MLB The Show 16 News Post

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

04:31 PM - May 17, 2016 by RaychelSnr

Last year, the creators of MLB The Show went all in on making sure you could finish a game of The Show in a reasonable amount of time. The results since then have been a streamlined experience with the ability to play through games at a pretty fast pace.

The folks at Major League Baseball are similarly concerned with the pace of play, as games this year are taking about four minutes longer on average than they were last year.

Quote:


	"Baseball games are getting longer this season, though. According to ESPN, the length of average MLB game in 2016 has stretched three hours and 26 seconds. That doesn't sound like a huge increase, but when you add four minutes to 2,430 games a year in the regular season, *it adds up to an additional 6.83 days* worth of baseball**. If you watch all 162 games of a given team, a four-minute increase per game adds up to 10.8 hours over the course of a season."

The pace of play in baseball is something which is always an interesting debate. Pitch clocks have been instituted in the minor leagues with great results at shortening the game.

Another change the MLB may look at include limiting the amount of mound visits which can be made during the course of a game.

The latter two proposals both could have big impacts on how you play The Show in the future. What do you think? Does baseball need to change the rules to speed up to the pace of play?

Game: MLB The Show 16Reader Score: 8/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS3 / PS4Votes for game: 23 - View All

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Member Comments

# 21 KBLover @ 05/17/16 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhiteBunny


	It makes perfect sense but maybe it's one of the reason why a game takes so long.

Yeah, it's like why does an hour long game of (NFL) football take 3+ hours to play? The TV timeouts don't help.

But all MLB has to do is use Statcast to figure out the most common count where there's "action" (ball in play) and implement Quick Counts. Give the home plate umpire an app that generates a random number from 0-3 for balls and 0-2 for strikes with the bell curve centered around that "most common" count.

Then when a batter steps in the box, the ump uses the app and announces the count.

Or just have every batter be in a 3-2 count. Then it's almost like one-pitch mode. You get action on every pitch (either a K, a BB, a ball in play, or a swing and foul).

I better stop before MLB gets ideas LOL.

# 22 Ghost Of The Year @ 05/17/16 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brushbackpitch


	Leave the game alone! It's pure in its truest form. Because people today don't have the attention span to truly watch and understand the game doesn't mean it needs to be changed. It means that it will have a different, breed of fan.

No MLB game today is anywhere near it's most pure & true form, yet because it's the greatest game ever invented, even today's bastardised MLBl is still better than any other game IMO

# 23 Ruben2424 @ 05/17/16 09:06 PM

I'm a hardcore Baseball fan so I say leave Baseball the way it is!!!

# 24 jada855 @ 05/17/16 09:16 PM

I can never once recall while playing short stop man this game takes for ever! The game actually goes by pretty quickly when you are out there on the field. A true fan of the sport understands this.

As for the virtual side of things. MLB THE SHOW 15 nailed this by giving us all the options we needed to play the way we wanted and for how long we wanted.

MLB THE SHOW 16 dropped the ball on this not sure why they touched something that was currently working.

# 25 brushbackpitch @ 05/18/16 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ghost Of The Year


	No MLB game today is anywhere near it's most pure & true form, yet because it's the greatest game ever invented, even today's bastardised MLBl is still better than any other game IMO

I absolutely agree! Just wish they would leave it the way it was when baseball was baseball and the game was great! I miss the days of Rose, Gibson, 4 SP rotations, no pitch counts and more.

# 26 Rhouston @ 05/18/16 09:30 AM

The hardcore fan (which seems to be most of the people here) wants the game to last as long as possible. However, for everyone else -- the VAST majority of fans in attendance or watching on TV -- the game definitely has the possibility to be TOO DAMN LONG.

It's one thing for it to be a 3+ hour game on a sunny and warm Saturday or Sunday afternoon -- most adult fans would be fine with this. It's a completely other thing for it to be a 3+ hour game on a weeknight (when many people have to be up early the next day for work), or during poor weather -- then, the game seems to last FOREVER.

I was at a Cubs night game last week, and about 1/3 of the fans left after the 7th inning strech, simply because it was already 10pm and the Cubs were up by four runs. I'm sure this will elicit a response such as "THEY'RE NOT REAL FANS!" but I gotta say, part of me wishes I did the same, as I was struggling the next morning as I did not get home until 11:30 and had to be up at 5:45.

A 20 second pitch clock would be much appreciated and honestly isn't THAT unreasonable. Or make games 8 innings instead of 9.

# 27 KBLover @ 05/18/16 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rhouston


	A 20 second pitch clock would be much appreciated and honestly isn't THAT unreasonable. Or make games 8 innings instead of 9.

IF either one of those had to go in - it better be the pitch clock. Changing number of innings?

No. Just...please no.

# 28 NYJin2011tm @ 05/18/16 01:08 PM

Batters should stay in the box between pitches and pitchers should only be allowed to step off if runners are on base.

