Baseball games are too long

[jerrys]

An average baseball game lasts about three hours - too slow - too much dead time. Batters "take" too many pitches - seems that every other guy gets to 3 and 2 before getting on base or making an out.

Suggestions:
Batter gets 3 balls - 2 strikes.
Umpire controlled time on pitches. Overtime adds a "ball" to batter's count.
No exiting from batter's box (emergency only) - step out adds a "strike" to batter's count.
Limit warm up pitches.
Eliminate 7th inning stretch.
Limited mount conferences.
Limit replays.
Extreme - game with less innings. Perhaps 7 inning games as in softball.
More extreme - less time between innings. (commercial time)

Other ways to speed up the game?

[sycks22]

I'm assuming this is tongue in cheek? If not, I've heard this argument from friends for years and I think it's a joke. People are complaining about how the younger generation is getting bored with how long games are. Will the hipster generation watch more baseball if it's 5 minutes shorter? (nope). Will those extra 25 seconds before innings really impact how much someone watches baseball? Either you like baseball or you don't, pretty simple. I've never left a game and thought to myself (It would've been a better experience is the catcher only went to the mound 5 instead of 7 times during the game).

[frankbmd]

Originally Posted by jerrys

An average baseball game lasts about three hours - too slow - too much dead time. Batters "take" too many pitches - seems that every other guy gets to 3 and 2 before getting on base or making an out.

Suggestions:
Batter gets 3 balls - 2 strikes.
Umpire controlled time on pitches. Overtime adds a "ball" to batter's count.
No exiting from batter's box (emergency only) - step out adds a "strike" to batter's count.
Limit warm up pitches.
Eliminate 7th inning stretch.
Limited mount conferences.
Limit replays.
Extreme - game with less innings. Perhaps 7 inning games as in softball.
More extreme - less time between innings. (commercial time)

Other ways to speed up the game?

“mount conferences” is open to interpretation. Back in the day I would have strongly opposed their limitation.

[ALR-bishop]

But the duration of the conferences do seem shorter to me now than some years back.

The game just needs more pitchers like the late Don Rudolph, who once clocked a complete game in an hour and 32 minutes. Also, leaving during the 7th inning stretch shortens the game and helps beat the crowd leaving too. Although that strategy would have been a disaster when attending game 6 of the 2011 World Series. Boy, was that a long game

[bbcard1]

I don't think you can do too much about the games. They are what they are. You can do silly things that will create a lot of silly stuff that will shave a couple of minutes off the game, but that won't make any difference whatsoever in attention span. You could however do edits of the games that will fit into the 60 minute time slot for television that could serve to meet the needs of the short attention span mindset.

[nolemmings]

Originally Posted by sycks22

I'm assuming this is tongue in cheek? If not, I've heard this argument from friends for years and I think it's a joke. People are complaining about how the younger generation is getting bored with how long games are. Will the hipster generation watch more baseball if it's 5 minutes shorter? (nope). Will those extra 25 seconds before innings really impact how much someone watches baseball? Either you like baseball or you don't, pretty simple. I've never left a game and thought to myself (It would've been a better experience is the catcher only went to the mound 5 instead of 7 times during the game).

+1. Also, seems strange for the OP to suggest that limiting the time between innings is "more extreme" than reducing the number of balls and strikes. Really? Sing it with me: "For it's one, two strikes you're out at the ol' [new] ballgame".

[TheNightmanCometh]

There's nothing wrong with the length of baseball games.

[Nunzio11]

What makes the game so great is that there is no clock. Games are longer now because of the amount of specialized relief pitchers used. The average was 4 (3.96) pitchers used per team per game last year. Thats the highest it’s ever been. Managers are managing “by the book” with matchups. Starter is asked to go 5 innings then the parade to the bullpen starts to bridge the gap to the closer.

[BleedinBlue]

Originally Posted by TheNightmanCometh

There's nothing wrong with the length of baseball games.

+1

If the OP really wants to shorten the game then the simple solution is to limit the number of substitutions per game. Make it like soccer. 3 subs/game. That’s what it was like when games were 2 hours long.

Does anybody have stats on average players used per game by year? I’m sure it’s getting much larger today than when I was younger.

[tonyo]

I believe baseball overall would benefit from faster games.

Sure 5 minutes shorter wont make a difference, but 30 or 45 minutes could very well.

But I certainly don't want to add clocks or change the historical fundamentals of the rules.

Started to put on my thinking cap and "solve the problem myself", but that seems fruitless, so I googled for proof that games used to be shorter and for other folks ideas

Came up with this article (https://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/20...isual-analysis) which I only skimmed, but the gist I took away is: the speed of the game is pretty-much fully in the umpires hands. I certainly didn't realize there is actually an MLB rule regarding the time between pitches.

