Major League Baseball’s competition committee is considering a reduction of the pitch clock with runners on base, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN. In 2023, the clock was set at 20 seconds with runners on but the new proposal would see that reduced to 18 seconds next year. The 15-second clock with bases empty is not under consideration for a change. The committee is also considering a reduction in the number of mound visits each team is allowed per game, from five to four.
2023 was the first year with a pitch clock at the MLB level and it had the desired effect of reducing game times and speeding up the pace of play. Per a report from Ronald Blum of the Associated Press at the end of the regular season, the average game time was two hours and 40 minutes in the most recent season, a 24-minute decrease from the season before. However, Passan’s report today indicates that gradually crept up as the season went along and players adjusted to the new rules. The average game length was 2:37 in April but inched up to 2:44 by September. It seems the league hopes to stop that trend by reducing one of the two clocks.
This is likely to get push back from some players, many of whom wanted adjustments to the clock for the postseason out of concern for increased injury risk. However, it was reported in September that no such adjustments would be made. Passan reports that players have similar concerns about this new development, though they may not have much sway to stop it.
The players are outnumbered on the competition committee, as there are six members representing teams, four representing players and one umpire. This structure was agreed upon in the most recent collective bargaining agreement. That gives the league the power to implement rules even if players object, though doing so runs the risk of further souring relations that led to a lockout not too long ago. The players would reportedly be more open to the reduction if it also came with an increase to the bases-empty clock, but the league is apparently uninterested in that.
The committee can implement a change with 45 days’ notice. Since Spring Training starts in February, they would probably want to make a final decision before the calendar flips over to 2024. With the baseball world generally slowing down for the holidays in late December, it’s possible there’s some resolution on this matter in the next month or so.
Manfred needs to calm down
Just get rid of the clock for the playoffs and call it good.
Get rid of Manfred and allow baseball to be played. Runners have larger bases, they wear protection that increases their hand size and instead of enjoying the cat and mouse game between pitcher and runner, the pitch clock overwhelmingly favors the runner. Just stop the catcher from going to the mound or it’s called a managerial mound visit. With technology allowing for communication between the two, just get rid of other players visiting the mound.
Owners want more offense. Hitters get to use fancy bat grips, wear a ton of body protection, crowd the plate as a result (HBP numbers up the last 20+ years), no more taking out infielders on slides at all bases, no sticky substances for pitchers, juice balls (2019), on and on and on while pitchers lose a season to TJS.
No. If it’s in the regular season keep it in the playoffs. The pitch clock sped up the game. It succeeded at its goal. I like the faster games because I wanna watch a full game and having stuff in life like getting up for work can make that hard. I do however HATE the ghost runner.
Didn’t the ghost runner end up lengthening the time of games, if not the number of innings?
Agree that it’s stupid. Might as well just go to penalty kicks or some other gamified vaguely similar spinoff. Maybe a sudden death home run derby, 5 pitches per team.
Dewey: Totally agree. All of manfred’s changes, which he did to draw attention to himself so he’ll be touted as a visionary, benefit the offense. I’ve never understood why manfred and others wanted to speed up the game. I hate it when a game starts at noon and, by the time I get home an hour later, they’re already in the fifth inning. BB was the only sport that didn’t have a clock. You could get some junk food, find your seat and enjoy the game. Now you have to scarf down your food as fast as you can or bring a doggy bag with you. Make a comment to the person next to you and you’ve missed an inning. And God forbid if you have to use the restroom. You might as well strap on a catheter so you can get through the game. People don’t seem to mind three-hour football games. No one’s freaking out about that. manfred’s messing around with the game will get him attention, but not the kind he wants.
Tell this “dope on a rope” to stop ruining baseball!
Leave the damn thing alone… reduce mound visits??? So if your pitcher is in trouble, and the game is close,possibly throw game away because you are out of mound visits or you have to monitor the amount you have left??? Come on, stop messing with the integrity of the game
Btyf
Can’t spell “integrity” without “grity”
Stop making so much sense!!!
Because baseball is a form of entertainment, and it was not entertaining in its previous form. It’s much improved now. But why does a pitcher need his hand held every time he gets in trouble? He’s not alone out there, his catcher is still calling the game. Figure it out. You shouldn’t need an intervention every time a runner gets on base. My goodness, how much coddling do they need?
“Wasn’t entertaining in it’s previous form.” I really wouldn’t go that far…
So you’re suggesting men at the top of their profession who have put in an almost impossible amount of work to get there need to man up.
Makes sense.
The TV ratings and attendance figures say otherwise, which is why they had to make changes. If enough people felt the way you do, changes wouldn’t have been necessary, but that clearly wasn’t the case.
Enough “casual fans” felt that way perhaps? Not the lifers like me…Sound viable?
Uh, yeah, man up. A professional pitcher shouldn’t need a mound visit every time they give up a hit.
Pitch clock= bad
Too many mound visits= bad too
Both are bad.
