Baseball games - Getting Rediculous

[PeteBooth]

The Angels / Yanks Game the other night took 4 hrs and approx 20 minutes to complete. IMO a joke

I realize we have traditionalists who say that baseball is great because there is no Time clock involved etc., however when you start having games go into the 4 hour range (not even extra innings), IMO it goes beyond being rediculous.

Also, I don't know about you but umpiring behind the dish for over 4 hours - I don't think so. We talk about umpire consistency etc., but IMO just like when we played, when the game moves are timing is better.

For the most part if you have a bad game calling balls / strikes besides F1's not having control it probably means the game was dragging and you couldn't get into any sort of rythem.

Eevn though MLU's get paid very well they are also human and 4 hours behind the dish IMO is way too long. I don't know if we will see it in our lifetime but ultimately baseball will need to change this or start losing fans.

MLB has become boring. Get the ball, pitch it, field it and let's go. After all that's what the greats did, Bob Gibson, Sandy Kofax, Tom Seaver etc. They all had one thing in common - Quick games.

Maybe it's time for MLB to get some sort of Time clock or something. I know commercials add time, but some of the "other" stuff can be improved, like visits to the mound,etc. In other words, one TIME Out ONLY each inning and that lasts only a minute.

None of this: F2 visists F1, slowly walks back to his position and then the pitching coach comes out and takes that slow walk to the mound and finally the manager comes out changes F1 and of cource another commercial.

Also, some F1's namely Appier need to deliver the pitch in a reasonable time. Another F1 who takes forever is Traxel of the Mets.

IMO baseball needs to speed-up their games. I can't rememeber the last time I actually watched a baseball game from beginning to end in it's entirety.

Pete Booth

[Tim C]

Regular season between inning breaks are 2 mins. not one, and night games in the playoffs that becomes 2:30.

I agree that the pace has slowed but I am more concerned that that just gives Tim McCarver more time to drone on with more boring obvious issues.

[greymule]

When you're home watching the game on TV, you can find a distraction to kill time, but at the park, you really notice how it drags. After the third out of an inning, the defensive players take their sweet time getting their gloves, they walk out to their positions, they leisurely toss their warmups around. The batter is in no hurry, and neither is the pitcher. Why should they be? If they all hustled, they would simply have to wait longer for the signal from the TV booth.

In the 1950s, World Series games used to take a little over two hours. Regular season games were shorter. (In the early part of the century, Series games of well under two hours were not uncommon.)

But football drags, too. Go to a pro game and watch the ref stand with his foot on the ball, watching the booth for the signal while the players stand around. But let's face it, they used to play a World Series and TV covered it. Now TV produces the World Series and exercises complete control over the way it is delivered. But it's the money, and I guess they have a right to run it for maximum profit, even if that means operating near the limit of fans' patience. Does anyone remember a time when they would return from a commercial and the batter already had a count on him?

[etbaseball]

Pete -

Rarely is their an outstanding pitcher or batter that doesn't prefer the 'fast' game to the slow one. The slower the turnover time the more difficultly there is in making subtle adjustments with a pitch or a swing. You're right about the dominant pitchers of yesteryear, they worked fast and the results reflect a better game was played in a much shorter period of time.

Coaches, too, understand the value of working quickly. I can't tell you how many times I've seen defenses breakdown, because of boredom, with long delays in the delivery of each pitch. It doesn't improve the game, it weakens it.

I really believe the game is not as good as in once was because of this factor. The most delightfull games and experiences I've had umpiring, was when the pitchers were always ready to deliver, the batter, a la "Bonds" rarely left the batter's box, and all remainded connected and focused including the defense, which it's been proven, plays much better when the game moves along quickly.

Most of the blame is due to the commercialism of the game. There's nothing that can surpass an 89 pitch Maddox game when he records only 2 to 4 K's, and the average pitch count to a batter is 3 or less. Those games generally are around 2:00 to 2:15 ... and that's the way it should be. Nowadays, it seems that we witness a 1 - 0 game only once in every 25 to 30 contests. The game is not the same, and more viewers would enjoy baseball if it returned to the quicker style of play. MLB states that it's constantly trying to shorten the length of games. I suggest they view some of the tapes from the late 50's, early 60's.

Bring back those thrilling days of yesteryear!

[jicecone]

I attended two games this year in Pitts. and left both of them early because they dragged on forever. What happened to the edict about normal size stike zones? This I believe will help enormously. Im also sure these clubs have no problem dragging the games on and keeping the people in the park with the concession's open. I guess with the payrolls as they are, it is a necessity.

The Professional game has become way too commericalized. This is true for practically all sports though. This has not taking the entire excitement out of the game however, it is certainly very hard to stay excited when your falling asleep.

In Pittsburgh they just opened a beautiful new stadium, at least on the surface, (but thats an engineering opinion). Just about every wall is an advertisement of some sort and there is at least 2 promotions or giveaways in between each inning. I guess in Pitts, its necessary to draw the people but, is it that much different everywhere else.

All in all, I guess with the salaries of today's players it is a necessary evil but, I still firmly believe that calling that strike zone the way it is written could consistently cut down the length of the games. I realize that there are interpretations galore on most of the rules, but it is pretty dang clear what the strike zone should be.????

[bluezebra]

Not as ridiculous as your spelling, and your premise. I can't see what you're complaining about. You see the TV games for free. There has to be commercials, and lots of them to cover the costs. Would you take away the strategies of the managers so you can go to bed early? Some pitchers work fast, some don't. Each to his own. Let it be.

Bob

[Tim C]

You're being a little testy for a Friday aren't you . . .

I agree I didn't understand why he did the possesive on concessions and his comment about the stadium being beautiful on the surface being an engineering view (wrong, it would be an architectural view -- the eningeering view would be "how" the building structure is built) but he does have a right to have his feelings.

Bob (being an old fart like you) I can go to the ball park and let the game "stream" as necessary. I don't feel cheated if Maddox goes in an hour and 55 or feel I got more if the Tigers can't get anyone out and the game goes four hours. That is the part of baseball I like.

As to calling yet a larger strike zone -- humbug, it is big enough now for MLB types.

If you want to cut things work on keeping the hitter in the box (as suggested above) and make pitchers pitch the damn ball.

Other than that take this pievce of advice:

When going to an MLB game go as soon as the doors open, watch BP, watch the infield drills, then watch about the first four/five innings, head to your car, turn on the radio, and get outta the lot . . . beat the traffic.

Make sure you save your ticket stubbs so if something EPIC happens you can prove to your friends that "you were there, see my ticket!"

Pretty good post for an old guy Bob.

[bluezebra]

"When going to an MLB game go as soon as the doors open, watch BP, watch the infield drills, then watch about the first four/five innings, head to your car, turn on the radio, and get outta the lot . . . beat the traffic."

That's almost the routine for Dodger "fans". They arrive in the 3rd inning, then leave in the 7th to beat traffic. The only ones left at the end of the games are fans of the visiting teams. I don't think any of them even know the words to "Take Me Out To The Ballgame".

"You're being a little testy for a Friday aren't you . . ."

Tim, if you're referring to me, I'm testy eight days a week, not only on Fridays.

Bob

[Tim C]

Hehehehehe,

[jicecone]

Tc & Bob.

An engineer, gives engineering opinions and a frustrated perfectionist with no life, reads forums for grammer and spelling errors. Im glad Im only one of those.

[Tim C]

That would be "grammar"

:-}

[jicecone]

TC

Shucks, that must mean I are an Enginear.

Thanks

[GarthB]

Jicecone wrote:

Im glad Im only one of those."

And those of us retentive enough to point out the missing apostrophes would be....?

GB