Pitch clock/ shorter games
- Thread starter 14Red
- Start date
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I think I heard sometime during spring that last year was around 3 hours, 9 minutes on average, or something like that.
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14Red
Well-known member
Per ESPN the other day, 3 hours 3 minutes. Reds game yesterday, 3 hours, 4 minutes.
My point is this. Games were not too long before. It's an absolute fabrication and it amazes me how so many just lap this stuff up. During the NFL season, what are the typical game times? 1PM kickoff, games are over by 4-4:15, sometimes 4:30. sunday night, Monday nights, games start at 8:30, sometimes not over until midnight. This is all just marketing for baseball. And BTW, whats the big deal anyway? You pay $50-$100- $150 a seat and you're interested in getting out of there as fast as possible? This whole thing makes no sense to me.
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Notre Dame = 2025 National Champions
People put aside their entire Sunday to watch NFL games. There are only 18 Sundays. Each Sunday is a special event. It’s totally fine for football games to last 3 hours or 3 hours, 10 minutes. And baseball tickets are typically much less expensive than an NFL game.
There are 162 baseball games. MLB is trying to get people to attend or watch around their daily life responsibilities. Getting the game done in 2:30 or 2:45 is more preferable than games routinely meandering along for 3 and a half hours.
More so, it’s the lack of activity and amount of dead time in that 3+ hours that is too slow and boring for a lot of fans and potential fans.
Are you seriously missing 25 minutes of the batter stepping out, staring into the sky, playing with his batting gloves and cup, etc. while the pitcher plays with his hair and hat and wanders around the mound? No. No one misses that, because it’s 25 minutes of nothing.
By the way, yesterday’s Reds game with 15 walks and a ton of strikeouts would’ve taken 3 and a half hours without the pitch clock, no doubt about it.
It’s true, it’s true. Trust me …
There are 162 baseball games. MLB is trying to get people to attend or watch around their daily life responsibilities. Getting the game done in 2:30 or 2:45 is more preferable than games routinely meandering along for 3 and a half hours.
More so, it’s the lack of activity and amount of dead time in that 3+ hours that is too slow and boring for a lot of fans and potential fans.
Are you seriously missing 25 minutes of the batter stepping out, staring into the sky, playing with his batting gloves and cup, etc. while the pitcher plays with his hair and hat and wanders around the mound? No. No one misses that, because it’s 25 minutes of nothing.
By the way, yesterday’s Reds game with 15 walks and a ton of strikeouts would’ve taken 3 and a half hours without the pitch clock, no doubt about it.
It’s true, it’s true. Trust me …
AEW Champion
Notre Dame = 2025 National Champions
Also, as far as engaging the next generation of fans, having LCS and World Series games routinely not getting over until 11:30 or midnight ET after a lot of the nation’s kids (and adults) are asleep is bad for the game. The pitch clock should rectify some of that.
Also, it’s creating more action on the bases. There were 21 stolen bases yesterday, the most on an Opening Day since 1907, per MLB Central. I believe I saw there were only 5 stolen bases on last year’s Opening Day.
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Also, it’s creating more action on the bases. There were 21 stolen bases yesterday, the most on an Opening Day since 1907, per MLB Central. I believe I saw there were only 5 stolen bases on last year’s Opening Day.
It’s true, it’s true. Trust me …
AEW Champion
Notre Dame = 2025 National Champions
2022 Opening Day average game length: 3 hours, 17 minutes
2023 Opening Day average game length: 2 hours, 45 minutes
Full-season average game lengths:
1955: 2 hours, 28 minutes
1984: 2 hours, 35 minutes
2022: 3 hours, 3 minutes
The pitch clock rules are getting the game back to the pace at which it was traditionally played.
It’s true, it’s true. Trust me …
2023 Opening Day average game length: 2 hours, 45 minutes
Full-season average game lengths:
1955: 2 hours, 28 minutes
1984: 2 hours, 35 minutes
2022: 3 hours, 3 minutes
The pitch clock rules are getting the game back to the pace at which it was traditionally played.
