problem with this and thats only 16 games a year. In football's case its purely greed with all the dead time so they can stuff ads in.
The problem is if the average game is 3 hours there are plenty of games that go 3:30. I can't afford to make that kind of commitment or make that kind of investment of time for a regular season game.
mark
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Watching the red sox for instance, David Ortiz takes forever at the plate . It irks me even though he is exciting at the plate and it can be dramatic at bat especially if its late in a close game. He was a bonafide star , but does anyone relish watching some .190 hitting scrub fondling himself and spitting while he steps in and out of the box 5 times per at bat ? Ok if its tied in the 10th but when the team is down by 10? Umm ...............no I don't think so.
MLB should have snipers stationed on the roof to fire warning shots at some of these losers to keep the pace of the game up.
Sox usually start around 7:05. That puts the game ending at 10 or 10:30. During the work week, that's too late for this kid. That is why I would like shorter games.
Here is an out of the box idea. Maybe it would help. Let players and pitchers reenter the game, just like in all the other sports. The rub is, NO warm-up. If you are reentering, be already warmed up because the game does not stop for you. Including pitchers.
I understand matchup are integral to today's game, but if you want to bring in a reliever, warm them up in the pen, no more 8 pitches on the mound. That would speed things up greatly
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
Some playoff games are insufferable with all the pitching changes and stepping out of the box. Some of those red sox -Yankee games went 4-4:30. Crazy
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
Tim hit it on the head: Less commercials. Also that it will never happen. All you need to do is one less commercial each half inning and that saves 18 minutes.
Pace of play doesn't bother me because I DVR the games and control the pace myself. It does come into play for night games, especially post-season 8:20 PM starts because it cuts into bed time.
What they really need to do is kill the digital strike zone on some networks. Major distraction.
It bothers you enough to go the DVR route that means its a problem.
I sure don't seem to be the only person here that thinks the game is too slow! I don't think we need new rules, just enforce the rules already in place.
I started watching baseball in the early 1960's and to me the biggest change BY FAR from then to now is the "game" between the pitcher and hitter. The pitcher takes a little too long (as I said, he probably only has two pitches he's going to throw anyway) and the batter steps out, then the pitcher has to go through ALL the signs again before finally pitching. Or the batter has to step out of the batters box after EVERY pitch regardless if the pitcher is ready. Baseball is a slow paced game and always will be but I am tired of how much time it takes between pitches.
I guess you are correct, I am impatient because I want to watch a game and NOT gamesmanship. I'll go and watch some paint dry now, so next time a baseball game comes on I won't be bored. Maybe we can slow the games down so they last 5 or 6 hours and your enjoyment of the game will last even longer. ;-)
If the game hits 5 or 6 hours we could make the stadiums much smaller. Just need 1 seat for Keets and a little alleyway for the tumbleweeds to blow up and down .
there seems to be general agreement about the pitcher and the hitter, so I'll just cut to it and say that the hitter is the root cause of that, not the pitcher. the David Ortiz example is a good one, so why place any blame on the pitcher who can't throw the ball or even prepare to pitch while the batter is out of the box?? at that, I don't find it enough of a distraction and I would welcome empty Stadiums so I could grab a choice seat.
what would you guys have complained about in the 40's??? who likes to watch Golf, should they speed that up, also??
I really believe that the whole "pace of play" is an outgrowth of societal changes where everyone needs instant gratification, instant knowledge and they need it now. look around at a Baseball game(or anywhere) and count the number of people who are holding a cell phone and can't be without it for more than five minutes). to that end, I view Baseball as an escape from the rat-race and the hurry hurry mentality of the World today.
I am learning that I am in the minority.
I think we all would have been fine in the 40's. Average time of game in 1940... 2:04.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
In the 1940's the games were not on TV . That means no commercials and more importantly much less preening and strutting around by self important millionaire pitchers and hitters ,
The Game, just as keets has defined it, pretty much sums it up. Either it is for you or you're just late for an appointment. But, I wouldn't criticize anyone over their level of desire to simply enjoy a single contest of baseball and forget all the other intrusions. We're busy.
When my son played ball as a kid, the best Games were the ones that lasted until it was too darn dark to prevent someone from getting hurt. When he got to play under lights during high school, some of those Games seemed to last forever, and yet no one wanted to go home until the park staff made us leave or the sprinklers suddenly went on. And I'm one of those people who would be the last to leave the ballpark after an extra inning Game or just shutting off the TV in the middle of the 18th inning of meaningless battle between two cellar dwellers on MLB Network would be too tough for me.
Baseball shouldn't be timed or controlled by anything other than nature. Too many clocks on everything already. The complaint about 4+ hours of drudgery can be counter-balanced by the incredible drama we've seen in recent years in the playoffs and World Series.
As a season ticket holder for a minor league team, I go to about 35 games a year. They're rarely on TV and still the games take 3 hours or more every night. It wears a little thin after awhile. I can hardly stand to watch MLB because of the pace of play. It often seems like the hitter & pitcher are having a contest to see who can NOT perform their job. Pitcher is terrified to throw a pitcher, hitter is terrified to see one. Ugh.
That said, there are a number of things that can be done to speed up the game without changing the game:
1) Put a clock on the next hitter and the pitcher being ready when the previous guy makes an out. Go watch Don Larsen's perfect game sometime - after one hitter grounds out, the next guy is in the box, ready to go, when the infield finishes going around the horn.
2) Visits to the mound by any player or coach count as a visit. If a player goes to the mound and is there for X seconds (pick a #) and a coach comes out, pitcher must be changed. No more 3 minute confabs to delay so a guy can get ready in the pen.
3) All pitching changes from the dugout.
4) Put a clock on pitching changes, say 2:30. As soon as the manager signals, the clock starts ticking. That clock includes strolling in, warming up, the whole nine yards.
*5) Definitely a clock on pitches. Want to enforce it? Give each team one warning per game. Then, when it's violated by the defense, put a run on the board. If the hitter does it, he's out.
6) Once you're in the batter's box and ready for the first pitch, you're fair game. No adjusting between pitches, no checking signals 4000 times, be ready. Exceptions of course for injuries or fouling the ball off a foot or whatever.
7) Home run? No trot. You hit a home run, everybody comes off the bases, no need to touch. (I'm admittedly not crazy about this idea).
I love baseball. I always have. But the pace has moved from relaxing to glacial. This is not new. It's been slowing down for a good 25 years but has gotten worse thanks to the constant pitching changes. Implementing the above could easily knock several minutes off of every game. In addition to that, it would give the appearance of urgency and hustle, something I think the public would appreciate.
5 - yes, this one would change the game a bit because of the enforcement. I think the penalty has to be severe to make sure the rule gets followed.
I stay in a movie theatre to watch the credits.
Too many pitching changes...
Erik
Watching screen credits is important... You never no what film will come up in conversation at some function you are obligated to attend. Films seem to be less controversial than say...
Naming the best conference in college football.
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Good ol' George apparently didn't know the NFL playoff rules!
Attakid. I stay on the beach long after the sun has sunk into the Pacific. There's usually still plenty of liquor in the bottle.
I DVR everything!! The only live TV I watch is the Super Bowl. Commercials are D-U-M-B and a complete waste of time.
No I agree there isn't enough meat on the bone to sit for 3 and a half hours . The league is padding the games for commercial looting purposes and players I guess are narcissistic and need attention otherwise they would just throw or swing quickly . As Bill would say "Do your Job!!"
Not just games , I Used to DVR tv shows too but now I watch them on Netflix or Hulu and skip the ads altogether.