Reusse: Playoff Pace Of Game

[Mr. Brooks]

My issue with lengths of the game is less about the actual time elapsed, but with how the game actually moves. If there are constant starts and stops with delays, even a 3 hour game seems to take an eternity. But if a game has a fluid flow and rhythm to it without delays and excessive breaks, even a 4 hour game would be fine. For me, it's all about the flow. I don't necessarily want to sit through a four and a half hour game, but if its a fluid game then it isn't so bad. If simply wanting fluidity to return to the game makes me less of a fan, then I guess that I'm less of a fan.

 

I'll never be supportive of means to reduce game length that alter the way the game is managed by its participants.

 

Also, there are ways to condense a schedule without eliminating games. They're called scheduled double headers. Schedule half a dozen of them for each team on Saturday's and you've cut a week out of the regular season. Baseball shouldn't be played in November.

Also, there is no need for off days.

Baseball is a non contact sport, and is not strenuous. Aside from the pitchers, most players spend the vast majority of the game standing around or sitting in the dugout.

Even 70% of the AB's consist of standing at the plate, then either walking to the dugout or 1st base, or running 90 feet then walking back to the dugout.

There is no need for off days in baseball.

[Mike Sixel]

 

Also, there is no need for off days.
Baseball is a non contact sport, and is not strenuous. Aside from the pitchers, most players spend the vast majority of the game standing around or sitting in the dugout.
Even 70% of the AB's consist of standing at the plate, then either walking to the dugout or 1st base, or running 90 feet then walking back to the dugout.
There is no need for off days in baseball.

 

Do you work 7 days a week at your job? That's just not realistic at all. It's not just about the physical demands, or the travel schedules, or normal work stress, or any one thing.....it's basic productivity, you can't work people every day and get peak performance. 

[Mr. Brooks]

Do you work 7 days a week at your job? That's just not realistic at all. It's not just about the physical demands, or the travel schedules, or normal work stress, or any one thing.....it's basic productivity, you can't work people every day and get peak performance.

They work for 3 hours per day and have off 5 months of the year.

Also, like I said, their work consists almost entirely of standing around or sitting on a bench.

You also have bench players that can rotate in when guys need a day.

[Mike Sixel]

 

They work for 3 hours per day and have off 5 months of the year.
Also, like I said, their work consists almost entirely of standing around or sitting on a bench.
You also have bench players that can rotate in when guys need a day.

 

Seriously? You think they should work non-stop for 5 months? I'm glad you aren't my boss. 

[wsnydes]

 

Seriously? You think they should work non-stop for 5 months? I'm glad you aren't my boss. 

Apparently also thinks that they only work 3 hours a day.  Were we not just discussing a four and a half hour game?  

[Mr. Brooks]

Seriously? You think they should work non-stop for 5 months? I'm glad you aren't my boss.

It depends on the type of work. Do you seriously only see in black and white Mike?

Not all "jobs" are the same.

The position players barely do anything.

Do you realize that many surgical residents work 7 days a week and put in 120 or more hours? And they are doing extremely high stress work. Literally life and death.

The human body is far more resilient than you give it credit for.

It's baseball. For 3 hours a day. And for position players about 25 minutes of that, tops, is actual work. They'd be perfectly fine.

[Mike Sixel]

 

It depends on the type of work. Do you seriously only see in black and white Mike?
Not all "jobs" are the same.
The position players barely do anything.
Do you realize that many surgical residents work 7 days a week and put in 120 or more hours? And they are doing extremely high stress work. Literally life and death.
The human body is far more resilient than you give it credit for.
It's baseball. For 3 hours a day. And for position players about 25 minutes of that, tops, is actual work. They'd be perfectly fine.

 

Not for 5 straight months, they don't. We are also learning that might not be the best way to run medicine.

 

And yes, telling people they should work 5 months in a row with no break, ya, that would be black and white for me.

 

It isn't about the body, I already said that....

[Mr. Brooks]

Not for 5 straight months, they don't. We are also learning that might not be the best way to run medicine.

 

And yes, telling people they should work 5 months in a row with no break, ya, that would be black and white for me.

 

It isn't about the body, I already said that....

Like I said, they have bench players that can rotate in when a guy needs a day off.

[Mr. Brooks]

Not for 5 straight months, they don't. We are also learning that might not be the best way to run medicine.

 

And yes, telling people they should work 5 months in a row with no break, ya, that would be black and white for me.