The article is summed up by the last sentences: "Keeping the games moving can get the game down to around two-and-a-half hours without sacrificing one second of ad time, so work to eliminate those extraneous behaviors that add additional time and no value. It can be done if there's a will to do it."

There probably could be some rules added to help the umpires keep the game moving like:

1. limit the number of time outs by batters and baserunners. (I guess this is akin to "staying in the box")
2. pitchers must face minimum of 3 batters or finish an inning, or institute a maximum number of mid-inning pitching changes per game (one per team?). Sure it removes some managerial strategy, but I don't see that as drastically changing the fundamentals of the base-game.
3. reduce (or eliminate) warm up pitches for relief pitchers (that's what bullpens are for)
4. I have a love-hate relationship with instant replay - hate that it stops the flow of the game, of course I do want the plays to be called correctly, except I can live with fringe calls like: the "neighborhood" calls on double plays or those calls where a sliding runner comes 1/2" off the bag for a millisecond and is called out after replay, or if a play at first has to be replayed seven times with ultra high-def to determine if the foot touched the bag before the ball landed in the back of the glove. I imagine that MLB can assign an official to watch replay of every play, establish a list of plays that can be reversed, or forget the list- if it's obvious a call was missed after one viewing of a couple different angles, in about 15 seconds time, then then reverse the play, otherwise keep the game moving.


I've typed a little too much on this already, so.........

everyone enjoy their Saturdays!

[Jason]

Originally Posted by TheNightmanCometh

There's nothing wrong with the length of baseball games.

Here here.

[BruceinGa]

Originally Posted by TheNightmanCometh

There's nothing wrong with the length of baseball games.

I also agree.

the op must play softball. Few associations still use the 3 strike and 4 ball count. None allow more than one foul after 2 strikes. Most start with a 1-1 count.
I do admit that I like playing in 1 pitch tournaments. A pitcher pitches to his own team, you take a pitch-your out. Foul ball, your out. most games last 15 minutes!!

[rgpete]

Don't watch or go to the game.

[wdwfan]

To me, the best way to shorten a game is to get there in either the 3rd or 4th innings. Nothing happens over the first few anyway. But the middle of the game is when the parade to the mound starts, the endless pulling relief pitchers, subbing batters, etc. So if you get there in the 4th inning, you still get about 6 innings, catch all that stuff and knock the game down to about 2:15. Just my 3-1/2 cents though.

Or you could do like I do and just leave after about the 6th or top of the 7th. I hate sitting in traffic jams, so I leave early to alleviate that. I can always say I was at the game (and not be lying) if something crazy happens. Plus, I'd hear it on the radio while scooting back home instead of listening to yabbering in the post game show while sitting in traffic.

[yanks12025]

Originally Posted by jerrys

An average baseball game lasts about three hours - too slow - too much dead time. Batters "take" too many pitches - seems that every other guy gets to 3 and 2 before getting on base or making an out.

Suggestions:
Batter gets 3 balls - 2 strikes.
Umpire controlled time on pitches. Overtime adds a "ball" to batter's count.
No exiting from batter's box (emergency only) - step out adds a "strike" to batter's count.
Limit warm up pitches.
Eliminate 7th inning stretch.
Limited mount conferences.
Limit replays.
Extreme - game with less innings. Perhaps 7 inning games as in softball.
More extreme - less time between innings. (commercial time)

Other ways to speed up the game?

I don't think baseball is a sport for you...

[TheNightmanCometh]

Originally Posted by BleedinBlue

+1

If the OP really wants to shorten the game then the simple solution is to limit the number of substitutions per game. Make it like soccer. 3 subs/game. That’s what it was like when games were 2 hours long.

Does anybody have stats on average players used per game by year? I’m sure it’s getting much larger today than when I was younger.

I always tell people, if you wanna shorten the time of the game, show up in the 3rd inning.

[rats60]

Originally Posted by rgpete

Don't watch or go to the game.

The owners wouldn't be happy with that.

[Tom Hufford]

The number of pitchers used in a game, especially mid-inning pitching changes, certainly has led to the increase in the time of games. However, I attended the Braves-Mets spring training game yesterday - each team used eight pitchers, but there were only two min-inning changes. Time of game: 2:39. I know, I know - no or few TV commercials between innings, etc.

