# Speeding up baseball
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speeding-up-baseball/535569
**Category:** The Game Room
**Created:** [April 9, 2010, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speeding-up-baseball/535569 "2010-04-09T19:36:20Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 3
### Author:  [@DKW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DKW)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2010, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speeding-up-baseball/535569/41 "2010-04-14T08:15:00Z")
I’ve said these before quite a few times, and I stand by them:
1. Pitcher allowed one unsuccessful pickoff attempt per at-bat. The second time, all runners advance. (Not counted if a runner steals successfully on the throw, but that’s the only exemption.) If you’re going to do the most pointless, soul-crushing, enjoyable-as-drying-paint black hole of time in baseball, you’d damn well better make it WORK.
2. **Some** consequence for fouling with two strikes. Name another sport where you can spray balls all over the place with no harm done\*. Disallowing swinging is my preference. Gotta either bunt or let it go, and if the bunt goes foul, that’s an out, same as for any other bunt (as with #1, _settle the issue_ already). Other possibilities include standing on one foot, having one foot on the back of the batter’s box, swinging one-handed, using a different bat, etc., but bunt-or-pass seems to me the most practical and effective.
I’m all for penalties for needlessly exiting the batter’s box; in fact, I’d go further. Out the first time, ejected the second; mercy granted only if he has a _really_ good reason. Same deal with pitch timers (and _why_ aren’t they enforced?). After a certain number of violations, say, three, the penalty goes up to an automatic walk (not one base for all runners; that’s a _little_ excessive).
A problem with foul balls is that it’s too _easy_ to get them in some stadiums. Expanding foul areas would help alleviate that. And while I’m add it, put a little space between the front row of fans and the field. I really don’t like it that some slob can stick a glove right into foul territory and snag the ball from the fielder.
There. But mostly the first two. Seriously, failed pickoff wars and foul-a-thons are why I find the sport completely unwatchable. Mike Hargrove is just one man.
- No, not cricket. You don’t have unlimited time in that game. You have to put points on the board at some point.
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### Author:  [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2010, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speeding-up-baseball/535569/42 "2010-04-14T15:43:06Z")
I don’t believe there’s any need for rule changes.
Limiting pickoff throws would amount to giving away free stolen bases. Limiting pitching changes unnecessarily ties managers’ hands strategically. And what if your second pitcher of the inning is getting shelled? You’re stuck with him?
Current rules are sufficient, but it’s up to the umpires to take back control of the game. The 12-second rule is almost never enforced. An ump can deny a batter’s request for time, but they almost never do. If those two things started happening regularly, you can bet the average pace of a game would pick up.
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### Author:  [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2010, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speeding-up-baseball/535569/43 "2010-04-14T17:06:40Z")
> [@RickJay](#):
>
> I don’t know when you were young, but in the mid-1970s the average game was about twelve minutes shorter than it is now, and that’s with fewer runs being scored than there are today. So in fact, the difference in game length is very, very small.
Huh. Coulda sworn that I’d read, a few years ago, that the average length of a game was up around 3 hours. It was about 2:30 ca. 1980.
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### Author:  [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2010, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speeding-up-baseball/535569/44 "2010-04-14T17:16:22Z")
> [@obfusciatrist](#):
>
> 42:30 for the 17 side changes taking 2:30 each.
My suspicion is that this is a nontrivial part of the problem. I don’t know if there are any records about what the typical length of the commercial breaks between half-innings used to be 30 years ago, but my recollection is that it used to be more like a minute. If it’s gone to two and a half minutes, that’s an added 17 x 1.5 = 25.5 minutes per game, if I’m right.
There’s obviously nothing that can be done about that, because the owners won’t give up the extra revenue until their cold, dead fingers are pried from around it. But I don’t have to like it.
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### Author:  [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2010, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speeding-up-baseball/535569/45 "2010-04-14T23:16:40Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#):
>
> Huh. Coulda sworn that I’d read, a few years ago, that the average length of a game was up around 3 hours. It was about 2:30 ca. 1980.
It’s never reached 3 hours. It’s around 2:46-2:47 now.
In the mid 70’s it was about 2:35 or so.
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### Author:  [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)
#### Post date: [April 15, 2010, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speeding-up-baseball/535569/46 "2010-04-15T13:01:25Z")
> [@DKW](#):
>
> 1. **Some** consequence for fouling with two strikes. Name another sport where you can spray balls all over the place with no harm done\*.
Is there any evidence at all that an excess of foul balls is a significant contributing factor? In 2009 the highest pitches per plate appearance for any staff was the Dodgers at 3.93 p/pa. The best was the Cardinals at 3.67.
Sure, 12 pitch at bats happen but I don’t think they’re part of the problem (and have always been part of the game).
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