WBOB Original Reads

MLB RULE CHANGES: Speed It Up, Gang

2/17/2017

Tyler Salk

On a recent episode of Psycho Sports, Ryan Fox, Pal and myself got into a discussion about the pace of play in major league baseball. A recent rule change in the World Baseball Classic, and rookie levels Arizona League and Gulf Coast League proposes to put runners on base to start each extra inning. The show is definitely worth a listen. If this rule comes to the Majors, will this be a good thing or a bad thing?

Pros:

Games will be shorter- I’m a baseball fan, I like the length of a game, but when someone is with you that isn’t, in theory this means that they’ll complain a lot less. If runs are scored quicker, instead of having four scoreless extra innings, Rob Manfred’s attempts to speed up the game will definitely be successful.
It will be a lot more exciting- The pressure on a relief pitcher is already insane late in games. When there is a runner in scoring position to start the inning, things get a little more nerve-wracking. We either get the excitement of a team scoring runs, or see a pitcher not let any pressure get to him, holding the opposing team scoreless despite a huge advantage.
Pitchers can stay healthy- Elbow issues are a growing problem across baseball. Players have been throwing too many pitches, and relievers do not get the chance to rest if the game goes too long. This will allow teams to end games quicker, and ultimately preserve some pitchers for the next game.

Cons:

It’s TOO easy to score- We call runners on second and third base runners in scoring position. As fans, we expect them to score when they are there with less than two outs. The first batter in an inning can hit a ground ball to right field that scores a runner. It still takes talent to hit a Major League fastball, but the loss of competition is a little too severe for my taste.
Financials- Let’s take a financial look at things. We’d all rather watch the game than commercials, however the commercials help the league make money. The ad revenue goes towards salaries. In a league with such a wide margin in spending, teams like the Athletics and Rays shouldn’t be put into a situation where they can make less money. More ads equals more money, which equals a more competitive small market team. Let the game go on.
Real Baseball fans- Would a real baseball fan have a problem with the pace of play? This has nothing to do with this specific rule change, but as Ryan Fox said during the firstfew minutes of the broadcast , a real baseball fan doesn’t mind the pace of the game. It’s the people who are only watching it when they do not want to watch who mind. Please the loyal baseball fan, not the person who will stop watching completely the minute football season starts. Those of us who like baseball love it for what it is, a patient game.

The game of baseball is fantastic. With the season starting in less than two months, it’s time to get excited for it. But are these measures the right ones to speed up the pace of play.