Buy, why do we need shorter games? In the 1990s, I had season tickets to a Major League team, about 10 rows behind the home team dugout. $9.00 per game, and since I got season tickets there was a 10% discount - $8.10 each. Now, the same seats for the same team are around $100 each. (I know, inflation, etc., but who cares.) Suffice it to say, I no longer have those seats - but if I did, at those prices, I would want the games to go at least six to eight hours - why would I want faster games?

And, ever tried to listen to a college football game on the radio? That 60-minute game will take about three hours, and for some reason there is about a three-hour pre-game show. Are the "younger fans" , who supposedly don't have such a long attention span, paying attention to a football broadcast/telecast?

[silvor]

Originally Posted by wdwfan

To me, the best way to shorten a game is to get there in either the 3rd or 4th innings. Nothing happens over the first few anyway. But the middle of the game is when the parade to the mound starts, the endless pulling relief pitchers, subbing batters, etc. So if you get there in the 4th inning, you still get about 6 innings, catch all that stuff and knock the game down to about 2:15. Just my 3-1/2 cents though.

Or you could do like I do and just leave after about the 6th or top of the 7th. I hate sitting in traffic jams, so I leave early to alleviate that. I can always say I was at the game (and not be lying) if something crazy happens. Plus, I'd hear it on the radio while scooting back home instead of listening to yabbering in the post game show while sitting in traffic.

May cable company shows a 2 hour replay of the game the next morning. That really shortens the game. Or, just watch the highlights!

[Fred]

I would be nice to speed up the game a little. I don't agree with the "pointing to first base for the intentional pass". I'd rather see them throw the ball 4x and see if something gets screwed up in the process.

[JollyElm]

Some people complain that hockey games are too long. Maybe the NHL should install heaters beneath the rinks, forcing players to play much more quickly, so they can net some goals before all the ice melts away and the game is called. Problem solved.

[doug.goodman]

The same people who complain about baseball being "boring" point to basketball and football as examples of "exciting".

My definitions of "boring" and "exciting" are different than those used by such people.

Football plays to a 60 minute clock, basketball to a 48 minute clock, and the both games takes multiple hours to play.

At the moment that a game has become "too long" you should stop watching. Go home. Change the channel. Whatever fits the situation.



I once had a conversation with a woman sitting in front of me in the upper deck of Dodger Stadium that went something like this:

Doug - catches beach ball, stabs it with game scoring pen, rips it in half, throws it over the railing.

Woman - "why did you stab that beach ball and throw it over the railing?"

Doug - "because I hate f'g beach balls at baseball games"

Woman - "but baseball is boring"

Doug - "then go to the f'n beach"

Doug's mortified wife - buries face in hands


Later in the game I caused the wave to stop, but that's a different story.


Doug "my dream day involves a 28 inning game that lasts for as long as it lasts, preferably with no beach balls, or the people who would bring them" Goodman

[bbcard1]

The most boring thing in sports is the last two minutes of a basketball game when one team is about 10 points down and resort to fouling hoping to trade 3s for 1s or 2s. It almost never works, but it does occassionally which is why they do it.

[ValKehl]

Originally Posted by bbcard1

The most boring thing in sports is the last two minutes of a basketball game when one team is about 10 points down and resort to fouling hoping to trade 3s for 1s or 2s. It almost never works, but it does occassionally which is why they do it.

Not only boring, but this is very frustrating when it causes a game to run longer than the time scheduled for it by the TV station, the result being that the next scheduled game has been in progress for several minutes by the time the TV station finally switches over to it. This happened to me this afternoon, as I was not able to watch the first several minutes of my #1 UVA Cavaliers vs. Pittsburg. Ugh!

[Fred]

Originally Posted by doug.goodman

I once had a conversation with a woman sitting in front of me in the upper deck of Dodger Stadium that went something like this:

Doug - catches beach ball, stabs it with game scoring pen, rips it in half, throws it over the railing.

Woman - "why did you stab that beach ball and throw it over the railing?"

Doug - "because I hate f'g beach balls at baseball games"

Woman - "but baseball is boring"

Doug - "then go to the f'n beach"

Doug's mortified wife - buries face in hands

hahahahahahahaha.....

[ls7plus]

My solution is to record any game I want to watch on my DVR, wait at least an hour, then fast forward through the commercials, pitching changes and a lot of the mound visits. These are the 3 things that have made the games so much longer, with virtually every game being televised. Commercials, of course, aren't going anywhere, nor are all the pitching changes. But if you fast forward through them, you can cut 40-50 minutes off the time of the game. Let those who like commercials watch them--my wife actually does, primarily because she used to be in marketing--but I do not.

