Slight Minor League Rule Change

[Rex Hudler]

There's no reason it shouldn't make it to the majors that I can think of.  If it speeds up the game, they can show more commercials in a shorter period of time.  Sounds like the type of that would definitely be given serious consideration if the minor league experiment goes well.

 

Because they would have to give up something to the players to get them to agree to the rule change. That's how our lovely MLBPA works. "You want something (even if it is good for the game) then we get something in return."

[GoodAsGould]

yeah no way the players would go for it is what im saying. Minor leaguers dont have much choice so maybe in effect since they wont be used to stepping out of the box they wont as much in the bigs

[southsider2k5]

I would love to see this happen. I think if games didn't routinely run 3 hours, it might be easier to attract casual fans to watching games on a regular basis. This is an easy way to cut a few seconds an AB off of a game. I could see this saving 10-15 minutes a game.

[YASNY]

I would love to see this happen.  I think if games didn't routinely run 3 hours, it might be easier to attract casual fans to watching games on a regular basis.  This is an easy way to cut a few seconds an AB off of a game.  I could see this saving 10-15 minutes a game.

 

 

As SoxFan101 intimated, maybe this rule will simply evolve due to the fact that the habit will become ingrained while the future big leaguers come up throu the minors. Actually, implementing this rule in the minors was a damn good idea for that very reason.

[Mplssoxfan]

As SoxFan101 intimated, maybe this rule will simply evolve due to the fact that the habit will become ingrained while the future big leaguers come up throu the minors.  Actually, implementing this rule in the minors was a damn good idea for that very reason.

 

I would love it if this happened. Actually, Bill James (I realize many people dislike him, but he's thought provoking), came up with many ideas like this to speed up games. Among them were: umpires would be instructed to not grant time-out requests from the batter once he is in the box, and a pitcher would only be allowed three throws to first in an inning. The list made sense to me, as does this rule change. Just play baseball, damnit!

[GoodAsGould]

hey to me the longer the game the better so i dont care how many times a pitcher throws it to first

[Mplssoxfan]

hey to me the longer the game the better so i dont care how many times a pitcher throws it to first 

 

Well, his point in this case was that you can't miss the plate more than four times to any batter without a penalty, so why should you be able to throw to first twelve times in an inning with impunity?

 

Excessive throws to first are boring. They help the defense, but they are boring.

[YASNY]

I would disagree with both of those rules changes, though the first base rule could help the Sox this year with Podsednik and Iguchi. As for the other one, I can't see making a batter stand in the box with a gnat in his eye.

[Mplssoxfan]

I would disagree with both of those rules changes, though the first base rule could help the Sox this year with Podsednik and Iguchi.  As for the other one, I can't see making a batter stand in the box with a gnat in his eye.

 

Well, if an insect flew into the batter's face, or a hot dog wrapper blew across the plate or if someone ran onto the field, the umpire would of course call time. It's just the interminable "pitcher looks in, gets the sign, sets, starts windup, batter asks for time, time is granted" crap that happens seemingly every AB. It's annoying, it's unfair to the pitcher and the fans and it doesn't matter in the game since it helps/hinders both teams equally.

 

Baseball is the only game with unlimited timeouts. That makes zero sense. The thing is, if you implemented the timeout rule, and the rule about the batter's box that initially started the discussion, you would notice that the games were faster, but you wouldn't really notice why. Why do Nomar and Chuck Knoblauch (just to name two) have to step out after every pitch and mess with their gloves, jerseys, etc. Play baseball, for Pete's sake.

[Rex Hudler]

Well, his point in this case was that you can't miss the plate more than four times to any batter without a penalty, so why should you be able to throw to first twelve times in an inning with impunity?

 

Excessive throws to first are boring.  They help the defense, but they are boring.

 

I don't agree with that reasoning at all. How many times a pitcher throws to first to hold a runner close has NOTHING to do with how many balls it takes to walk a batter.

 

When leadoffs are restricted or steals limited to so many in a game, then this would make sense. And we know that ain't gonna happen.

[YASNY]

Well, if an insect flew into the batter's face, or a hot dog wrapper blew across the plate or if someone ran onto the field, the umpire would of course call time.  It's just the interminable "pitcher looks in, gets the sign, sets, starts windup, batter asks for time, time is granted" crap that happens seemingly every AB.  It's annoying, it's unfair to the pitcher and the fans and it doesn't matter in the game since it helps/hinders both teams equally.

 

Baseball is the only game with unlimited timeouts.  That makes zero sense.  The thing is, if you implemented the timeout rule, and the rule about the batter's box that initially started the discussion, you would notice that the games were faster, but you wouldn't really notice why. Why do Nomar and Chuck Knoblauch (just to name two) have to step out after every pitch and mess with their gloves, jerseys, etc.  Play baseball, for Pete's sake.

 

 

There's also the problem of the pitcher just not delivering the pitch. A batter can only stay primed and ready for so long until he loses concentration. The delays are one thing, but not allowing a batter to call time won't work.

[Texsox]

When I'm at an independent league game I am shocked by how quickly they play without cameras, commercials, etc. When I am at a game it just seems wrong when I can get up, go to the bathroom, grab a beer, two hotdogs, and miss 2 pitches.

[Mplssoxfan]

When I'm at an independent league game I am shocked by how quickly they play without cameras, commercials, etc. When I am at a game it just seems wrong when I can get up, go to the bathroom, grab a beer, two hotdogs, and miss 2 pitches.

 

 

I agree 100%. There's no reason at all for a nine-inning baseball game to take longer than 2:30. None at all, except for the preening of the players and the blaring of the commercials. Oh, well, it's tough to stuff the genie back into the bottle.