It’s true, it’s true. Trust me …
wolves82
Highly Respected Expert
See AEW stats above. Big improvement this year over last year, that was the goal.
Keep in mind these changes were not made with you in mind. You don;t mind watching a terrible team play 3 hour 30 minute games.
keep in mind these changes were made with TV ratings in mind. TV ratings are cratering and they needed to fix it pronto. And they have made decent progress.
the solution is simple but will never happen because of greed.
What used to be 1 minute between half innings is now nearly 4 minutes. 3 minutes times 18 half innings and that is nearly 1 hour.
Why do baseball players need to warm up every half inning. Could you imagine football. The ball is kicked off. Offense comes on to the field but has to do several minutes of warm up drills before the possession starts. They are stopped and punts and now the other team needs their 4 minutes of warm up drills and this continues throughout the game....
Or basketball, when after every possession change they get to take warm up shots at the basket before shooting..... etc, etc....
Play the game and keep playing it. The pitchers do not need to warm up during game time they have already done that before the game started and while in the bullpen. Fielders do not need to practice between innings.... this is what takes so long.
I am not in favor of some of the new rules but in the end I just don't care as I rarely watch anymore.
What used to be 1 minute between half innings is now nearly 4 minutes. 3 minutes times 18 half innings and that is nearly 1 hour.
Why do baseball players need to warm up every half inning. Could you imagine football. The ball is kicked off. Offense comes on to the field but has to do several minutes of warm up drills before the possession starts. They are stopped and punts and now the other team needs their 4 minutes of warm up drills and this continues throughout the game....
Or basketball, when after every possession change they get to take warm up shots at the basket before shooting..... etc, etc....
Play the game and keep playing it. The pitchers do not need to warm up during game time they have already done that before the game started and while in the bullpen. Fielders do not need to practice between innings.... this is what takes so long.
I am not in favor of some of the new rules but in the end I just don't care as I rarely watch anymore.
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Notre Dame = 2025 National Champions
There’s only 2 minutes or thereabouts between each half inning. These breaks are not the cause of inflating game times over the past 20 to 30 years.
It’s literally time wasting between hitters and pitchers, as evidenced by game times dropping by 25 to 30 minutes just by forcing them to not waste time.
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brianwr112
Well-known member
Players in the field warmup mainly because the pitcher is throwing their pitches to get their arms loose. Are you suggesting pitchers just take the mound and wing it?
yep.... why not. They have plenty of warmup time before the game. QB's just wing it on start of possessions....
AEW Champion
Notre Dame = 2025 National Champions
So vamp never played baseball or pitched, I presume?
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It’s true, it’s true. Trust me …
wolves82
Highly Respected Expert
Tells us you do not understand how the human body works. QBs are always throwing on the sideline before they go back on the field. Pitchers also need to loosen up before throwing full blast.
lol, Back in the day there was only a minute between innings. Pitchers warmed up and pitched deep into the game... no pitch count. Often teams had just 4 pitchers in the rotation with a 5th pitcher for double headers which were pretty frequent. They all did just fine. Now, every thing has changed and it is rare for a pitcher to make it through the season without some sort of injury........
Don't take away from the game which the new rules are doing but take away from the lengthy commercial breaks.... Games would be shortened by 40 minutes by just doing that without taking away from the gamesmanship. In the end I really don't care and not even sure why I bother replying to posts about baseball.....
Actually I played baseball from tee-ball all the way up the majors in little league.... about age 15. I quit after that because I was tired of adults ruining the game by having us take pitches until we had two strikes..... I also pitched and while I was not the greatest at it I did not walk anyone when I was out there....
clarkgriswold
Well-known member
14Red- it's not 1968. These changes were waaaaay overdue. You need to learn to read the crowd or you're going to have Commissioner Brockmire before long.
Redflagday
Well-known member
The crowd is standing while staring at there phone. Taking pictures of there food. It’s more of a too be seen crowd, look at me on my instafacetwitter. Hate the pitch count
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Notre Dame = 2025 National Champions
What does any of that have to do with the pitch clock?