I’m a lifer, and I have warmly received the elimination of the interminable rituals performed between each pitch by batters, and pitchers who take strolls between pitchers. Perhaps pitchers need to learn once again how to pitch and not simply throw. Since you are a lifer, you can remember when a game was played in under 3 hours as a matter of course.
I just can’t bring myself to believe that you “warmly” embraced it all. Has any baseball lifer ever been bothered by length of games though? It’s baseball. It’s a long game.
That’s what I like about it; it’s long and cerebral and requires mental endurance to REALLY stay in tune with the game. I think those of us that really love the game look at it from this analytical perspective and when you do that, you realize that literally every single pitch is like its own individual story. There’s a reason for every single pitch, the type, the location, whether he missed or hit the target, did the batter take, did he take because the sign was on or his knees are shaky, did he swing, was the swing a good swing or a bad swing, how does that swing compare to previous swings you’ve seen of that guy
This is how I view the game, it’s this beautiful puzzle to put together, it’s always there and sometimes maybe you just listen on the radio while you get stuff done around the house or on the car…and then dive deeper into the stats later on!
Spoken like a true prodigy! Way to lay it out Sodomojo!
I do get bothered by the three true outcomes. I do get bothered by the shift. I’ve never been bothered by extra innings, but I also realize that almost everyone who makes a living in the game of baseball hates extra innings.
Corradoj: The pitching coach needs to talk to the pitcher when a pinch hitter comes up and the pitcher needs to know what to throw to him. Or if a pitcher has lost his control. The pitching coach has observed what he’s doing wrong and needs to tell him. He could communicate to the pitcher from the dugout using semiphore signals or an Aldi’s lamp. Manfred would go for that because it would speed up the game even more. Pitchers, some of who call their own pitches with a device on their wrist, and catchers could use another device to pass along thoughts about the next hitter, but I’m afraid if they add another device the pitcher and catcher could get electrocuted.
I am DYING right now!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Top 3 comment I have ever read on here. Maybe #1… Oh man…Aldi’s lamp…Semiphore signals..electrocuted catcher…All timer right there Avenger…
And a professional football team shouldn’t have to have a huddle after every play. The NFL should make a rule change so that every team has to use the no-huddle offense. Could shave another half hour off the game time. They won’t because speeding up the game makes absolutely no sense in FB or bb.
It’s the thinking man’s game. What will the pitcher throw? Where? Should the batter bunt, swing away, take the pitch because he thinks he’s going to get a slider when instead it’s a fastball right down the middle? That’s why pitchers walk off the mound or a hitter walks out of the batter’s box. Not because they.need to stretch their legs.
You sound like an OG baseball guy. Like me. I luv it <3
I should have read your comments before I posted mine, sodo, because you put it a lot better than I did.
Sodo just got poetic and esoteric on us. You both put it equally well lol.
I think the pitch clock is great. I’ve always loved baseball and watched. No need for dead wasted time for no reason other then that’s the way it’s always been.
How bout 1 pitch strikeouts and 6 pitch walks? That might speed it up a bit. I also don’t like the players breathing so much.
It shouldn’t take anyone that long to think. I guess players will need to be smarter and be able to process in a timely manner. Imagine taking a break to make every minor decision in life.
It seems that the pitch clock is rather popular and you just countered that with an off the wall comparison.The pitch clock is never going away. Complaining about it is fruitless.
Welp. I guess that’s that. Thank You for setting me straight.
Football is a disaster to watch. Red flag, replay, review of the replay, the after further review call, assess the penalty, Ugh! Then commercials….
Good points, Sodomojo. I still think of the game like a catcher, even to the point of calling pitches in my head! When I see a mistake down the middle, I either cringe or smile.
The recent changes by MLB weren’t made to benefit the fans or increase attendance/viewership. The changes were made to have more commercials/advertising.
If a sport doesn’t bring in new fans the sport dies. Like it or not the game needed to change to accommodate that.
Complete and utter basterdization of the game.
Hyperbole much? Pitchers still pitch and hitters still hit. That is all I need to love the game. If all it takes to turn you off is a few less seconds between pitches than how much could you have really loved the game in the first place?
No no no. Nothing hyperbolic here. And I hardly mean JUST the pitch clock…It is just about EVERY rule change…I stand by my above remark.
You sound like a super casual fan. And that is OK too.
Nope. Been watching nearly every game since I was 12 years old.
It’s not like they are making players dunk a basketball before crossing home plate or putting a soccer net in the outfield you can score goals on. It’s really not a big deal.
Pitchers hate mound visits… It literally does nothing.
Agree
Hell no. The clock is a godsend we don’t need to slow down the playoffs to a snails pace
Instead of the pitch clock… why not end the stupid extra inning ghost runner? I would rather they end that.
I took my 9 year old niece to her first game last year, went into extras. She asked “why is there a runner starting on first to start the tenth? That’s dumb”
Touché Ashley, touché
Kids know best.
