[greymule]

No enforced timing rules on the batter and pitcher. Stepping out, stepping off, throwing over for no reason, etc. Plus at the younger ages, the endless jockeying between a runner 1 whole step off the base and catcher with a cocked arm that is NEVER going to throw it.

I also notice truly ridiculous delays, like several minutes wasted looking for a helmet that fits or isn't cracked, finding the right bat, fixing the lacing on a glove, and straightening out multiple substitutions. As much I loved baseball years ago, when I stop by a local HS game, I find that I simply can't stay interested for more than a few batters. I'd much rather watch college FP on TV (with the sound off).

When I played, even nine-inning games seldom took much longer than two hours, yet the umps didn't have to hurry anybody up. I think that everybody in the park, including the players, was accustomed to a faster pace of play. I remember playing in a semipro tournament in 1969 where they had a 20-second clock for the pitchers. Nobody came close to the 20 seconds, and after the novelty wore off, nobody in the park watched the clock.