Baseball games are too long

[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.

[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.