Pitch clock

[steve B]

Originally Posted by icurnmedic

I could be wrong, but I think the bottom line is MLB perceived Baseball as dying. I don’t think anyone woke up one day and said ,let’s just shorten the game for the hell of it. I think this is a Calculated decision to try to generate more interest and viewership , ergo revenue.

After years of lengthening the game by making it "more entertaining" with every player having their own music, etc.


There should be a way without the silly micromanaging pitch clock. With it baseball will be poorer.

Spring baseball where pitchers and batters worked a bit more briskly to keep warm is enjoyable, as is August baseball where everyone moves a bit more slowly because 90+ in both temp and humididty isn't fun.

As much as the kids hate stuff that takes time, Imagine a game with no Mark Fidrych or Al Hrabosky,
Without Nomar and his admittedly over the top glove routine, bus also without Fisk and his Using the bat to help stretch.

Without a fast working pitcher pointing at the plate demanding the batter hurry up and get in the box. Or Jim Kaat sort of quick pitching in an already fairly fast era.

Without coaches going through elaborate sign sequences, when the real sign to steal might actually be a bench player moving his cap....

Antiseptic rushed baseball is colorless and less interesting.

[Jim65]

Originally Posted by steve B

After years of lengthening the game by making it "more entertaining" with every player having their own music, etc.


There should be a way without the silly micromanaging pitch clock. With it baseball will be poorer.

Spring baseball where pitchers and batters worked a bit more briskly to keep warm is enjoyable, as is August baseball where everyone moves a bit more slowly because 90+ in both temp and humididty isn't fun.

As much as the kids hate stuff that takes time, Imagine a game with no Mark Fidrych or Al Hrabosky,
Without Nomar and his admittedly over the top glove routine, bus also without Fisk and his Using the bat to help stretch.

Without a fast working pitcher pointing at the plate demanding the batter hurry up and get in the box. Or Jim Kaat sort of quick pitching in an already fairly fast era.

Without coaches going through elaborate sign sequences, when the real sign to steal might actually be a bench player moving his cap....

Antiseptic rushed baseball is colorless and less interesting.

MLB tried a couple years ago, telling players and Umpires to keep the game moving, that approach didn't work.

Baseball was fine when there was 1 Mike Hargrove, but when there are 25 Mike Hargroves on a team, something needs to be done.

[Mike D.]

Yes, it's worth calling out that when most of those things mentioned, many of which were entertaining, games were SIGNIFICANTLY shorter when they happened than they were in recent history.

Maybe tweaks will be required to let personalities come out, but I'd guess they'll come out anyway...it's just a bunch of milling about that's been cut out.

[SAllen2556]

Originally Posted by steve B

After years of lengthening the game by making it "more entertaining" with every player having their own music, etc.


There should be a way without the silly micromanaging pitch clock. With it baseball will be poorer.

Spring baseball where pitchers and batters worked a bit more briskly to keep warm is enjoyable, as is August baseball where everyone moves a bit more slowly because 90+ in both temp and humididty isn't fun.

As much as the kids hate stuff that takes time, Imagine a game with no Mark Fidrych or Al Hrabosky,
Without Nomar and his admittedly over the top glove routine, bus also without Fisk and his Using the bat to help stretch.

Without a fast working pitcher pointing at the plate demanding the batter hurry up and get in the box. Or Jim Kaat sort of quick pitching in an already fairly fast era.

Without coaches going through elaborate sign sequences, when the real sign to steal might actually be a bench player moving his cap....

Antiseptic rushed baseball is colorless and less interesting.

I looked up Mark Fidrych's game times in 1976 when he pitched exactly 9 innings:
5/15 1:57, 6/11 2:28, 6/16 2:08, 6/24 2:31, 6/28 1:51, 7/3 1:54
7/9 2:03, 7/20 2:39, 7/29 1:52, 8/7 2:10, 8/11 2:22, 8/25 1:48
9/7 2:19, 9/21 2:00, 9/28 1:48, 10/2 1:46

Fidrych worked very fast, yet he somehow found time to talk to the ball and fix the dirt on the mound.

It's the dead time that's getting taken out. Batters stepping out of the box and walking in a big circle around home plate after every pitch. Catchers coming out to the mound every other pitch for a meeting. Pitching coaches running out to the mound twice an inning.

No other sport had the number and types of interruptions baseball had. Personally, I blame those Yankee teams with Jeter and Posada. It was like every pitch required a team meeting before being thrown. There was just nothing like a 4 hour Yankees / Red Sox Sunday night game in July on ESPN. Ugh.

[raulus]

I have to confess that I enjoyed having the pitch clock. There were a couple of violations, which added a minute each time as the managers came out to fuss about it. But overall, it really moved. Time between pitches was probably about 10-15 seconds. In some ways, the game seemed a lot less cerebral. No time to think - hurry up and pitch. Here it comes - hit it if you can! Better swing while you still can, or your at-bat might be over before you even settle in.

I do think that in some ways, it also means that when the situation gets tense and exciting, it gets resolved quickly. So there’s less build and tension and lingering over key moments. Instead it’s hurry up and get moving! But overall, I’m definitely in favor of the change.

[mrreality68]

still some yick ups but after almost a month of games and some interesting episodes it appears that the batters and pitchers are getting used to it

IT adds to some of the strategy and stolen bases are up so we have some more small ball going on

Overall it is working

now if my team can live up to their expectations perhaps I can really enjoy it

[mortimer brewster]

I enjoy listening to old radio broadcasts. During an Indians Brewers contest on June 4,1978 Mike Caldwell of the Brewers was pitching against Johnny Grubb of the Indians. There was a rule that the pitcher had 20 seconds from the time he receives the ball from the catcher to throw his next pitch.

Caldwell exceeded the time and Grubb was awarded a ball. Umpire Richie Garcia was at 2nd base with a stop watch.

Announcers Joe Tait and Herb Score proceeded to talk about the rule. A few minutes later a little bit of a humorous exchange between pitcher and home plate umpire.

The 1970's were great!

Begins at 32 minute mark.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2FR...ballontheRadio

[mrreality68]

Originally Posted by mortimer brewster

I enjoy listening to old radio broadcasts. During an Indians Brewers contest on June 4,1978 Mike Caldwell of the Brewers was pitching against Johnny Grubb of the Indians. There was a rule that the pitcher had 20 seconds from the time he receives the ball from the catcher to throw his next pitch.

Caldwell exceeded the time and Grubb was awarded a ball. Umpire Richie Garcia was at 2nd base with a stop watch.

Announcers Joe Tait and Herb Score proceeded to talk about the rule. A few minutes later a little bit of a humorous exchange between pitcher and home plate umpire.

The 1970's were great!

Begins at 32 minute mark.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2FR...ballontheRadio

Wow vintage radio game. Very cool

and the information they knew and the stories they told. Love it

never realized they had a pitch clock in the 70's and 20 second rule wow

and it sounds like shuffling papers to find and read info