Just the way I do it,

Larry

[jerrys]

I directly related the term "too long" to “too much dead time” (no action). Some suggest watching the game from the third inning or leave the game early to avoid traffic or don't watch or not my sport or watch it recorded to fast forward, etc. These "suggestions" have nothing whatever to do with the time wasted on the field by the players during the game. These instances are additive and significantly increase the time of the game. If the game is continuous action the time is not important.

These players have played the game most of lives and are the best at what they do. All I suggested are simple rules that should break players of time wasting habits and ways to generate quicker batter action.

I thought "between innings" as being more extreme was obvious - no commercials - no televised games.

[KMayUSA6060]

Those whom don't like baseball aren't going to become baseball fans because a game is 5-20 minutes shorter.

The MLB needs to quite trying to cower to the non-baseball fans, or they're going to have problems losing current baseball fans.

Rhetorical side question...

Will the lost ad revenue from shorter time in between innings/half innings be put on the fans in the form of higher ticket prices? Or they will start paying the players less?

[TheNightmanCometh]

Originally Posted by doug.goodman

The same people who complain about baseball being "boring" point to basketball and football as examples of "exciting".

My definitions of "boring" and "exciting" are different than those used by such people.

Football plays to a 60 minute clock, basketball to a 48 minute clock, and the both games takes multiple hours to play.

At the moment that a game has become "too long" you should stop watching. Go home. Change the channel. Whatever fits the situation.



I once had a conversation with a woman sitting in front of me in the upper deck of Dodger Stadium that went something like this:

Doug - catches beach ball, stabs it with game scoring pen, rips it in half, throws it over the railing.

Woman - "why did you stab that beach ball and throw it over the railing?"

Doug - "because I hate f'g beach balls at baseball games"

Woman - "but baseball is boring"

Doug - "then go to the f'n beach"

Doug's mortified wife - buries face in hands


Later in the game I caused the wave to stop, but that's a different story.


Doug "my dream day involves a 28 inning game that lasts for as long as it lasts, preferably with no beach balls, or the people who would bring them" Goodman

You sir, are my hero.

[bmattioli]

Why can't people just leave Baseball alone.. It's OK just the way it is..

[Mark]

sure fire ways to make baseball fast again

1. limit roster to 22. fewer pitchers, fewer pitching changes.
2. start the games in the late afternoon and don't turn on the lights: this will encourage the teams to get it done sooner instead of later
3. enforce the official strike zone.

[drcy]

If you want to talk about torture: Woody Allen - Insurance Salesman scene

[Gnep31]

The sport should be left alone.

I drive several hrs to attend MLB games and I want my $'s worth of baseball. Tickets, gas, traffic, parking etc...if a game goes under 3 hrs I'm disappointed. I am thrilled when games go to extra innings.

As another stated, when watching on TV, I also fast forward through all commercials. I can only see the same law firm commercials on Fox Sports Detroit so many times

[Wildfireschulte]

I'm cool with some of the ideas that MLB is pushing: limit mound visits, shorten breaks, speed up replay reviews... My solution is to watch 3 games at the same time - 2 split screen on TV plus one on my IPad - then its impossible to keep up with the pace. Combine that with managing 5 or 6 fantasy teams and its baseball heaven.

When watching a game live, I simply pound beer with a group of friends and the time flies by.

[Leon]

I rarely watch games although I will watch a world series game or two just for old times sake. Usually I won't watch a whole one, just a part of one, when I do watch.

[conor912]

You want to speed the game, you gotta speed the players. What they need to do is fine every player on both rosters if a game goes longer than 2.5 hours. That'll light a fire under their asses.

[doug.goodman]

Originally Posted by TheNightmanCometh

You sir, are my hero.

Thank you. I will continue to try to live up to that status.

[doug.goodman]

Originally Posted by bbcard1

The most boring thing in sports is the last two minutes of a basketball game when one team is about 10 points down and resort to fouling hoping to trade 3s for 1s or 2s. It almost never works, but it does occasionally which is why they do it.

That's why I hate sports with clocks.

[HobokenJon]

On a barely related subject . . . Golf isn't a real sport. Discuss.

[Louieman]

I want to start by saying that for me, personally, I don't need anything done to change the game. I could watch a 5hr game and be totally content with it. And my favorite kind of game is an "uneventful" 2-1 Or 1-0 pitchers duel.

That being said, I do think the game needs to speed up. Fewer and fewer kids are watching baseball, and an overwhelming amount seem to prefer the faster pace of basketball. A few *tangible* things that MLB could do is 1) completely fix the mess of replay. Shouldn't take more than 30sec, no need to watch umps stand on field, either. 2) even harsher restrictions on mound visits. 3) batter can't step out of batters box, pitcher can't step off slab. And actually enforce the rule that a pitcher must pitch within 12 seconds.

