2017 MLB Offseason - Spring Training Lets Go

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Emperoreddy

Show Me What You Got!
Apr 13, 2010
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MLB is testing and debating some rule changes to speed games up.

One is to just turn intentional walks into a signal instead of the 4 pitches. Ok, but this doesn't actually save much, if any time, and you lose those fun plays when the pitcher or catcher screws up.

The other change is to start extra innings with a runner on second. This is just straight stupid.

I get wanting to speed games up, but this doesn't seem to be the way.
 

njdevils1982

Hell Toupée!!!
Sep 8, 2006
37,786
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North of Toronto
MLB is testing and debating some rule changes to speed games up.

One is to just turn intentional walks into a signal instead of the 4 pitches. Ok, but this doesn't actually save much, if any time, and you lose those fun plays when the pitcher or catcher screws up.

The other change is to start extra innings with a runner on second. This is just straight stupid.

I get wanting to speed games up, but this doesn't seem to be the way.



that doesnt speed game up ….both are well, ****ing stupid ideas…….the runner on second is nhl shootout gimmick times ten.

the runner on second completely changes the nature of baseball and the game long strategies that you would use even if to set up a 9th inning or extra innings win….or even set your batting order up.

and im all for the DH rule to stay as it relates to the 2 leagues.

what is it now? 15 seconds to throw a pitch…..or something like that….


the game's pace is fine.
 

Davegarri

Much Doge, Wow Moon
Jan 8, 2014
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NJ
I'm leaving Sunday for St lucie to see the mets spring training for the first time! I'm so pumped. My grandparents live 30 minutes north so I'll be crashing at their place for free for 5 nights. Can't beat the $114 round trip flight on United. It's my first spring training so if anyone has some tips for me please share!

As for those two rule changes they're pretty stupid. Only one that i wouldnt really care about is the intentional walk rule. It won't save too much time, but whatever. It's irrelevant to me. The starting a runner on second in extras is dumb as ****. I'll be so pissed if that happens.

Want a way to speed up the game? Make managers challenge a play immediately. Don't let them stand on the top of the stairs after every questionable play waiting for their replay guy to say if it's good to challenge or not. The amount of times a game that happens is ridiculous.
 

Feed Me A Stray Cat

Registered User
Mar 27, 2005
14,847
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Boston, MA
I'm on board with a signal for intentional walks. Always thought it was weird that you had to go through with all four pitches.

Hate the idea of starting the extra innings with a runner on 2nd.

The issue with baseball isn't the length of games that go into extra innings. It's the length of games in general.

Actually enforcing the rulebook on how much time pitchers take between pitches will go a long way in making games shorter. I think it's something like 12 seconds. But most pitchers take over 20. Also, why should batters be allowed to call for time in the batters box? Imagine that in any other sport: "Sorry, I'm not ready. Give me a second." That should be done away with too.

http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.as...am=0&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&sort=11,d

Pitchers who took the longest in between pitches last year: Iwakuma, Price, Tanaka, Sabathia, Nelson, all around 24-25 seconds. Shortest were Miley, Dickey, Denricks, Fister Fernandez, all around 17-19 seconds.

If the guys who took around 24 seconds took 19 seconds, that would save 25 minutes over a full game (assuming 300 total pitches between two teams).
 

Feed Me A Stray Cat

Registered User
Mar 27, 2005
14,847
144
Boston, MA
that doesnt speed game up ….both are well, ****ing stupid ideas…….the runner on second is nhl shootout gimmick times ten.

the runner on second completely changes the nature of baseball and the game long strategies that you would use even if to set up a 9th inning or extra innings win….or even set your batting order up.

and im all for the DH rule to stay as it relates to the 2 leagues.

what is it now? 15 seconds to throw a pitch…..or something like that….


the game's pace is fine.

The rulebook says 12. And it is not even close to enforced.

Max time: Price at 25.6 sec
Min time: Miley at 17.8 sec
Median: 22.0 sec
 

Feed Me A Stray Cat

Registered User
Mar 27, 2005
14,847
144
Boston, MA
I'm leaving Sunday for St lucie to see the mets spring training for the first time! I'm so pumped. My grandparents live 30 minutes north so I'll be crashing at their place for free for 5 nights. Can't beat the $114 round trip flight on United. It's my first spring training so if anyone has some tips for me please share!

