I think the rule changes are unwise, unnecessary and un-American. I like slow baseball! For the price of a ticket, food and parking I’d better get more than 2 hours of fun.
Of all of them, banning the shift is the stupidest. All it would take is a couple of minor league players who can hit to the opposite field moving up to The Show and the shift would vanish. Slowly, but steadily.
GREAT:
PROBABLY:
STUPID:
I think the shift ban will have the opposite effect it’s intended to. It might result in a slight increase in hits this year, but long term it simply ENCOURAGES lefthanded batters to be trained to be Joey Gallos, and Joey Gallo is fucking boring.
The automatic runner in extra innings is just dumb.
I really think this is right. The only thing it might help with is reduce the reliance on launch angle and swinging for the fences every at bat, which would limit more Joey Gallos.
Personally, I agree that baseball shouldn’t necessarily be a fast game, but the pace of play had become crazy-slow, IMO, over the past couple of decades.
When a nine-inning game is taking 3+ hours to complete (which is what it had been, on average, in recent years), with no additional “action” occurring than when games were taking 2 1/2 hours, it’s just all the f***ing around (stepping out of the batter’s box, wandering around on the mound, conferences on the mound, relief pitcher #5 coming in and warming up, etc.)
Maybe you feel that you’re getting more of your money’s worth at that point, but I think that, if they can get an average game down to 2:40 or 2:45 (which is where it was in the late '80s and early '90s), it’ll be a noticeable improvement for most fans.
Larger bases: what is it, 3 inches? Apparently, it helped reduce injuries in the minors. If you’re going to go that way however, why not have it like in fastball/softball where there is half the base in foul territory and have the batter-runner step on the part in foul territory. Wouldn’t that reduce injuries even more? All in all, not a bad idea and one that doesn’t affect the fundamental way the game is played.
I’m old school and I don’t care how long a game is. It’s the beauty of the game that there’s no clock. I can see where a newbie to the game may find it too long or even boring. I’m actually surprised to hear minor league game were something like 20-30 minutes shorter because of the pitch clock. This is another that doesn’t really affect the fundamental way to play the game so I have no real issue with it. I guess people are not as patient these days and want to get home sooner.
Pickoff limits. Maybe it’s me but I think there were more pickoff attempts back in the 80s than today. Could it be because of more stolen base attempts, more fast runners or more daring like the Hendersons, Raines and Colemans? This changes the strategies and the competition of trying to get a guy. This is what I don’t understand, taking away from a player and a team the ability to do what they are there to do, trying to get an out, limiting your ability to prevent runners from advancing. I guess the idea is to get more running, re-add that facet to the game. I don’t know if there are stats on pickoff attempts over the decades, I’m not sure this will have as big an impact as many think.
The banning of shifts. Here too you are limiting the ability of a team thinking outside the box and trying to prevent base runners and ultimately runs. That’s changing the way the game is played and why I don’t like this rule. It appears the effect is that batting averages will go up and there will be more runs. Won’t that negate the pitch clock gains? I’m also thinking teams will start having more pure hitters, so less slugging. A return more to having an Ozzie Smith because of his glove than his bat, less power hitting shortstops? More Tony Gwynn types than what we’ve seen this century? We may see a different baseball game in a couple of years. Maybe someone will get close to hit .400 so at least that would be exciting.
Automatic runner. That’s not real baseball, the way it’s supposed to be played for the whole game. I don’t like it. And then during playoffs, were back to normal. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
This coming season is going to be interesting to say the least.
That would also be a good idea, but the injuries they’re trying to prevent are from sliding into them, and giving more room for a foot and a couple of hands. It also cuts the distance between 1st/2nd and 2nd/3rd by 4.5 inches.
Yea - SBs are a numbers game. Teams don’t like to give the green light to anyone that can’t successfully steal a base less than 80% of the times they try.
I’m sure that it would; the “safety base” for first base (see picture below) was apparently considered, but not adopted.
You forgot the new rules on position players pitching. I’d file them under STUPID, or at least unnecessary.
As @kenobi_65 said, it’s not the length of the game but the pace of the game that’s the issue. Do you really enjoy watching lots of futzing around between pitches?
I am 100% for this idea, and am on record on the SDMB recommending it. It would also reduce the “ball hit the batter inside the line” calls on plays at first base.
I watched the Mariner’s game yesterday, the first I’ve seen with a pitch clock. Wow, it really is a different experience. I don’t care if the game is 3 hours long, or more. But I do like things moving at a nice clip.
The remarked about every hit that would have been an out with the shift. I hope that doesn’t last all season. (the commentary, not the rule)
With a few tweaks perhaps, I think I’ll like the pitch clock. I think the same thing could have been resolved by making batters stay in the box unless they get knocked down. Now everybody is Toby Harrah and we spent way too much time in the past watching guys redo their batting gloves after every single pitch. I’d ge cool with banning batting gloves too.
The bigger base is a meh for me. I think it should have been limited to first base as that’s where most potential injuries are.
The ghost runner on second in extra innings is an abomination unto the lord and makes Baby Jesus cry. What a joke.
Banning the shift- about fucking time. The shift nearly destroyed baseball. Homers, walks, and outs were the only outcomes fare too often. The running game virtually disappeared, hit and runs and sac bunts became an endangered species, as have pitchouts. I wouldn’t give a shit how deep or shallow the fielders are, keep the ss on the left side of second and the 2b on the right side of second is all I ask.
What I’d like them to address: starting times of postseason games. Football does it right, starting the Super Bowl at 6:30 so young fans and first shift workers can watch. Also changing baseballs every time a ball touches ground. Takes too long. Ban the automatic walk, make the pitchers throw four times like in the old days. Takes very little time. Roster distribution- too many pitchers and too few position players. Pinch hitting is all but extinct. Late in the game when you need a pinch hitter, a lot of the time all you’ve got left is the #2 catcher.
Restrictions on position players pitching is silly. It’s only used when the outcome of the game is no longer in doubt, who gives a shit? Let the big slugger pitch. Limiting pickoffs is wrong, too much of a restriction on the defense.
I think you might have meant Mike “The Human Rain Delay” Hargrove?
I think he means Nomar Garciaparra.
Yes you are indeed correct, sorry for the mistake.
Not just post-season. The Mariners started the evening games last year at 6:40 instead of the usual 7:10 during the school year (beginning and end of season). I really don’t know why they don’t always do that. It’s not hard to get to the park by 6:00 p.m. A three hour game goes past 10:00 p.m. if they have first pitch at 7:10.
Just watched my first spring training action and OMG I love the new rules! Each at-bat actually moves along instead of guys pacing around the plate after every pitch. A huge, immediate, and very noticeable improvement.
That happened nearly 50 years ago (in the American League).
Other than that, I agree with everything you said, except for the shift.
Mike Blowers talked about his batting “routine” on a recent Mariners broadcast. While he was indeed adjusting the velcro on his gloves, that was not the purpose of it. He was stalling to give himself time to think about the last pitch, the situation, and the likely next pitch. He thinks batters, rather than pitchers, will have a harder time adjusting to the new pitch clock.
Based on a couple of spring training games I’ve gone to under the new clock rules, you have nothing to worry about. Three hour games will still be common.
The shift ban and automatic extra innings runner are dumb.