Sounds like ashley isnt the brightest crayon in the box either if she cant tell the difference between first and second base. Im totally jk btw just pointing out the runner starts on second
Hahaha, her uncle is the only dummy, she definitely said 2nd lol
Or shoot, did she? That was a few months and many beers ago
I figured lol
actually she was asking why first as she likely was confused knowing the runner should have been on second. She could teach her uncle a thing or two about baseball.
Still smarter than the wise guy who made up this softball rule in an MLB game
Cora: Dead on. It’s totally a softball rule. It doesn’t belong in bb.
It needs to be gone. In theory, you could lose a perfect game in 10 innings with this rule. 27 up, 27 down for the home team through a scoreless 9 innings. In the 10th, ground out to second to move the runner to third. Sac fly to score the run. Another random out and the home team doesn’t score in the bottom of the 10th. Now you have a 10 inning perfect game LOSS. There should no rule that allows for that to happen.
To me there is just nothing worse than the dreaded sac fly, sac fly bottom of the 10th to end the game.
Imagine being a relief pitcher, one of the hardest jobs in pro sports, and getting tagged with a loss, while only putting two clean outs on the board…
Even worse would be a couple of sac bunts. I could live with a sac fly, but I really wouldn’t want to get beat by a ball that didn’t travel 45 feet.
SODOMOJO: How many times did that happen in the 2023 season?
The fact that it’s even a possibility is abhorrent.
It’s been part of the game forever. Why does it need to change? Force pitchers to learn how to pitch again and stop tinkering with the ball. Years ago there was the pitching mound change and then the DH. Too many changes today. Also, outside of shin guards and cups of course, no more armor when coming to bat. The pitcher used to be able to pitch inside but batters dive in today.
Pretty sure it happened to my Brewers this year. Combined no-hitter lost in the 10th I believe.
Hiflew, I do believe the perfect game is in the record books after the end of the 9th inning, what happens in extra innings does not take the perfect game away!!!
Not true. Harvey Haddix lost his perfect game in the 13th inning and is not considered a perfect game.
I have though of this exactly. How ridiculous.
It could have happened to Harvey Haddixx. He was away pitcher that night. Pittsburgh at Milwaukee. He ended up losing perfecto on E-5 in 13th inning.
Sac bunt. Intentional Walk to Aaron. Adcock hits it over fence for game winning walk off single. 1-0. Look it up
Exactly my point. Well said. Lose 8 or 9 of those so-called losses and you could be out of the postseason despite being a good team on the bad end of several close losses on the road.
No way that happens in today’s game. Managers barely let their starters go 6 inning anymore; nevermind pitching into the 10th.
And how exactly would that shorten games? You’re doing the opposite of what they’re trying to do…. Your comment makes zero sense I have no idea how 10 people liked it already?
I would much rather they end regular season games in a tie after 9 or 10 innings than have the zombie runner in extras.
Lol you really think ties are better? And you think nobody would complain if they TIED? Give me a break dude…
Ties? Gross.
The pitch clock speeds up the games. They came up with the pitch clock after the ghost runner rule. They both technically serve the same purpose, to end games sooner. Now that the pitch clock rule is installed, take away the ghost runner rule since it’s terrible and affects the game infinitely more than the pitch clock rule.
I think I’m about the only one who likes it. I think it adds immediate drama and gets the games over quicker.
Admittedly part of this is for personal reasons as staying up until midnight to write a postgame write up can really suck.
Preach!!!
Put a trash can out in CF and see how many fungos it takes to get it in.
Too easy.
It would be like golf, but better because people would care about what happens.
IMO the clock is fine as it is. In fact, I’d argue that the regular pitch clock without runners onbase should be increased to 18 seconds.
As noted above, the average game time crept up to 2:44, but it is still under 3 hours, which is plenty fine in my book.
Manfraud wants increase offense and cut game time which are against each other. He is a fool!
Agreed, the clock worked as intended. I can understand the drop in mound visits though now that pitchers and catchers use a radio to call pitches instead of signs
@ohyeadam – I agree, the pitchcomm is probably an overlooked item that has led to speeding the game up. That add the 3 batter minimum rule, which I thought I would hate and it turned out opposite.
I also like not having to throw 4 pitches in the intentional walk. Both of those have sped the game up to a small degree.
Put a 5th Umpire on each crew. Video replay , on-site.
45 seconds maximum. can’t tell, too close to change call.
Talk (explain) only when necessary. Safe or out signal should suffice 2/3 time
I hate Manfred so much. I feel like the dude doesn’t even like baseball. I know a lot of people are on board with some of these changes, but man, I can’t event listen to the games on the radio anymore.
Ghost Runner and pitch clock in the postseason are just terrible.
Why change the rules that players had to abide by all year long for the postseason? You shouldn’t change the game for the championship round. Either use all the rules in the postseason, or get rid of them altogether.
There are no ghost runners in the playoffs
There is no ghost runner in the playoffs and the pitch clock was incredible. You clearly didn’t even watch LOL
Pitch clock is amazing.
