Fixing MLB

[MD Longhorn]

OK... I know, that implies it's broken, and I don't really think that... but I do think we've lost a lot of fans, from casual to serious, because of a number of issues. To me, all the gabbing about replay is immaterial to whether fans want to watch. It seems, from talking to people that don't watch, that the main culprit is the pace of the game and/or the length of the game.

Proposal:
1) Between pitches, the batter has 10 seconds to get his sign and get into the box, ready for the pitch.
2) Once the batter is ready, the pitcher has 10 seconds to pitch or throw to a base.
3) Pitchers may throw to a base only twice per "situation" (see below). A third throw MUST result in an out, or the baserunner advances (the allowing of the 3rd throw makes it so baserunners can take a little more lead after 2 throws ... but can't go TOO far as they are still liable to be thrown out)
4) Catchers may meet with a pitcher once per batter. A 2nd visit counts as a coach visit.

This would get rid of the endless getting in and out of the box, the batter calling time because the pitcher took too long, etc. It would also get rid of the waste-of-time lob-pickoff throw.

Part of the reason (sometimes) for the waste-of-time lobbing to a base is to allow a reliever to warm up a tad longer. Since we don't want added injuries caused by this speed up, a relief pitcher is allowed an extra minute on the mound when he first comes in.

(Situation: Defined as one specific batter/runner/outs configuration. Joe Smith batting, John Doe on first is a situation. Should Doe move to 2nd - we have a new situation, the throw-over counting starts over. Should Smith get out and a new batter come in, new situation. Should an out be obtained elsewhere or any other baserunner move, it's a new situation.)