MLB Rule Changes

[laloesch]

 

Why are we worried about pace of the game at the risk of compromising the integrity of the game? These are horrible ideas. What's next - having the runner after hitting a home run not have to entirely circle the bases like slow pitch softball? If you want to solve perceived pace of play then get rid of television commercials and you will be back to 2 hour games.

 

Your last point about television commercials is true.  TV commercials disrupt the pace of NHL games there's no doubt about that.

[laloesch]

 

Interleague is pointless if you want to see Kershaw pitch live in an AL city you live in? Huh?

 

EVERY other sport has interleague play.....because fans want to see players/teams that they don't get to see every day.

 

MLB was fine without it before 1997.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

I'm on board with the intentional walk. It's purpose is to put a guy on base, and is not a "skill" in any sense of the game of baseball.

 

It doesn't really affect pace-of-play as they're saying, but I don't believe there is a point to making the pitcher throw the pitches. If your argument is you don't get to see the weird instances like the above anymore, I'm being honest when I say that's an extremely piss-poor argument against it.

Agree fully. I don't care to watch a pitcher throw four pitches to walk someone, even if .01% of the time it results in ridiculousness.

 

I'll sacrifice a bit of hilarity for the 99.99% of the time the intentional walk just wastes time.

[jimmer]

I would vote no on rule 1 and yes on rule 2.

[Mike Sixel]

 

MLB was fine without it before 1997.

 

If you are suggesting all change is bad, well, we'll just disagree. Lots of fans want to see players and teams from other leagues. I really don't understand how that is hard to understand at all.

[nicksaviking]

 

Yeah, I don't see what these changes do to improve the sport.  Pass.

 

Do they make the sport worse?

 

Frankly, with how obsessed with how Twins pitching has been to stay away from the top of the zone, I like the new strikezone. Sorry Gibson, time to come up with a new pitching strategy!

[TheLeviathan]

 

Do they make the sport worse?

 

Frankly, with how obsessed with how Twins pitching has been to stay away from the top of the zone, I like the new strikezone. Sorry Gibson, time to come up with a new pitching strategy!

 

Well, I worry it's a backhanded way to boost offense.  I'm not sure i like tinkering for the purpose of selling commercial time. 

[ashbury]

Well, I worry it's a backhanded way to boost offense.

Backhanded? Seems an utterly straightforward attempt to boost offense.

[Blake]

 

If you are suggesting all change is bad, well, we'll just disagree. Lots of fans want to see players and teams from other leagues. I really don't understand how that is hard to understand at all.

I like inter-league play. However, I think it's been overdone to a considerable degree. I would much prefer to see the Twins play Milwaukee every year. Make inter-league play special and something to really look forward to in terms of rivalries rather than insisting each team play most of an another division.

[laloesch]

 

If you are suggesting all change is bad, well, we'll just disagree. Lots of fans want to see players and teams from other leagues. I really don't understand how that is hard to understand at all.

 

Oh i understand what your saying, but like you said we disagree.  I don't think there's any need for it in an already bloated season that's too long.

[Vanimal46]

Agree fully. I don't care to watch a pitcher throw four pitches to walk someone, even if .01% of the time it results in ridiculousness.

 

I'll sacrifice a bit of hilarity for the 99.99% of the time the intentional walk just wastes time.

There's an IBB once every 5 games on average. We're talking about 1 minute in 900 total minutes of baseball action. Is it really noticeable how much of a time waste it is?

[laloesch]

 

If you are suggesting all change is bad, well, we'll just disagree. Lots of fans want to see players and teams from other leagues. I really don't understand how that is hard to understand at all.

 

I never suggested all change is bad. Do i like seeing players and teams from other leagues?  Sure.  But i understand that the Twins play in the AL and the Brewers play in the NL and don't typically play each other FOR THAT REASON.  By the way IMO the Brewers should still be in the AL.  

 

But beyond playing largely meaningless "exhibition like"games against NL teams, roughly 12% of the schedule, what's the purpose of inter league play beyond dragging out an already LONG season?  You don't need inter league games to scout potential WS opponents.  

[darin617]

 

How about this proposed rule change MLB is going to test in rookie ball?

 

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/report-mlb-testing-a-new-radical-extra-inning-rule-in-rookie-ball-to-shorten-games/

 

This is the dumbest thing I have ever heard! I almost had to pull over when I heard them talking about it on MLB radio.

[darin617]

Wasn't there also talk that a pitcher has to face a minimum of 2 batters as well? Looks like someone is trying to put a bunch of LOOGY's out of work.