In stupidity?
Maybe he meant the ghost runner is terrible, and the pitch clock in the playoffs is terrible. Stop waiting to pounce on everything and just enjoy MLBTR. Manfred and his minions continue to try to destroy the game.
Playoff games ending while the kids are still awake…..amazing!!
Playoff games ending while I’m still awake….even more amazing!!!
Pitch clock having absolutely no effect on how the game is played….priceless.
This happened about 40 years too late. (Or whenever they stopped having World Series games played during the day)
That is more of the fault of catering to TV networks, TV networks want prime time starts because those are the ratings that pay the best advertising. But MLB ought to follow the example of the Super Bowl, It starts at 6:30. No reason for MLB to wait until 8 or 8:30 Eastern. I feel for the people out west, but if it bothers them so bad, they could always move.
tf
That cloud on your lawn didn’t stand a chance
To be fair, if I had taken my time and not rushed to post, I could have worded my Ghost Runner and pitch clock comment better.
Ghost Runner as a general rule.
Pitch Clock in the post season as a general rule.
Those are my least favorite. I wasn’t implying there are ghost runners in the postseason.
I hated the rule changes also and still do.
You’re not alone trout, I just wish they would stop antagonizing fans who like baseball in an attempt to appeal to people who don’t like baseball. 🙁
I love baseball and went to 50+ games in person this year. I do not want weeknight games going 4 hours. I get that people love being in the ballpark for 4-5 hrs at a time especially on weekends but it makes for terrible TV and the majority of people aren’t into it. The pitch clock was incredible. I dont think they need to make it any shorter.
I question MLB has gained any sizable young fans because of stupid changes.
I grew up farming with baseball on the radio. There was definitely a different pace, vibe, and connection without the clock.
Vin Scully could ramble on a bit and check in every other pitch, for example.
The game moves too quickly now for guys to do much more than call the action. I do think the broadcasters will adjust a bit, but baseball definitely sounded different on the radio this year than in years past.
Totally agree. I think a bigger issue w the radio calls is the broadcast talent is not there. I listened to Scully and Uecher when I wasnt even a Dodger or Brewers fan because they told the best baseball stories. Todays radio teams are just not that talented. When I’m at Mariners games I bring a radio in to listen to the radio call live. Its ok but nothing special. Most teams TV crew are even worse than their radio team. The low standards for play by play broadcast talent is really hurting the game, radio and TV both.
@Good Vibes whenever I can score a Wednesday off and they are home for the day game I always go by mysef, only time I ever go by myself, and I keep score and bring my headphones and really nerd out. I tried the radio thing a couple times with the Root Sports app on my phone at T-Mobile, but the difference in the timing just drove me crazy. I expect there to be some delay but not 2 pitches off delay.
Do you use an actual am radio? How is the audio calibration to the real time action?
I refuse to sit thru any game that goes past 2:40. Good thing they are making this change as I was missing the last out. That extra 4 minutes is what ruins peoples lives!
SEE I LIKE TO RECORD THEM MLB GAMES. THEN I CAN WATCH’EM AT MAH LEESURES. MAH DANG VCR ONLY LASTS 2HR 40MIN THEN THE TAPE FILLERS UP AND SHE STARTS TO OVERHEAT. WHEN THAT HAPPINS IT ALMOST BURNT UP MAH DANG TRAILER!!!
KEEP THEM SHORT INNINGS OR ELSE MAH TRAILER!!!
As an A’s fan, I deeply hate Manfred. He’s helped screw my team and has damaged baseball beyond recognition. What a scumbag
On a side note, Auckland mayor sending letters to 15 team only looks cheap. It looks like he only could afford those.
Knowing what I know about the state of the New Zealand consulate, they are in fact operating on a shoestring budget.
They don’t ever seem to have much petty cash on hand, for one thing.
LOL, MY BAD!
Move the A’s to Auckland!
Blame the city of Oakland — they don’t want sports, they want poverty.
The games seemed so fast to the point where I thought you could even add about 5 seconds with guys on base if you wanted.
All that time when I was growing up getting coached to work quickly so my fielders didn’t fall asleep like when Pedro Strop would (re)read Moby Dick in between pitches, just for those same coaches to complain about the pitch clock…..
End the extra innings ghost runner! This isn’t little league, as much as manfred wishes it was
I’m not sure how the same people who are worried about pitcher’s injuries are not worried about injuries in long extra inning games.
Seems a bit disingenuous to me.
Players, managers, coaches, owners, stadium workers, tv, radio, pint media and traveling secretaries all like the extra inning rule, it’s not going anywhere.
It’s the narcissistic fan that can’t tolerate such a rule that has the issues.
Manfred has bigger problems to focus on. He needs to clean up the spec for a baseball so they don’t find 2 or 3 different baseballs used during a season.
Yep.
Why is this so hard?
Forget about sticky stuff… I’m more interested in spin rate, velocity, and command between the different baseballs. Hitter stats too.