 

It isn't about the body, I already said that....

And regarding surgical residents, the data has actually shown that patient care got worse after they capped how many hours they could work.

[wsnydes]

 

It depends on the type of work. Do you seriously only see in black and white Mike?
Not all "jobs" are the same.
The position players barely do anything.
Do you realize that many surgical residents work 7 days a week and put in 120 or more hours? And they are doing extremely high stress work. Literally life and death.
The human body is far more resilient than you give it credit for.
It's baseball. For 3 hours a day. And for position players about 25 minutes of that, tops, is actual work. They'd be perfectly fine.

Do you really think they only work for 3 hours a day?  None of them work out before games?  None of them work with coaches?  The guys taking BP before games are holograms?  Do news anchors only work for 1 hour a day too?

[spinowner]

 

They work for 3 hours per day and have off 5 months of the year.
Also, like I said, their work consists almost entirely of standing around or sitting on a bench.
You also have bench players that can rotate in when guys need a day.

Heck, if it's only 3 hours a day we only need nine players. Nobody should ever get worn down when they have 21 hours a day to rest. /sarcasm

[biggentleben]

 

Also, there is no need for off days.
Baseball is a non contact sport, and is not strenuous. Aside from the pitchers, most players spend the vast majority of the game standing around or sitting in the dugout.
Even 70% of the AB's consist of standing at the plate, then either walking to the dugout or 1st base, or running 90 feet then walking back to the dugout.
There is no need for off days in baseball.

 

Yes, they're called travel days.

 

As one writer said, from May to October, you're never dealing with a player at 100%. You're rarely dealing with a guy at 90%. By the time the World Series comes around, players are running at 75-80% of their full health.

 

Baseball has been shown to be extremely hard on the body due to exactly what you say - the sudden need to go to full speed or full effort from near-rest. That puts more stress on musculature than other sports.

[Vanimal46]

 

My issue with lengths of the game is less about the actual time elapsed, but with how the game actually moves.  If there are constant starts and stops with delays, even a 3 hour game seems to take an eternity.  But if a game has a fluid flow and rhythm to it without delays and excessive breaks, even a 4 hour game would be fine.  For me, it's all about the flow.  I don't necessarily want to sit through a four and a half hour game, but if its a fluid game then it isn't so bad.  If simply wanting fluidity to return to the game makes me less of a fan, then I guess that I'm less of a fan.  I don't want less baseball, I want less of a herky-jerky flow to baseball.

 

I'll never be supportive of means to reduce game length that alter the way the game is managed by its participants.  

 

Also, there are ways to condense a schedule without eliminating games.  They're called scheduled double headers.  Schedule half a dozen of them for each team on Saturday's and you've cut a week out of the regular season.  Baseball shouldn't be played in November.  

Hit the nail right on the head. The flow of any sports game we watch is huge. There were certainly some Twins game last season that were 3 hours, but felt like it took a week to complete. 

I would be a big fan of double headers. Each team could have their own promotions and make it a special day for fans. 

[Craig Arko]

 

I would be a big fan of double headers. Each team could have their own promotions and make it a special day for fans. 

If I recall there is some verbiage in the CBA that may limit the number of those.

 

Also, if one of them got rained out it could create a real pickle.

[Vanimal46]

 

If I recall there is some verbiage in the CBA that may limit the number of those.

 

Also, if one of them got rained out it could create a real pickle.

Good point. I'm not aware of the CBA's negotiated terms on double headers. They can't really start earlier in the season either... They're already pushing their luck that it doesn't snow in Minnesota/Cleveland/Chicago in early April. 

I'm not sure what the solution could be, but November baseball isn't that fun either. 

[TheLeviathan]

 

 If simply wanting fluidity to return to the game makes me less of a fan, then I guess that I'm less of a fan.  I don't want less baseball, I want less of a herky-jerky flow to baseball.

 

This, so much of the extra time is forced, not natural.

[wsnydes]

 

If I recall there is some verbiage in the CBA that may limit the number of those.

 

Also, if one of them got rained out it could create a real pickle.

Fair point on the rain out.  You could always split the games and play them just as they do for postponed games now.  I don't think that would be a big deal in most cases.  It would just be like two consecutive games got rained out on two consecutive days in most cases.

 

Isn't a new CBA currently being negotiated?  Either way, changes can always be collectively bargained.