As for those two rule changes they're pretty stupid. Only one that i wouldnt really care about is the intentional walk rule. It won't save too much time, but whatever. It's irrelevant to me. The starting a runner on second in extras is dumb as ****. I'll be so pissed if that happens.

Want a way to speed up the game? Make managers challenge a play immediately. Don't let them stand on the top of the stairs after every questionable play waiting for their replay guy to say if it's good to challenge or not. The amount of times a game that happens is ridiculous.

Totally agreed on that front. 15 seconds to challenge or you're SOOL.

Another idea: maybe some people like when managers come out to argue with umps, but I hate it. It's dumb more often than that. Automatic suspension for managers if the umpire tells them to go back in dugout and they don't.
 

Davegarri

Much Doge, Wow Moon
Jan 8, 2014
5,636
3,446
NJ
Totally agreed on that front. 15 seconds to challenge or you're SOOL.

Another idea: maybe some people like when managers come out to argue with umps, but I hate it. It's dumb more often than that. Automatic suspension for managers if the umpire tells them to go back in dugout and they don't.

I'd say 15 seconds is too long for them to challenge. Make it like 5 tops. That way no one has the chance to look at anything.

I'm fine with arguing. If you got rid of it you wouldn't have some gems that come away from it, like all of the Wally Backman arguments lol
 

Billdo

Registered User
Oct 28, 2008
19,354
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Ocean County
A few ways to speed up the game IMO...

Enforce the "clock" during an at bat. Batters shouldn't be adjusting batting gloves, taking a stroll out of the box, fixing their nuts, etc during an at bat. On the same note, pitchers need to up the pace for most part. A lot of them, predominantly relievers, take a very long time in between pitches.

Next would be to enlarge the strike zone, albeit a smallish amount. The strike zone SHOULD be belt to knee cap. It's getting way to small. Make batters have to swing. Everyone loves a great 16,17 pitch at bat where it's pitcher vs batter but the annoying 5 pitch at bat that takes a minute and winds up being a ground out is annoying.

Starting extras with a runner at second is so childish and silly.
 

njdevils1982

Hell Toupée!!!
Sep 8, 2006
37,786
24,421
North of Toronto
I'm on board with a signal for intentional walks. Always thought it was weird that you had to go through with all four pitches.

Hate the idea of starting the extra innings with a runner on 2nd.

The issue with baseball isn't the length of games that go into extra innings. It's the length of games in general.

Actually enforcing the rulebook on how much time pitchers take between pitches will go a long way in making games shorter. I think it's something like 12 seconds. But most pitchers take over 20. Also, why should batters be allowed to call for time in the batters box? Imagine that in any other sport: "Sorry, I'm not ready. Give me a second." That should be done away with too.

http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.as...am=0&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&sort=11,d

Pitchers who took the longest in between pitches last year: Iwakuma, Price, Tanaka, Sabathia, Nelson, all around 24-25 seconds. Shortest were Miley, Dickey, Denricks, Fister Fernandez, all around 17-19 seconds.

If the guys who took around 24 seconds took 19 seconds, that would save 25 minutes over a full game (assuming 300 total pitches between two teams).

so it would be like when american airlines served one less olive per salad on flights and saved a bunch of money
 

NJDevs26

Once upon a time...
Mar 21, 2007
67,115
31,150
I'm on board with a signal for intentional walks. Always thought it was weird that you had to go through with all four pitches.

There is always that every once in a while play where Gary Sanchez clubbed an intentional ball to the wall last year, or Johnny Bench got faked out in the World Series on strike three way back when, but the percentage of intentional walk pitches that go awry are about the same percentage of kickers missing 20-yard extra points. I don't think it's a big deal either way since there's maybe one intentional walk every two or three games now, it saves thirty seconds at most.
 

Emperoreddy

Show Me What You Got!
Apr 13, 2010
129,830
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New Jersey, Exit 16E
Yeah intentional walks are on the decline so it wouldn't speed the game up much.

Cut down on all the stall tactics. It is far to easy to drag a game to a crawl if one team wants to.
 

tr83

Nope, still embarassed
Oct 14, 2013
14,602
3,693
Jersey Shore
A few ways to speed up the game IMO...

