Quote:
Originally Posted by GA Umpire
It has nothing to do with "not wanting to be there in the first place". However, it does have everything to do with not wanting a marathon when there is no time limit.
Also, the game's tempo is better if the game moves along. The defense makes more plays and the offense hits the ball more. If you ever move a game along instead of taking your marathons, you will notice the level of play is slightly better in many cases. Teams just play better when they keep their momentum going.
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Being around a ballfield for almost fifty years, I have a pretty good clue how a ballgame is run. FYI, I don't have marathons, but I don't get my panties in a wad about the length or time of a game.
On the broad average, my typical game will run between 1:30 and 2:00 hours. What happens during the game for the most part dictates how long a game will take. An umpire can only do so much.
I'll tell you what I will do though. I have only broken up one mound meeting in the last five years. Haven't had a problem with coaches abusing their time on the mound. While I don't use the MLB rule of thumb here, I figure a few extra seconds to get his pitcher to possibly throw more strikes is a plus for me. Also, I always ask if the pitcher needs more than the allotted number of pitches on a cold day or night.
FWIW, I don't recall a time when an infielder asked for time to throw the ball back to the pitcher. I don't work Little League or adult ball. Don't even in all my years remember where an umpire has taken issue with timeouts.
Perhaps someone should get with the MLB umpires that work a Yankees-Red Sox game. Their games almost always go four hours.