 

[Craig Arko]

 

Good point. I'm not aware of the CBA's negotiated terms on double headers. They can't really start earlier in the season either... They're already pushing their luck that it doesn't snow in Minnesota/Cleveland/Chicago in early April. 

I'm not sure what the solution could be, but November baseball isn't that fun either. 

I think it's the length of the playoffs (to fit TV schedules and not compete with football) that's introduced that problem.

[wsnydes]

 

Good point. I'm not aware of the CBA's negotiated terms on double headers. They can't really start earlier in the season either... They're already pushing their luck that it doesn't snow in Minnesota/Cleveland/Chicago in early April. 

I'm not sure what the solution could be, but November baseball isn't that fun either. 

If they scheduled one double header a month, the April date in northern climates could always be in the latter half of the month.  There are ways, but they may need to be collectively bargained.  Since it seems that the owners would expect the players to take a pay cut to go back to 154 games, I still feel that scheduled double headers are a no-brainer compromise.

[messed up]

 

Most knowledgeable baseball guy I know. Knows more than 99% of us have forgotten. Which is what makes this such an important article. 

Important to who?   As good as the playoffs have been so far I won't care if there's a few more hour long innings.

[Seth Stohs]

 

Important to who?   As good as the playoffs have been so far I won't care if there's a few more hour long innings.

 

I don't know... for instance, I've watched one playoff game so far this offseason... and I'm a "die-hard." I imagine a lot of casual baseball fans would be turned off by how long the games are, how many pitching changes there are, etc. 

[gil4]

 

Do you really think they only work for 3 hours a day?  None of them work out before games?  None of them work with coaches?  The guys taking BP before games are holograms?  Do news anchors only work for 1 hour a day too?

 

I was with you until the last sentence.  OK, we can add an hour for hair and make-up...   At least the Brits name them accurately- news readers.

[Halsey Hall]

Ruesse mentioned yesterday that the younger crowd just don't have the attention span that fans had years ago.  That a two hour soccer game fits their lifestyles much better. I agree.  With all the social media etc stuff in their lives now, 4 hours or more just doesn't work.  Did you see the bar scene in Cleveland last night?  Everyone in there was in their 20's or close.  Cleveland couldn't draw worth a **** all season.  Attendance will most likely continue to drop all through the majors. 

 

Personally I'm sick of 4 minute commercials, and having to sit through the same ones over and over during a game.  I stood and watched Hrbek make those Carrier commercials for a couple of hours, cut after cut.  I don't ever need to see them again.  Speed up the game somehow.

 

[Mike Sixel]

"the youth today, they just aren't....."

 

says every generation, in some kind of need to feel superior, ever.....

[Craig Arko]

 

"the youth today, they just aren't....."

 

says every generation, in some kind of need to feel superior, ever.....

Much like Chief is in The Guinness Book of World Records for uttering "Get off my lawn."

[Vanimal46]

It is true that the attention span of Generation Z (anyone born after 1995) is the shortest of any generation so far... Only 8 seconds. But they are better at multi-tasking than any generation before... They grew up in the tech world, and use up to 5 screens at a time. 

So it's certainly possible they could still watch a baseball game while tweeting, snap chatting, binge watching Sherlock, AND browsing the internet. 

[Craig Arko]

 

So it's certainly possible they could still watch a baseball game while tweeting, snap chatting, binge watching Sherlock, AND browsing the internet. 

My dogs can do that while simultaneously napping and eating.

[Vanimal46]

 

My dogs can do that while simultaneously napping and eating.

 

They must have been born after 1995

[bizaff]

Personally I'm sick of 4 minute commercials, and having to sit through the same ones over and over during a game.  I stood and watched Hrbek make those Carrier commercials for a couple of hours, cut after cut.  I don't ever need to see them again.  Speed up the game somehow.

 

I agree, I don't really like all the commercials, but I just don't see it EVER going away - that's where a good chunk of the money comes from for owners.  When they talk about speeding up the game, they never say "without sacrificing commercials" or the like.

 

Does anyone know how they negotiate TV time?  Do the contracts to the sports network specify exactly how commercials are built in?

 

I know there was at least one pitching change in the playoffs where they stuck with the game rather than stopping for a commercial, which I loved.

[Loosey]

I for one have watched more playoff baseball this year than I have since the last time the Twins in the playoffs.  I think each of the teams are interesting. Each got to where they are today in different ways. On top of that almost every game has been very well played and close.  What's not to like?  Reusse is probably is just upset he has to stay up past his bedtime to finish watching a game.