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Mr. Slippery
Well-known member
4 minute commercial breaks are a new one to me, probably because they never happened.
wolves82
Highly Respected Expert
OK so you don't understand the human body or how the capitalist markets works. The MLB needs the TV money and the TV networks need the commercials for revenue. So that isn't going anywhere. But your statement about 4 minute beaks between innings is a crock of stuff, as referenced above.
I know how greed works and that is what we have here. I timed some of the commercial breaks of the Yankees/Giants game yesterday and they were all around 3 1/2 minutes plus.
AEW Champion
Notre Dame = 2025 National Champions
Patently false. You’re a big dumb dumb.
Also I don’t believe for a second you were timing commercials. And it’s even sadder if you were.
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be sad then, be sad......
OldSoulon
Well-known member
I’m happy with the rule, it was necessary, unfortunately.
I got tired of most every batter stepping out after every pitch, adjusting everything, pitchers staring down the batter for fifteen seconds, then stepping off the mound.
Now that they’ve done this, do away with the runner on second in extra innings. It’s an insult to the game, and the only people who like it are ones that never played baseball at any level, and the dumb Commissioner.
I got tired of most every batter stepping out after every pitch, adjusting everything, pitchers staring down the batter for fifteen seconds, then stepping off the mound.
Now that they’ve done this, do away with the runner on second in extra innings. It’s an insult to the game, and the only people who like it are ones that never played baseball at any level, and the dumb Commissioner.
Redflagday
Well-known member
Francona likes it
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Notre Dame = 2025 National Champions
14Red
Well-known member
The modern baseball game before this season had become a made for TV product and marketing for the teams and players. Let's face it the first day pro sports leagues accepted a dollar for broadcast rights, we began selling our soul to the devil. Go to a high school or college game and the pace is much faster, between innings are a minute, minute and a half at the most.
Now players DO need to warm up between innings, especially the pitchers in colder weather. Position players may go 2-3 innings without throwing in a game situation so there has to be a few tosses between innings.
Baseball, like football and basketball is linked financially to television. These networks run the show and they see ratings drop due to long games and slow pace. Now for me personally, I don't mind. There is ALOT of good not having a pitch clock from a strategy standpoint, but non-baseball people have no idea what that is or care.
I've heard that beginning in 2024, to speed games up more, each batter will start with a 1-1 count.
I mean what the heck, people are paying hundreds of dollars for seats, let's get them out of the stadium as fast as possible???
The modern baseball game before this season had become a made for TV product and marketing for the teams and players. Let's face it the first day pro sports leagues accepted a dollar for broadcast rights, we began selling our soul to the devil. Go to a high school or college game and the pace is much faster, between innings are a minute, minute and a half at the most.
Now players DO need to warm up between innings, especially the pitchers in colder weather. Position players may go 2-3 innings without throwing in a game situation so there has to be a few tosses between innings.
Baseball, like football and basketball is linked financially to television. These networks run the show and they see ratings drop due to long games and slow pace. Now for me personally, I don't mind. There is ALOT of good not having a pitch clock from a strategy standpoint, but non-baseball people have no idea what that is or care.
I've heard that beginning in 2024, to speed games up more, each batter will start with a 1-1 count.
I mean what the heck, people are paying hundreds of dollars for seats, let's get them out of the stadium as fast as possible???
Well, I like things the way they were back in the 70's. What they are going to do is lose the old timers watching the game. The newbies don't care for baseball at all.
I don't like the new rules, I don't like the DH in the National League, I don't like the starting with a runner on 2nd base to start extra innings. I was fine watching a 3 1/2 hour game when strategies were strategies... Heck, now the pitcher and catcher have devices for calling pitches..... These guys do not need to be making millions..... Salary cap per player at 1 million, lower ticket prices drastically, cut down commercials to 1 minute between half innings.....
So we have a 2 1/2 hour game now with about 45 minutes of that watching commercials... so that leaves 1 hour and 45 minutes of actual game.....
My solution is kind of simple..... for me to be able to watch a game in the future I will just DVR it and fast forward the commercials..... !!!!!! I think that will work and maybe I will watch a few more games in the future..... I think this solution will keep me from B'tch any more and in the long run that is a good thing.