Manfred works for the owners. If I was paid $17.5 million/year, I too would coddle to the whim of 30 ownership groups. The link below is who you hate, not the commissioner. Ffs….
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Major_League_Basebal…
Lets get MORE than a record number of pitchers injured.
Injuries and shorter outings because starters can’t get a breather between pitches. 100 pitches used to be a minimum outing. Now 85 or 90 is the cap. I’d much rather see a starter go 7 or 8. 5 or 6 is going to be the limit. And those shorter games? Much higher percentage of the time is now commercials.
Are we blaming the pitch clock for this still?
Absolutely pathetic, psychotic, and asinine rules. Equal shame on the players union for allowing it though.
Cry more lol
I think you mean “puke” more you lil runt lol
Be a gen z femme more
Lol talking smack when you’re crying about a pitch clock. Embarrassing behavior. Get over it or don’t watch you pathetic clown
Didn’t mean to trigger you my son. Even though it was terribly easy 😉
RE Sab
“Be a gen z femme more”.
The correlation between people with bad baseball takes and bad life takes is impressively close to 1
Muted
Trigger me? You’re triggered by a 2 second difference in a baseball pitch clock LOL pathetic!
Keep your facts straight. I am triggered over the pitch clock in general. Not merely 2 seconds.
Admittingly triggered over a clock while also opining for small ball despite the fact that before the rule changes there was less small ball? The rule changes are trying to add more small ball? You actually can’t keep up, wow
Two seconds? Really?
We will be dealing in yottaseconds soon.
I hate the pitch clock. I hate the automatic runner on second to start extra innings. I hate them both so so so much. The pitch clock at least isn’t that big of an issue- like once they adjusted to it, most pitchers pitched normally, most hitters hit normally and there was a valid reduction in the amount of time some guys showboated a painfully slow ritual between every pitch, both pitchers and batters- that’s the one good that has come out of it.
But that runner on second to start extra innings is egregious and needs to go away.
When that happens- even if it’s my team I am rooting for, I wonder: Why is this even a game? They’re inching closer toward simulating what used to be a fair game.
Ah so you enjoyed those years of every single player trying to hit a walk off homer until we got to the 14th inning and the worst reliever in the pen who’d throw a bunch of wild pitches to lose the game? Yeah I sure miss watching that…. NOT
Stop acting like you aren’t 19. You haven’t been watching ball that long. I just don’t want you to come off as a “try-hard.”
When did that ever happen? And some of my favorite baseball memories were staying up late or staying at the stadium into the wee hours watching a 14 or 19 inning game- and the fact is they were rare. Most extra inning games only went 1-2 extra innings.
Part of the fun of those types of games is that both teams are being equally extra cautious and equally trying different tactics to end the game for good and all and it’s about who slips up, or who can get a third stringer type relief pitcher to put up an immaculate inning or what bench player can magically connect for a home run or punch a ball through to the outfield on a blooper or a roller and get a guy who singled to run like crazy to get to home plate before the ball gets thrown back in, etc.
I do miss that. A ton.
TTO, he’s either a troll or an operative for the commish office. I agree with you 100%.
You guys are l just admitting you don’t watch or follow baseball, really at all. Basically every player swung for the fences in extra innings and it devolved into some of the worst baseball I’ve ever watched. This is the epitome thinking everything was better in the past…. It was not rare for games today go much longer than 1-2 extra innings. More proof you just don’t follow baseball closely
I eat sleep and sh!!t baseball my friend. Have for a lot of years.
Yeah, that’s what happened EVERY time. Not really.
It was small ball time. Get him on, move him over. Drive him in. Depth should play a part in which team is better. If my last pitcher is better than your last pitcher, it should have value.
Small ball time 100%. Only a handful left (at best) who can lay down a proper bunt when it’s crunch time.
LOL if you think the old extra innings rules lead to more small ball you’re just admitting you didn’t watch a single game. Maybe look up the data on how often teams sac bunted the last decade…. but you won’t you’ll just complain about the new rules cause you’re a clown
You are really struggling here…I never said they did. I was inferring that they NEEDED to bunt more and mentioned that only a few guys or less can do it. Dude seriously try READING before you blindly post. I see you are raging but I ain’t sweating it lol Should we just try and be friends now?
Small ball time lol I’m dead you clearly never watched. NOBODY bunted or played any type of small ball. You thinking of 1985?
You’re saying it was small ball time while simultaneously admitting only a few players can do it? Your takes are so bad I’m convinced you’re actually low IQ lol
Yes 1985. You caught me. You win.
rols1026 is clearly trolling and probably too young to remember when Craig Counsell was the young guy on the Diamondbacks or when Bobby Crosby got ROY, etc.
You are so illiterate it is almost starting to entertain me. Small ball time as in NOW
..as in that is needed NOW….Not what WAS going on ya loon
Yeah I agree. I was trying to humor him and play along but jeez haha. He is really taking this to heart haha
You were responding to someone who said it was small ball time and you agreed…. Maybe YOU try reading?