And one last thing, I'm 100% ready for robot umps.

[Tabe]

Some simple solutions to speed up the game without actually CHANGING the game:

1) Put a clock on the next batter getting in the box after the completion of the previous hitter's AB. That time limit should be roughly 2 seconds longer than it takes a team to get around the horn after a groundout.

2) Put a time limit, rather than a pitch limit, on relief pitching changes. You get 75 seconds (or whatever) to get in from the pen, get on the mound, and do your warmup tosses. You wanna walk at the pace of a 90-year old retiree? Fine. You get 1 warmup toss.

3) Pitching changes from the dugout.

4) You get X seconds to throw the first pitch after a commercial break. Something short, like 5 seconds.


Other changes I'd make or at least consider:

1) Every conference at the mound - infielder, catcher, pitching coach, whoever - counts as an official visit. Pitchers must face at least 2 hitters after the visit (the one in the box, the one in the on-deck) unless the inning ends.

2) A limit on throws to 1B for a runner. If you don't get the guy after X throws, you can't throw over for the rest of the inning, including any pitching changes. Doing so gives the runner 2 bases.

3) Stepping out of the box except in the case of injury is an automatic out.

4) Change the save rule to something meaningful. If you come in at the start of the 9th, the lead can only be 1 run to get a save. Something like that.

5) I would also be open to a much-larger strike zone and electronic ball/strike calls.



I love baseball. I go to 35+ minor league games a year but the pace of play is terrible. I just can't do televised MLB games anymore. I've had the MLB package the last two seasons for free from T-Mobile and haven't watched more than about 4 innings with it. That would change if the pace was picked up.

[the 'stache]

There's nothing at all wrong with the length of baseball games. I prefer a slower paced game; gives commentators time to make some good observations.

Want to make it faster? Here's my suggestion. Tape the game, and go do something else. Don't go to ESPN, or MLB.com. Bring the game up, fast forward through the commercials. Fast forward through the visits to the mound, and the umpire reviews. There you go! Baseball games are now two hours long.

Winning!

Damn, Larry beat me to it.

[tonyo]

I posted earlier in this thread (#10) and still agree with the seemingly vast minority of responders that MLB overall would benefit from reducing the average game times by 30 minutes or more.

However, just felt like stating again that I wouldn't want to add any actual game clocks akin to the play clocks in football and the shot clocks in basketball. I believe a few "minor rule changes" and emphasizing to the umps to keep the game moving would do it. I've always enjoyed the flow that each baseball game adopts naturally.

Also would be against robo-umps, but feel that balls and strikes called electronically could be integrated into the flow.

[frankbmd]

6 innings

[HercDriver]

I'd say go watch a movie, but they're all over three hours now, too. I can't watch a movie on my couch anymore, without falling asleep from a long day. But I can watch baseball. I haven't watched an NFL game in years, because of how slow that is, but it's annoyingly slow...where baseball is more strategically slow, perhaps. And you can always score eight runs in the 9th inning to win it. Don't change a thing...except getting rid of the DH.

[frankbmd]

Originally Posted by frankbmd

6 innings

Good idea Frank

Maybe we would see a few complete games again.

Keep all the one inning and one batter relievers on the roster, but limit them to one pitch each. Avoid the time spent changing pitchers by having them line up behind the mound. If they throw a strike, allow them to go the end of the line.

[HercDriver]

Coach pitch.

[TimCarrollArt]

I'm good with the way things are. If there are going to be any changes, I would only be happy with ones that increased strategy within the game while shaving time. Example?

Limit pickoff attempts/throwovers to 2 per runner per base (or 3 the entire time he is on). Once the pitcher has thrown over his max times, he can't throw over or step off (balk called). Pitchers will have to pick and choose their attempts wisely. I think this will also cause an uptick in the running game, which I also love.

[JollyElm]

The length of the game is really just evolution at work. For example, in the 'old' days, pitchers used to pitch a great number of complete games or go much deeper into games, so there wasn't all of this craziness of throwing a lefty in to only face one left-handed batter, then putting in another reliever and so on and so on. Look at how the ancillary parts of the game continually change (compare how perfectly manicured the fields are today compared to the 70's and earlier, or how a pitched ball hitting the dirt is immediately thrown out of play, and I won't even mention instant replay). I'm not a fan of longer games (unless I'm in the stadium), but we have to realize that yesterday is gone and chances are the games are going to continue to get longer. Over-regulation (time clocks, etc.) will ruin it, because there is an inherent, some would say beautiful, languidity to the game. Ultimately, the best move will probably be to DVR the games and FF through the commercials, mound visits, etc.