Enforce the "clock" during an at bat. Batters shouldn't be adjusting batting gloves, taking a stroll out of the box, fixing their nuts, etc during an at bat. On the same note, pitchers need to up the pace for most part. A lot of them, predominantly relievers, take a very long time in between pitches.

Next would be to enlarge the strike zone, albeit a smallish amount. The strike zone SHOULD be belt to knee cap. It's getting way to small. Make batters have to swing. Everyone loves a great 16,17 pitch at bat where it's pitcher vs batter but the annoying 5 pitch at bat that takes a minute and winds up being a ground out is annoying.

Starting extras with a runner at second is so childish and silly.

I agree with all of this

Once you're in the batters box, you can't step out of the box for 4 pitches in a row unless you foul the ball off yourself, or something like that. Let the second base umpire keep track of that.

If they want a pitching change, the manager shouldn't stroll out there, talk with pitcher, then finally decide on who's coming out. Signal the umpire and let the reliever run out from the bullpen.



This nonsense about automatic intentional walks seemingly is a thumb in the eye to those screaming loud enough about this issue
 

Billdo

Registered User
Oct 28, 2008
19,354
16,178
Ocean County
This nonsense about automatic intentional walks seemingly is a thumb in the eye to those screaming loud enough about this issue

Intentional walks don't even happen all that often. They happen once every 2.5 games. So over the course of a 162 game it's going to happen 64.5 times. It won't even be a noticeable difference.
 

Bleedred

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How about 5 foul balls (after the 2nd strike) and it becomes strike 3?

Just an idea that I've had for a while now, though I'm okay with not messing with that either.

I just get annoyed when seeing frickin 10 pitches on the same batter, because he's ripping all these foul balls, while sitting on 2 strikes.
 

Emperoreddy

Show Me What You Got!
Apr 13, 2010
129,830
75,220
New Jersey, Exit 16E
Managers don't need to be making mound visits unless they are changing or injury.

Cut out the pep talks at the mound. Make them official TOs or something where you only get one or two a game tops.
 

Billdo

Registered User
Oct 28, 2008
19,354
16,178
Ocean County
How about 5 foul balls (after the 2nd strike) and it becomes strike 3?

Just an idea that I've had for a while now, though I'm okay with not messing with that either.

I just get annoyed when seeing frickin 10 pitches on the same batter, because he's ripping all these foul balls, while sitting on 2 strikes.

I like the really good like high teen pitch at bats where it's batter vs pitcher in who is going to make the first mistake, I guess that's contradictory with this. I would however like to see a bigger strike zone so the batters HAVE to swing more.
 

Bleedred

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I like the really good like high teen pitch at bats where it's batter vs pitcher in who is going to make the first mistake, I guess that's contradictory with this. I would however like to see a bigger strike zone so the batters HAVE to swing more.

Maybe it's just because I'm not a huge baseball fan anymore, 10 pitches on the same batter is a pet peeve of mine when watching the game. It seems like whenever I need a bathroom break or need to get up for a second, that's what's happening.:laugh:
 

Billdo

Registered User
Oct 28, 2008
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Maybe it's just because I'm not a huge baseball fan anymore, 10 pitches on the same batter is a pet peeve of mine when watching the game. It seems like whenever I need a bathroom break or need to get up for a second, that's what's happening.:laugh:

It's understandable, I just like the battle of who is going to make a mistake first. I do however hate them ending with a walk.
 

Ripshot 43

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Jul 21, 2010
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I'm all for speeding up the game (very difficult to watch with full attention on tv) but I would be weary of changing any rules that will help lower a pitchers pitch count. Specifically targeting Bleeds idea. If we did that, you would see even more games dominated by the top pitchers in the league.
 

Bleedred

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I'm all for speeding up the game (very difficult to watch with full attention on tv) but I would be weary of changing any rules that will help lower a pitchers pitch count. Specifically targeting Bleeds idea. If we did that, you would see even more games dominated by the top pitchers in the league.

I'm not really strongly a proponent of this, just an idea I had.

I don't feel super strongly about it though,
 

StvBroDan

vPLAY WITH HEARTv
Oct 15, 2008
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World Classic Baseball has been pretty good. Yanks doing well in spring training games. Means nothing. Nice to see the youth doing some good work.
 
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