Your explanation for extra inning games is NOTHING like how they went but I’m trolling? Literally hilarious
You are incapable of following a convo. Congrats. Everyone else is talking about what it was like before the rule change. Keep up dude
You are mad at ME now because YOU misconstrued something? I should paddle your bottom. Let’s move on mmkay? You can get the last word because you have exhausted me zZZz
I misconstrued something? You’re the only one who can’t read and didn’t even realize we were talking about what it was like before the rule changes…. These exchanges have been pretty rough for you lol
Me no speak english. Anyways kid, have a good day. Can’t look forward enough to our next chat.
The article is negligent in not reporting the number of times a pitcher was cited for exceeding the limits in the regular season and in the post season. Watched a lot of playoff games as the Sox were absent. Don’t remember a single pitcher or batter penalty.
Facts. We need facts, not suppositions.
In other words let’s make another attempt at helping offense.
Wow a whopping 2 seconds per pitch with runners on. Gee I can get home 4 minutes earlier now. Thank you Manfred!
You want to speed up the game you Everything against the pitcher I see well Start every hitter with a strike that’s would speed it up so something against hitters
Baseball used to be the perfect game. We did okay with the DH, but it took a long time to fully implement. It’s still not normal.
Pitch clocks should be no less than 30 seconds, if you have them at all, and this ghost runner, limiting mound visits and fielder positioning is all stupid!
Almost as stupid as taking the All Star Game away from the Braves!
Preeaacchhh!!!! 100%!!!
Of course you would say preach to this other low IQ comment LOL
Reelllaaaxxxxx my friend sheesh. You are going out of your gord right now.
Baseball used to be the perfect game…. You mean when nobody shifted and pitchers pitched quickly and games went fast? What a clueless take….
Shhhhhh.
Why does everyone complain when MLB games go over 3 hours when there is no time limit, but people don’t seem to care a bit when NFL games go 3 and a half hours when there is only one hour on the clock for the game?
I would compare NBA game time, but I have never been able to successfully sit through an entire NBA game from start to finish, so I have no frame of reference.
The NFL is much more action per second. Baseball is cerebral and strategic. I don’t think it’s hard to figure that out. The same people who want two hour baseball games would be fine with four hour football games.
A die hard fan of an NFL team will watch 17 games per year, almost all on days they are off work. An extra 20 minutes on a Sunday afternoon is nothing.
A die hard MLB fan will watch over 150 games of their favorite team, most on work nights. You get me to bed or out of the ballpark a half an hour earlier night after night and I’m much more likely to stay engaged.
That’s one of the best takes I’ve seen on this. Absolutely agree. I was able to watch more baseball this year. That means more to me than the game remaining unchanged forever. Things change. The NFL has big rule changes almost every season. You don’t see people clutching pearls over it.
I don’t think it’s the length of the game but the pace of play.
With the game so dependent on the three true outcomes, many baseball games are as suspenseful as a very poorly written suspense movie.
Without hits or contact, suspense doesn’t build and the game bogs down.
Agreed. When there’s action and the game is moving at a good pace the overall length of the game doesn’t matter.
They are making a joke out of baseball, The tickets are priced thu the roof if you want good seats. And I know its not the fans that are complaining the games are taking to long. I pay to watch a game Not be rushed out the stadium Next thing you know MLB will just put a clock on the whole game, Like soccer. When it runs out its over What a joke.
Just end the game in a tie. It’s not any more blasphemous than the rest of these shenanigans
Leave the pitch clock alone and let the teams get used to it. The pitchers I am sure need to adjust the arms still for the timing. Let the game figure this out before more changes.
I also agree. Get rid of the ghost runner. If you really have to have it start the ghost runner in the thirteenth inning to allow a team to win like the playoffs are set.
Why so many changes to so many sports all of a sudden? Is it because it’s the technological age? Is it because iPhones etc have ruined everyone’s patience and attention span? I’m Irish living in America and have become a massive baseball fan, unfortunately at the moment I’m an A’s fan lol. I grew up playing soccer and loving the game. VAR has absolutely destroyed soccer!!! Technology has gone mad in sports it’s a joke and it’s making it not the game it once was and baseball is going the same. Electronic umps and you’ve lost a viewer in me. Let human error at least be a part of our sporting world
The pitch clock is the best thing to happen to baseball in a decade. Hands down. Season ticket holders, and fans in the stands loved it. Universally. Even a lot of players loved the impact because they were able to see their kids to bed or have dinner with the family for a change.
Crotchety, angry old grandpas yelling at kids to get off their lawn are apparently really upset about it, though. “Damn that Manfred! I don’t have time to get up out of my chair, grab my walker and shuffle to the bathroom from the garage and get back again before the next batter anymore!”
Watching games in the stands until 11pm or midnight on work days so a player can move their hat in some weird ritualistic manner due to superstition is BS.
I had to check the 65+ box when I got my flu shot today.
