MLB, Just Like The Show, Concerned About Time It Takes to Finish A Game

[RhodeIslandRebel]

One of the great things about baseball is that it does not have a time limit. It is a game to be enjoyed not placed under rules designed to quicken the game. Personally I think it is the broadcast companies that want the game to end quicker so they can put on another show and increase revenue. By trying to rush the game you are changing the game and destroying the ageless beauty of the game. If we continue in the direction we are going baseball will need to change its name to "Speed Ball".

[Bunselpower32]

Love all of the awesome baseball comments here! I'm fine with them making the pitchers hurry up, someone like Edwin Jackson was unbearable to watch. The ump is well within his right to do that without the new rules.

But what gets me is they want to complain about time. Then they want mroe offense, one way being to take away the low strike. They do understand that there's a direct correlation between time and offense right? I can't believe I'm saying it, but the new commissioner is so much worse than Selig it isn't even funny. That guy is a knee jerk reactor who's first instinct is to change rules and change the game when a "problem" arises.

[Ghost Of The Year]

Quote: Originally Posted by RhodeIslandRebel

If we continue in the direction we are going baseball will need to change its name to "Speed Ball".

Maybe 'Fastball' would be better, Speed Ball didn't work out well for Ken Caminiti & Eric Show.

[Shadymamba]

Quote: Originally Posted by bcruise

Maybe don't spend 10 minutes trying to figure out multiple replay challenges? Call it inconclusive, call stands after 3 or so if there's no clear resolution.

Thank you!

[baseballsim]

For Online Head to Head games the pause timer was reduced from 6 minutes to 5 minutes in patch 1.0.4. Did someone complain 6 minutes was too long or something?

That extra minute was fair, IMHO, especially when you have a lot of bunt defense changes to make and also to supplement shortcomings that come with defensive shifting, etc.

[sirwoodz]

i don't see a problem with adding the pitch clock. I remember in the 90's players would step out and adjust their gloves and walk so far from the batters box. it use to kill me - baseball needs to actually enforce some of their game delaying rules. also do away with instant replay.

[Ghost Of The Year]

Quote: Originally Posted by sirwoodz

i don't see a problem with adding the pitch clock. I remember in the 90's players would step out and adjust their gloves and walk so far from the batters box. it use to kill me - baseball needs to actually enforce some of their game delaying rules. also do away with instant replay.

I'd feel better about having to make a pitch within 20 seconds of getting the ball back from the catcher if the clock wasn't a traditional, visible one. Maybe when it got down to the last 3 seconds, there could be a set of 3 lights behind the backstop that clicked off one by one. And the ump would have like a special watch that buzzed or vibrated to let him know the 20 seconds were up. I just don't want an obtrusive clock in baseball. And I would hope TV would refrain from showing one as well.

[tinpanalley]

There are two reasons the game feels like it takes too long (in my opinion) and it has very little to do with the duration of individual games.
1. Part of it has to do with the season being about 50-60 games too long. (Personally, I think the game could easily run from May to August with the playoffs in September). If the season was shorter people wouldn't have as big of a problem with individual game duration because more games would actually MEAN something. As it stands, if you're not in a playoff push, your season is done in July. And even for teams that are in a race, losing an entire series doesn't REALLY kill you until September. Not to mention the fact that the four game is ridiculous when it can (and often does) end in a tie. Season's just too long. And if it was shorter people would get more into it. The most exciting NHL season of the last 10-15 years was the shortened season after the strike because most teams were in it until very late.
2. Culturally, Americans are not the same audience neither in person or on TV anymore. And a game like this isn't built for North American viewing styles. In the rest of the world people have no problem watching cricket and other sports that are lengthy, non-clock games because I think they quite simply have more appreciation. There are several factors for this which are too many go into but North American sports audiences are quite simply not as into sports GENERALLY as people in other countries who have less sports to distract them.