# 29 NYJin2011tm @ 05/18/16 01:12 PM

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.

They even take 10 or more minutes on even the clear cut replays where all they really need is one look...crazy.

Keith Hernandez is funny during replays. He starts going on and on..."Let's go fellas", "Let's move it along already"

# 30 bestbrother @ 05/18/16 03:31 PM

Someone mentioned it before, but bring in quick counts.

2 dice, 1 red (for balls) that goes from 1-3 and another black (for strikes) with 1 and 2 on.

Umpire rolls them before the at bat and away we go.

Also for the road team, foul balls are fair. That means the crowd get involved as that extra fielder. Down the line, teams may even hire extra players to place them strategically in the crowd... Designated Fielders as such.

Adds a new dimension to it all.

# 31 baconbits11 @ 05/18/16 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bestbrother


	Someone mentioned it before, but bring in quick counts. 2 dice, 1 red (for balls) that goes from 1-3 and another black (for strikes) with 1 and 2 on. Umpire rolls them before the at bat and away we go. Also for the road team, foul balls are fair. That means the crowd get involved as that extra fielder. Down the line, teams may even hire extra players to place them strategically in the crowd... Designated Fielders as such. Adds a new dimension to it all.

Dice huh? That might open the door for Pete Rose to get back in.

# 32 KBLover @ 05/19/16 04:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by baconbits11


	Dice huh? That might open the door for Pete Rose to get back in.

Or at least start a business and be the official supplier and sponsor of the "Count Dice".

The "1" can have a his mug shot on that face instead of the single pip.

Maybe he can do the first roll in Cincy, too.

# 33 Neil33 @ 05/19/16 10:54 AM

Leave the game alone. It's all about the networks, they are the ones complaining games take too long. Professional baseball has been played for nearly 150 years now and to me, it's one of the most beautiful games you can play or watch. Just let 'em play. (I do occasionally get miffed when a manger will make three pitching changes in one inning to face three hitters, LOL).

# 34 wutangfourever @ 05/19/16 11:03 AM

How about a shorter timer between innings instead of pitches, cutting down all the commercials every three outs would speed up the time of watching a game.

# 35 tessl @ 05/19/16 11:43 AM

My observation about length of games is this - it was not a problem for about 100 years but now with the short attention span a lot of people have they want to speed up a game which has no clock.

# 36 KBLover @ 05/19/16 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tessl


	My observation about length of games is this - it was not a problem for about 100 years but now with the short attention span a lot of people have they want to speed up a game which has no clock.

And it really doesn't take that much longer than NFL football games, and those have a clock.

# 37 Ghost Of The Year @ 05/19/16 02:24 PM

MLB can reduce game times any time they're ready. Right now they're not serious about reducing game times. It's all lip service. Offense is what owners think ****** fans care most about, & there is a whole hell lot more ****** fans than hardcore fans. When MLB is really ready to get games to under 2&half hours, they can raise the mound back to 15 to inches (mound height from 1903-1968) from the current 10 inch height limit. Getting rid of the DH could also help, though not drastically. The problem is it normally takes 20 minutes to play an inning & if MLB can get that down to 15 minutes, I think they'll have what they want.

# 38 TarHeelPhenom @ 05/19/16 11:41 PM

The issue for me in all 3 major sports are the tv timeouts. I understand that advertising helps to pay the bills...but i hate being at a college football game and the action having to be stopped due to tv timeouts...you add to that how long it takes for replays and such...and a game that used to last 2 hours is now a 3+ hour game. As for baseball, growing up baseball was my favorite sport. I couldnt get enough of it and it didnt matter how long it took. But now, at age 40, maybe my attention span is not as long anymore; but it just seems like games are way longer than it used to be. Playing The Show on broadcast w/o QC's and the game lasts 2 hours...and this is a video game!! I would love to play this game to its fulness...but with limited time as a family man and having a fulltime job, in order for me to maximize my playing time, i have to use QC's and skip some cutscenes. I appreciate Sony for considering that.

# 39 Mauer4MVP @ 05/20/16 01:20 PM

I never understand these time saver discussions if it's not more than 10-15 minutes. Sure 4 minutes a game made up to 10+ additional hours, but that's not how time works.

You can't add all those minutes together and use them at once. It's 4 minutes today and 4 minutes the next day. So it's up the individual. "What else could I be using these 4 minutes for? Going to the bathroom?"

# 40 countryboy @ 05/20/16 01:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bullit


	In my opinion, I wish they would just leave it alone (both MLB and Thein the Show) I don't watch or play a game of baseball because I'm in a hurry. When I'm at the park with a cold beer, hot dog and a score book, I have NEVER thought "this game is just taking too long" I am the same way with The Show. I never jump scenes, fast forward thru innings. I just want to relax and enjoy a game of baseball. I even just put the controller down at times just so the idle animations will play. There is enough, hurry up, instant gratification and self entitlement in the world today. Leave it out of Baseball.

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