BASEBALL NEEDS A PITCH CLOCK! (equal of nba shot clock/nfl playclock)

[DarthRambo]

Seriously! They need to find a way to speed up the game. I suggest a 35 or 40 seconds pitch clock. Frrom the time the catcher receives the ball from the pitcher, a 35 or 40 seconds clock starts counting down. If it reaches 0 and there is no thrown pitch, it is considered a balk.

Baseball can gain a lot more fans if they did something like this to speed up the game.

[Sportsforever]

Quote: Originally Posted by IrishSalsa

Seriously! They need to find a way to speed up the game. I suggest a 35 or 40 seconds pitch clock. Frrom the time the catcher receives the ball from the pitcher, a 35 or 40 seconds clock starts counting down. If it reaches 0 and there is no thrown pitch, it is considered a balk. Baseball can gain a lot more fans if they did something like this to speed up the game.

Yes, baseball needs to speed up the game, but they already have this rule. The pitcher is supposed to pitch the ball within 12 seconds of receiving it or it's an automatic ball. Rules, however brilliant they may be, are useless if umpires don't enforce them.

[DirrtySouth78]

I've always said that the one way to speed up game is lower the TV timeouts. I understand that it will never happen, but having a TV break then pitcher pitch to one batter, another TV timeout, etc on top of the 3 1/2 minute inning breaks slow it down.

Another one is keep batter in box. Watching a guy adjust everything, take 4 practice swings, step in then go through a routine after every pitch is a lil much sometimes. Everytime I think that type thing is getting better I see a guy do his best Nomar impersonation.

[Majingir]

They really should have something like this. Look at some pitchers in the MLB like Mark Buehrle, his games usually last around 2hrs cause of how fast he pitches. But then we get these other pitchers who take forever to pitch.

If they reduced the amount of time it takes a pitcher to throw the ball to even 5 seconds less per pitch, that'd equal around 20 mins less it'd take to complete the game!

[p_rushing]

They would also need to enforce hitters staying in the box. The batter should get 5 seconds and then the pitcher gets 15 after that. That would be 20 seconds, plenty of time to get the signal and throw the ball.

What will happen though is a lot of time outs and the catcher holding the ball to give the pitcher more time to rest between pitches.

[royals19]

I don't know... I think the game should just play at it's own rate. It's hard to know as a player that you're on the clock and that you have to have your mind made up... Baseball is really a feel game and all about being comfortable. I know from expirience that pitchers like to work at their own pace or rhythm and batters don't like to be rushed. As a batter, you don't like it if the pitcher is up on the rubber and throwing you pitches at a consistent rate because that puts the AB in his favor. As a pitcher, you want to be able to control the pace of the game and if there's some sort of clock then it'll take away that element from the game.

I can't help but think that a clock would impact the performance of players in a negative way.

[Sportsforever]

Quote: Originally Posted by royals19

I don't know... I think the game should just play at it's own rate. It's hard to know as a player that you're on the clock and that you have to have your mind made up... Baseball is really a feel game and all about being comfortable. I know from expirience that pitchers like to work at their own pace or rhythm and batters don't like to be rushed. As a batter, you don't like it if the pitcher is up on the rubber and throwing you pitches at a consistent rate because that puts the AB in his favor. As a pitcher, you want to be able to control the pace of the game and if there's some sort of clock then it'll take away that element from the game. I can't help but think that a clock would impact the performance of players in a negative way.

I agree that baseball is a 'timeless' game not played to a clock, but in the beginning baseball did have a clock...the sun. All games were day games and had to be finished in time before the sun went down, therefore players who dawdled weren't tolerated. With the advent of nice baseball that changed and has continued to trickle down.

[ImTellinTim]

Quote: Originally Posted by DirrtySouth78

I've always said that the one way to speed up game is lower the TV timeouts. I understand that it will never happen, but having a TV break then pitcher pitch to one batter, another TV timeout, etc on top of the 3 1/2 minute inning breaks slow it down. Another one is keep batter in box. Watching a guy adjust everything, take 4 practice swings, step in then go through a routine after every pitch is a lil much sometimes. Everytime I think that type thing is getting better I see a guy do his best Nomar impersonation.

Aren't those "TV timeouts" just the pitcher coming from the bullpen and taking his allotted warmup pitches from the mound?