5:42 PM Wed, May 21, 2008 | Permalink
Carleton Cole
E-mail
|
Maybe I'm in the minority, but does Major League Baseball really need to speed up the game?
Today we received a news release, "Major League Baseball Focuses on Pace of Game Efforts." Some of the things the umpires asked to do:
1. Actively call the batter to approach home plate from the on-deck circle and enter the batter's box.
2. Not grant "time" to a batter who asks for time once the pitcher has begun his delivery. If the batter leaves the batter's box without time and the pitcher delivers the pitch, the umpire will call the pitch as if the batter had not left the box.
3. Warn a batter who is lingering outside the batter's box to return to the box. If the batter refuses to enter the box, the umpire will issue an automatic strike to the batter without a pitch having to be delivered.
4. Actively encourage the pitcher to take his position on the pitching rubber.
5. Warn a pitcher for his first violation of the 12 second time limit.
6. Issue a pitcher a "ball" for each subsequent violation of the 12 second time limit.
Please, do we really need a directive like this from the Commissioner's Office to make the game faster?
One of the reasons why baseball is such a great game is that it is not timed. There isn't a 24 second shot clock, or 12:00 quarter intervals.
The game begins when the umpire says, "Play Ball," and ends with the final out.
Now I'm not advocating we need more nicknames like, "The human rain delay," and yes, it is indeed frustrating when watching a player check his batting gloves, tip his helmet, pull up his pants and then cross himself between every pitch.
However baseball is America's pastime, and the ebb and flow is part of the experience. I'm also concerned with the number of commercials and promos added to the broadcasts, producers are having trouble as is getting all of their "spots" in. We've already noticed too many times where the start of the 'live' action was missed because the announcer hadn't finished an ad or the latest upcoming give away.
I was hoping to see a directive from the Commissioner's office today, but one addressing the use of instant replay. Twice this week the "Men in blue" blew home run calls. A peak at the video tape not only help get the call right, it might speed up the time wasted by the managers' disputes.
Leave a comment