[Mike Sixel]

 

There's an IBB once every 5 games on average. We're talking about 1 minute in 900 total minutes of baseball action. Is it really noticeable how much of a time waste it is?

 

people don't consume games 5 games at a time, they do 1 game at at time. Also, every bit of "this sport has too much X that I hate" adds up. It's not this in isolation that is bad....but it adds up. I still wouldn't change this.

[Mike Sixel]

 

I never suggested all change is bad. Do i like seeing players and teams from other leagues?  Sure.  But i understand that the Twins play in the AL and the Brewers play in the NL and don't typically play each other FOR THAT REASON.  By the way IMO the Brewers should still be in the AL.  

 

But beyond playing largely meaningless "exhibition like"games against NL teams, roughly 12% of the schedule, what's the purpose of inter league play beyond dragging out an already LONG season?  You don't need inter league games to scout potential WS opponents.  

 

entertainment for fans that want to see more teams and players. That's the whole point of the sport in the first place.

 

edit: the only reason they don't play them for a reason, is tradition. there is no inherent value, imo, in that.....just as every other sports league shows. 

 

could inter-league be improved? sure. 

 

edit 2: you said they survived w/o this, therefore it was not needed. that's basically an appeal not to change, not to improve, or did you mean that differently?

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

There's an IBB once every 5 games on average. We're talking about 1 minute in 900 total minutes of baseball action. Is it really noticeable how much of a time waste it is?

Then why do you care if it's gone?

 

The IBB isn't a baseball skill. It's a game strategy that removes the actual skill from the game (ie. pitching to a batter).

 

I care about this the same way I care if the NFL were to remove the kneel down and automate it.

[Vanimal46]

 

people don't consume games 5 games at a time, they do 1 game at at time. Also, every bit of "this sport has too much X that I hate" adds up. It's not this in isolation that is bad....but it adds up. I still wouldn't change this.

That's a good point. I'm sounding like a broken record at this point in the thread but I agree with you that I wouldn't change this rule, and think there are much bigger fish to fry that will increase the pace of every game. 

[Vanimal46]

 

Then why do you care if it's gone?

 

The IBB isn't a baseball skill. It's a game strategy that removes the actual skill from the game (ie. pitching to a batter).

 

I care about this the same way I care if the NFL were to remove the kneel down and automate it.

Because of the weird baseball stuff that can happen if a pitcher messes up the easy toss... We as fans seek and enjoy the obscure things that don't happen every day during a game. It's also a fun way to promote the sport via social media... 

I saw the Pat Light gif often on social media, including from some of the owner's twitter accounts here, as a way to poke fun at how the Twins season is going. 

[Doomtints]

The "pace of play" thing is a red herring anyway. Games got longer when TV contracts got bigger. What slows down the game is everybody has to wait for the longer TV commercials to finish.

 

If you listen to the Twins on the radio, they don't even have enough advertising to fill up the long breaks, so you hear the same public service ads 9-18 times a game.

 

Baseball has never addressed the true cause of long baseball games and they never will because that's where the money is. If by some strange reason teams manage to trim a couple of minutes off of each game the league will simply fill that time with more commercials and act like the teams haven't done enough.

 

 

[laloesch]

 

entertainment for fans that want to see more teams and players. That's the whole point of the sport in the first place.

 

edit: the only reason they don't play them for a reason, is tradition. there is no inherent value, imo, in that.....just as every other sports league shows. 

 

could inter-league be improved? sure. 

 

edit 2: you said they survived w/o this, therefore it was not needed. that's basically an appeal not to change, not to improve, or did you mean that differently?

 

Look this whole thread was started based on rule changes and it was inferred that these proposals would speed up the pace of the game and since then the discussion has been going tangent.  What i am saying is this.  There is nothing wrong with inter league games but personally i think it drags out an already LONG season and is largely meaningless.  If MLB shortens the season and keeps inter league fine, if they do nothing fine.  I don't care either way what they do and they don't give two hoots what i think anyways so what's the big deal throwing out big ideas on a baseball forums?  I'm not trying to make some kind of an "appeal not to change, not to improve" whatever you are trying to say.   Like you said earlier Mike we disagree. 

[Mike Sixel]

 

The "pace of play" thing is a red herring anyway. Games got longer when TV contracts got bigger. What slows down the game is everybody has to wait for the longer TV commercials to finish.

 

If you listen to the Twins on the radio, they don't even have enough advertising to fill up the long breaks, so you hear the same public service ads 9-18 times a game.

