On The Clock....Good or Bad in your Opinion?

[BlueTick48]

Measures approved to speed up pace of play in SEC baseball
By JOHN ZENOR - The Associated Press


The Southeastern Conference is taking its swing at picking up the pace during baseball games.

The league’s athletic directors approved changes for the 2010 SEC tournament including a 20-second clock between pitches when the bases are empty and a 90-second limit between half innings, spokesman Chuck Dunlap said.

It’s a move designed to make tournament games both more fan- and TV-friendly.

If it gets good reviews during the tournament, where games routinely drag on for 3-plus hours, it could be implemented for the 2011 regular season as well.

“I think it’s going to be good for everyone involved,” Dunlap said. “If it does pretty much guarantee games under 3 hours, I can promise you the TV networks will push very hard to keep it in place.”

The league’s new television contracts pretty much tripled the number of regular-season games to be aired, he said. The SEC is believed to be the first conference to put in the clock rules for this season, though conferences like the Atlantic Coast have discussed it.

Major League Baseball in recent years has made several suggestions geared toward picking up the pace of games.

In addition to breaking up mound conferences quickly, umpires have been asked to urge batters to approach home plate from the on-deck circle and enter the batter’s box faster, and to enforce rules such as issuing an automatic strike to batters who linger outside the box.

There’s also been a push for enforcement of an existing rule that pitchers throw a pitch every 12 seconds.

In July, the NCAA’s baseball rules committee voted to allow conferences to use the pitch clock. It’s not the first time it has been tested.

The Missouri Valley Conference used both the 20-second pitch clock and the 90-second clock between innings in the 1990 and 1991 seasons.

If the pitcher doesn’t deliver the pitch to the plate in 20 seconds, a ball is added to the count.

The nine-inning games were completed in an average of two hours, 37 minutes. That’s 11 minutes shorter than the average game in the regionals of that season’s Division I championships.

Last year’s SEC tournament games in the first two days — both four-game marathons — lasted 3 hours, 17 minutes on average. Two games clocked in at less than 3 hours, one of them decided by the seven-inning mercy rule.

The final games ended after 1 a.m. on both days.

Dunlap expects other leagues to implement similar changes, at least for their conference tournaments.

The ACC has discussed the clock rules with the baseball committee but hasn’t made a decision on whether to impose them for the tournament, said Davis Whitfield, the league’s director of championships.

“I think anything that speeds up the game is good but at this point we are going to see how this issue progresses before we act,” Whitfield said.

North Carolina coach Mike Fox isn’t convinced there’s a need for the changes.

“My initial take on it is, I hope the ACC doesn’t do it,” Fox said.

[Kevin Finnerty]

If you want umpires to routinely cheat the participants by calling strikes and outs, rather than what actually transpires, then mandating that games go faster is a good way to go.

[jicecone]

[QUOTE=BlueTick48;644302]Measures approved to speed up pace of play in SEC baseball
By JOHN ZENOR - The Associated Press

In addition to breaking up mound conferences quickly, umpires have been asked to urge batters to approach home plate from the on-deck circle and enter the batter’s box faster, and to enforce rules such as issuing an automatic strike to batters who linger outside the box.

Yea! In all my games it takes forever when those batters come to the plate from left or right field. Then when they linger, OMG, does that slow the game down.
We definitly need a ANTI-LINGERING rule.

Sorry coach, I missed that pitch looking at my watch.

We certainly don't want to do anything to change this great game however, throw a few bucks in front of our noses and we will certainly considerate it.

"Hey honey would you go to bed with me for a million dollars?" Well sure, How about a dollar? What do you think I am? We already established that, were just negotiating over the price.

[Kevin Finnerty]

I have never had a woman offer me money to go to bed with her, but in most cases, I'd take as little as a buck.

[TxUmp]

Originally Posted by BlueTick48

Measures approved to speed up pace of play in SEC baseball
By JOHN ZENOR - The Associated Press


Major League Baseball in recent years has made several suggestions geared toward picking up the pace of games.

The simple solution - that will never be implemented - is to reduce the 2-minute delay between innings mandated for commercials. MLB talks out of both sides of their mouth. They want to speed up the game to improve watchability for TV, but they want to get in all the commercials they can. I agree that most in-season games are interminably long, but they wouldn't be on TV at all if not for sponsorships. Yoy pays your monaey and you takes your choice.

[Cub42]

Originally Posted by Kevin Finnerty

If you want umpires to routinely cheat the participants by calling strikes and outs, rather than what actually transpires, then mandating that games go faster is a good way to go.

I'm a little confused as to how a 20 second rule for pitchers, and a 90 second rule in between innings relates to umpires cheating ?

[midtnblu]

IMHO, the best way, across the board to shorten games is to eliminate non-wood bats from the game.

[Kevin Finnerty]

Originally Posted by Cub42

I'm a little confused as to how a 20 second rule for pitchers, and a 90 second rule in between innings relates to umpires cheating ?

I'm speaking to the general mandate, and not the 20-second part of it, specifically.

I demand that all participants respect the game and that includes hustling on and off the field, paying close attention to the action, and being ready at all times. If the game is a long one anyway, that's part of the game's beauty. If people think baseball takes too long, watch the last two minutes of a basketball game sometime. Now, there's a f'd-up sport that needs fixing.

[TussAgee11]

Originally Posted by Kevin Finnerty

If people think baseball takes too long, watch the last two minutes of a basketball game sometime. Now, there's a f'd-up sport that needs fixing.

College b-ball: 2 hour game. NBA, just under 3 most nights.

MLB average game: Just under 3.

What's the comparision here?

[bossman72]

Originally Posted by TussAgee11

College b-ball: 2 hour game. NBA, just under 3 most nights.

MLB average game: Just under 3.

What's the comparision here?

Play 7 innings in college?

[Cub42]

College games are 9 innings unless part of a doubleheader

[Kevin Finnerty]

Originally Posted by TussAgee11

College b-ball: 2 hour game. NBA, just under 3 most nights.

MLB average game: Just under 3.

What's the comparision here?

Artificially rushing a baseball game is something I can't embrace. Part of the beauty of it is that it has no clock. I also don't agree with the idea of rushing a pitcher. If he's not ready to pitch, he shouldn't be forced. Things can get dangerous when a pitcher throws when he's not ready.

I wasn't comparing anything. I was making a comment that there are other sports that could use tweaking. The sport of basketball has become tiresome and should be fixed.

[Cub42]

Keeping the game moving, and not allowing delays so a team can warm up a pitcher is part of the job. It is called game management. Your in charge, Be in charge

[ozzy6900]

For the Talking Heads that haven't a clue to start with:

The whole concept of rushing the game is pure, unadulterated, BS. If you want the game to go faster, put in a clock, add a time keeper and set the time the game should take. Otherwise, shut up and enjoy the game!

[Kevin Finnerty]

Originally Posted by Cub42

Keeping the game moving, and not allowing delays so a team can warm up a pitcher is part of the job. It is called game management. Your in charge, Be in charge

Delays in warming up the pitcher? That's not what I was talking about.

The point was making a pitcher throw a pitch when he's not ready to throw a pitch. The inning is in progress, but the pitcher needs the time to think over his pitches. It's part of the game.

I rate near the top of both of my units for my game management. That's another matter.