I really don’t think it’s the “get off my lawn crowd” that has an issue with improving pace of play. We grew up watching the game in the 60s and 70s and we know exactly how great baseball was.
I think it’s the twenty somethings that think they know everything, and are so narcissistic that the only opinion that matters is theirs.
Agreed. I’m a generation behind you and grew up watching Wally Joyner, Tony Gwynn, etc.
The game this year looked a lot more like the game I fell in love with during that era than the slow, three true outcomes game it had become.
I love nothing more than action on base paths. A hit and run is the perfect play to watch as a fan IMO.
This is a better, more enjoyable game like the old days.
I love the drama of “will he go” with a runner on first in a tight spot. No need to shorten that drama by 2 seconds.
Its just answering the question faster.
The rule was always 20 seconds. Pitchers abused the rule and were never called on it. I think enforcing the rule was good for the game.
But why create this current conflict for two seconds? It seems crazy.
I wonder what adjustments baseball announcers had to make on account of the pitch clock, and if it made their job easier or harder. Probably a little of both.
Of course, the fans hate the new rules. But for some unfathomable reason MLB sold over seventy million tickets in 2023 for the first time in years. The fans are just gluttons for punishment, I guess.
I’d like to see 14/18 seconds for the pitch clock. I’d also like to see them start the clock more promptly.
And don’t get me started on the ghost runner. Every whiner about that rule should be forced to watch every pitch of a sixteen-inning game under the old rules.
I saw that article on the MLB site, but the site and the network are notorious propaganda machines for the league. Yes, attendance was up last year- but it wasn’t because of the new rules, the way the league would like everyone to believe. The league had better attendance numbers in 2018 than it did in 2023, with down years in the middle because of the pandemic.
If you like the new rules, cool. I don’t. I think the new rules and the commissioner are complete jokes, but I also recognize the owners are pulling the strings. They’re the same people that would like taxpayers to fund their billion dollars stadiums while still paying more in ticket prices to go to the stadiums we -willingly, or not- paid to build.
But sure, they made the new rule changes “for the fans.”
…and the stupidity continues. More pitching injuries to follow…
So strange that all the pitchers from decades ago weren’t all injured all the time. You know, back when the pitch delivery was much faster than it is now…
Also, get off my lawn you kids!!!!
I’m in my sixties and the twenty second pitch clock rule has always been in effect, The only difference pitchers didn’t abuse the rule 30 or 40 years ago.
People who don’t know history think it’s a new rule. Getting the umpire to enforce the old rule is all that’s happened.
It’s like the balk rule where a pitcher had to come set was always on the books, but they didn’t enforce the rule until 1986 or 1987.
I vote the pitching clock goes away after the 7th inning if there the scores are 3 runs or less apart.
I actually love the pitch clock. It was fine in the playoffs too. I hate the automatic runner but I understand what they’re aiming at with it. Honestly the amount of time spent messing around in the box or pacing the mound shaking a guy off having a mound visit then shaking him off again inexplicably only to pace the mound for a fourth time was going to kill the future of the sport. The clock works. The sport is growing. We don’t have to like it, it’s never going away so get used to it or whine here forever.
Bruh, I don’t even like the pitch clock in the first place. They’re really trying to speedrun the game now. Hope this doesn’t pass.
Pitch clock was amazing. No need to tighten it down any more. Zombie runner needs to go. Add the robo strike zone to help home plate umpires stay consistent and call it a day. I don’t really care what they do/dont do with the shift.
when you are only saving 15 minutes on average per game, just take your pitch clock timer and shove it…..these new rules are ridiculous as long as you still allow in game challenges.
Zombie Runner is dumb, but put a Zombie Runner if the game is over 4 hours long or after 15 Innings. (Regular Season only)
The pitch clock is good, but remove it for the playoffs for more tense moments.
I am in the same park as you I think. I thought in terms of threes, play the 10th, 11th, and 12th straight then put the zombie on in the 13th forward. I would even argue if the zombie is staying they should be put on first. They should at least earn scoring position.
Everything is blame, blame, blame Manfred…but how quick are we to forget that it was and is jointly the PLAYERS that were stoutly behind keeping the ghost runner after the initial try in the Covid year.
It greatly shortens their “work” day and reduces the potential of injury.
Not a chance in the world that the players want to go back marathon games during the regular season.
MLB trade rumors this is worth a survey! See what the people think! Of course, we fans that are reading MLB trade rumors (true baseball fans) in off-season doesn’t seem to be the crowd Manfred is after.
IMO, do not reduce the clocks any further. The upward trend on game length is NOT the reason playoff TV ratings sucked.
Advertise your product better. Get more games on TV (MLB AND Milb). Move the trade line into August. Ask MLB fans what they want.
5 mound visits is to much. 2 is adequate, plus, the wirelessly communications that will develop in coming seasons reduces need for all those visits.
Radical solution: Post the pitch call and location on the scoreboards and announce it over the PA system. With all the scouting stats batters know whats coming most 9f the time anyhow. No drama,no need then for trash cans or counter-intelligence methods that slow everything down. You know whats coming, try to hit it!