 

Baseball has never addressed the true cause of long baseball games and they never will because that's where the money is. If by some strange reason teams manage to trim a couple of minutes off of each game the league will simply fill that time with more commercials and act like the teams haven't done enough.

 

I agree, that is the biggest issue. Not sure how that changes, though.

[theBOMisthebomb]

What, exactly, is the "integrity" of the game? I mean, some think Shifts ruin the integrity, or that the DH does, or inter-league play does.....

 

the integrity of the game is the game following it's own rules.

 

And, what good does the hitter circling the bases actually do? Why not just count the runs and everyone on base and the hitter just go to the dugout?

 

Sure, just get rid of money, that will keep the sport alive.....

The integrity of the game is directly tied to avoiding things that make an MLB game feel like a slow pitch softball tournament. It is as good of a definition as anything else.

[gunnarthor]

My few thoughts on this.  First, starting the runner at second in extra innings is the dumbest idea ever.  Anyone think Game 7 of the 1991 World Series would have been better if Atlanta got a guy on second to start the inning?  The guys thinking about this are only thinking about 14 inning slogs in August between non-contending teams.  

 

Baseball's biggest problem isn't pace of play, it's that it's become incredibly regional.  Twins fans don't care about the game much past the Twins.  Most of us probably can't name five starters the Reds used last year.  Part of that has been caused by the unbalanced schedule where we only play Baltimore 6 times at most and play Detroit 18 or 19 times.  But part of it is also the crack down on things that bring attention to games/teams - showing an opponent up, baseball justice, legit rivalries outside your division.  None of the suggested solutions really deal with those issues.

[Vanimal46]

 

My few thoughts on this.  First, starting the runner at second in extra innings is the dumbest idea ever.  Anyone think Game 7 of the 1991 World Series would have been better if Atlanta got a guy on second to start the inning?  The guys thinking about this are only thinking about 14 inning slogs in August between non-contending teams.  

 

Baseball's biggest problem isn't pace of play, it's that it's become incredibly regional.  Twins fans don't care about the game much past the Twins.  Most of us probably can't name five starters the Reds used last year.  Part of that has been caused by the unbalanced schedule where we only play Baltimore 6 times at most and play Detroit 18 or 19 times.  But part of it is also the crack down on things that bring attention to games/teams - showing an opponent up, baseball justice, legit rivalries outside your division.  None of the suggested solutions really deal with those issues.

I haven't thought much about the Regional angle, but that's also a very good point. 

[Mike Sixel]

 

My few thoughts on this.  First, starting the runner at second in extra innings is the dumbest idea ever.  Anyone think Game 7 of the 1991 World Series would have been better if Atlanta got a guy on second to start the inning?  The guys thinking about this are only thinking about 14 inning slogs in August between non-contending teams.  

 

Baseball's biggest problem isn't pace of play, it's that it's become incredibly regional.  Twins fans don't care about the game much past the Twins.  Most of us probably can't name five starters the Reds used last year.  Part of that has been caused by the unbalanced schedule where we only play Baltimore 6 times at most and play Detroit 18 or 19 times.  But part of it is also the crack down on things that bring attention to games/teams - showing an opponent up, baseball justice, legit rivalries outside your division.  None of the suggested solutions really deal with those issues.

 

Have you tried to take a child to an MLB game? Pace of play is absolutely an issue when you have 162 games, and not 16 or even 81. 

[Pardon My Dinger]

I'm surprised the IBB rule is sparking more controversy than moving the stikezone up. 

[gunnarthor]

 

Have you tried to take a child to an MLB game? Pace of play is absolutely an issue when you have 162 games, and not 16 or even 81. 

Yeah but pace of play should be dealt with by enforcing the pitching clock, not letting batters step out, etc. These changes don't really move the margins, as others have noted.  

[jimmer]

Each team should have to play every other team in their league 10 times. That is 140 game per team. Add 15 interleague games, with each team in a division playing a 3 game series against the same teams from another division (like NL East plays AL West) and the interleague division matchups rotate yearly.

 

155 games

[laloesch]

 

Yeah but pace of play should be dealt with by enforcing the pitching clock, not letting batters step out, etc. These changes don't really move the margins, as others have noted.  

 

This i absolutely agree about.  To me: enforce a pitch clock, no stepping off the rubber multiple times, don't let batters step out of the batters box and call repeated time outs (limit one per at-bat or something like that).  Beyond that the only other thing that could significantly pick up the pace of the game is calling two strike foul balls as automatic strikeouts, but that would be a HUGE rule change in the game, not sure anyone would go for that.