Keep the same number of visits but put a clock on them. Or have 2 catcher only visits and 3 coach visits.
20 to 18 seconds is starting to get lame. Will they make the 17.5 or 17 in 2024? 14 for no runners on?
Most people accepted the rule changes. You should be happy. Now you fire them up again.
Should change it to ten seconds and fifteen seconds and three mound visits, along with one pickoff per at bat. Still way to much time wasted by pitchers.
Seems like a lot of people want Manfred to stop meddling in the game. The pitch clock has been the ONLY thing that’s been effective in shortening games. The ghost runner in extra innings is just stupid. I don’t think it has any effect on time of game, only final score. I think the pitch clock is fine as is. It doesn’t need to be shortened. It’s going to result in more pitcher injuries I think. Batters are the ones gaming the system right now. Watch how many batters take their one time out with two strikes on them. Shortening the pitch clock won’t affect that at all.
Since Manfred is intent on turning professional baseball into slow-pitch softball why doesn’t he propose starting the count at 1-1? Or maybe call the batter out on strikes if he hits more than five fouls in an at-bat? Even better… in keeping with the shrinkflation that we’ve seen in other products over the years, why not reduce the games to 7 innings? That’ll really shorten game times. (yes… I’m being sarcastic)
Instead of a shorter clock just play the version of green hill zone that plays when you’re almost out of time through the pitchcom
Results guaranteed.
Wasn’t it kind of thought that the pitch clock was causing injuries? Shouldn’t they maybe increase it by a few seconds?
These are men, humans throwing these pitches, not robots. Each pitcher is literally different.
Screw the health of pitchers. We want even shorter games
Best way to speed up the game a little and keep viewers engaged would be to got PiP with commercials in between innings instead of a true commercial break. Lots of average fans turn the channel when commercials come on and forget about coming back a couple minutes later
They really want to make changes due to a trivial 7 minute in-season difference? I would really love to hear whatever argument is for it. It’s nice not having certain pitchers take a full minute between pitches but even the 24 minute difference didn’t attract more fans nor enhance the game…you just need to look at world series viewership to piece that together
Here’s the best way to shorten a game. If a team is down 8 runs in the 8th with no hope of winning then they should have the ability to forfeit instead of throwing out position players to pitch which typically slows the game down.
To me, there is a difference between shortening the games and getting more action. Sure, either way there is less standing around. But you still have too many strikeouts. Striking out is not action. I mean, as opposed to standing around scratching their jewels, I guess it’s considered more action. But when the end result is a K, is that really more action?
Go back to teaching pitchers to actually “pitch”, so we don’t have four pitching changes per team per game. Cut the number of commercials. You’re welcome.
Honestly, if you want the game to end, do what the NPB does and finish in a tie. I’d prefer that over giving teams free runs in hopes of finishing the game sooner.
The pitch clock and ghost runners are loved by people who HATE baseball.
A whole two seconds wow! Get rid of the ghost runner instead. Pitch clock was way overdue, baseball was so much more enjoyable this year.
I much rather see the game end in a tie than give the team a ghost runner. If it’s the playoffs just let the game play out.
Ghost runner is asinine. The pitch clock will speed up extra innings anyway no need to add that stupid rule…
Stop tinkering with the game. Stop this Manfred obsession with game time and eroding tried and true standards that have been in place for so long
Stolen base stats and accomplishments, and comparisons with the past are a joke now on so many levels. MLB hands them out now like candy. I bet Mandfred doesn’t even know how many feet there is between bases. How many fans, players, field staff and front offices even know? Ninety feet was tried and true.. Now 70 steals is the new 40.
And catchers with above average arms and pop time is the new “so what.”
This comment section is an embarrassment
Makes sense. idiots going too far. haven’t we seen that enough in gov’t?
Funny thing is the ghost runner or “Manfred man” (do wah Diddy Diddy dumb diddy do) is the only thing players and MLB agree on. Only the fans hate it.
Fans need to understand the 20 second pitch clock rule has been on the books for decades.
Pitchers abused it and umpires didn’t enforce it.
Reduce Manfreds role in baseball.
Hey raises the mound to were it was. Might help with all these pictures getting an arm injuries use there legs more
Adapt to a changing environment or wither away. Old people don’t matter. We have had our time in the sun. Give the youth what they want.
I’m fine with the pitch clock during the regular season but please give us back the 4-5 hour managerial chess matches in the postseason. It saps so much of the maneuvering and drama from the games.
Goddamn it leave it alone!!!
Manfred, you micro managing dweeb.
Enough tinkering, go away!
The game needs to revert to how it was pre-Manfred.
The 20 second clock was on the books long before Manfred took over. The shift was almost non-existent twenty years ago. And teams use to actually steal bases.
In that aspect, that exactly what Manfred has done. The game is much mor3 like the pre-Selig game.
The extra inning rule is more fore everyone within the game and media.