Fixing MLB

[johnnyg08]

Originally Posted by DG

A 3+ hour event is very likely.

Exactly.

[dash_riprock]

Originally Posted by jicecone

Open up the strike zone.
Good pitching will STILL prevail.

I would think so.

[Welpe]

Originally Posted by jicecone

Open up the strike zone. For years we have all learned if a pitch is bordedrline it is probably best to call it a strike, except in MLB. The zones are way too tight.

Wally Bell was doing his best to do that last night...even on non borderline pitches.

[MrUmpire]

Originally Posted by jicecone

Open up the strike zone. For years we have all learned if a pitch is bordedrline it is probably best to call it a strike, except in MLB. The zones are way too tight.

You're kidding right? If any level should call close to the rulebook, it's MLB. Were you a fan of Eric Gregg?

Want a bigger zone? Get MLB to get a bigger plate. Openly violating the rules is not the best path to shorter games. It would be, however, a great path to increased ejections. That might be fun.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by DG

A 3+ hour event is very likely.

But people are watching the NFL. MNF had more viewers (and the game was bad on top of that) than the LCS. It is much more than pace of the game.

Peace

[Umpmazza]

Originally Posted by zm1283

The NCAA is implementing the 20-second clock between pitches (with no runners on)

i hate to break it to you, but the 20 sec has been a rule for at least 5 yrs now...

The SEC used it int he Conference tourney, they will use it this yr. the others conferences have the choice to use, if 1 school doesn't want to use, then none of them use it.

tony Thompson was telling us about it last weekend at his camp.

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by johnnyg08

Count the commercial breaks during Monday night football...by far more breaks in the action with nothing going on than baseball.

Going to a football game in person is even dumber...watch the players stand around at change of possession for three minutes doing nothing until TV tells them it's okay to keep playing.

according to a couple of articles in the Wall Street Journal over the past several months, there's more "action" in a baseball game than in a football game.

Both are under 20 minutes, however, in the 3+ hour total.

[johnnyg08]

I think the action piece is misleading.

In the NFL use a stop watch and actually time the plays from snap to tackle.

The people would be surprised. People don't like baseball, because it is a hard game to enjoy if you don't understand the finer points of the game.

[JRutledge]

I do not think the issue is the actually time of "action" that takes place. The bottom line football has more going on even when nothing is taking place and I bet most series of downs take place faster than many at bats. Heck there are innings that take an hour (and in this post season). That is too much time for a game that could cut that time in half if they did the right things.

There is a reason why baseball is lacking in participation to the other major sports in our country. It is more than how long the game takes.

Peace

[GA Umpire]

Honestly, comparing baseball to football is comparing apples to oranges.

People watch football for the hits, touchdowns, and cheerleaders. Baseball doesn't have any of this and very few hits. Wouldn't mind the cheerleader part though.

Football is designed for ADD fans (Fans who need constant changes in the game). Baseball is designed for non-ADD fans (Fans who watch the game or at least like it enough to watch for their favorite player or team). In football, the ball can go from one team to another instantly. Baseball has to get 3 outs somehow. In football, the score can change by a variety of ways and by a variety of points. In baseball, there is only 1 way to score 1 run. It may vary in the number of them and how it happens. But, the method is the same: "Touch" all of the bases in order.

All of the reasons are not as black and white as this either. We have become a society who craves the fast pace things of life. I mean look at how quick the hottest game/movie becomes the coldest in a matter of weeks.

While there are ideas to help speed up the game, none of it truly matters b/c it is so much more than that. So much more is involved and the style of the games is so different. Speeding it up only changes when you go to bed at night after the late game. That's it.

[greymule]

Ice hockey has more "action" than either baseball or football; so does indoor soccer, pro wrestling, bicycle racing. . . .

Baseball has long periods of anticipation, punctuated by fast and important action. And it helps to know what's going on, which is why I couldn't stick with watching guys from India play cricket in a New Jersey league that played in the same park where I often umpired.

But as GA said, it's apples and oranges. Action is overrated. Movies today are full of 3D truck crashes and all kinds of action special effects. Yet I'd rather watch The Treasure of the Sierra Madre for the 50th time than Terminator XVII.

I used to be a huge NBA fan, too. Loved the Knicks, hated the Celtics. Now I think I'd watch British soccer over dunkball. The game just doesn't interest me any longer. I hate to say it, but neither does MLB, though I still enjoy watching old World Series highlight films.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by greymule

Ice hockey has more "action" than either baseball or football; so does indoor soccer, pro wrestling, bicycle racing. . . .

You are right, but that plays a role in today’s games to many people.

Also the biggest problem is in my opinion is the way the game of baseball is sold to the public. For one they need to stop playing the biggest games when most young people will not be able to watch. Even the Super Bowl is played in the afternoon or very early evening and ends before 10:00 in the Eastern Time Zone on a Sunday. Baseball wants to start games late and then end even later on a school day mind you.

Also the dumbest thing baseball does is try to convince the public that guys that played in a segregated era were much better than what we see today. Then you vilify the players that are your stars because they did something that was legal or not outlawed. At least the NFL can show video of players that have not played in 40 years and we can judge how good they are to today's players. Baseball just gives numbers and wants us to believe that there is no way a player today was as good or better all because of some numbers. Jim Brown has been passed on the rushing charts by 8 players on the All-Time Lists, but in his era and still in some people's minds he was unmatched. That is fine, but at least there is a discussion. You even try to say anyone was better than Babe Ruth or Hank Aaron on some lists there are people that act like Barry Bonds or even Sammy Sosa could not match them. That hurts your sports when people have witnessed things and you dismiss what they witnessed. And you have no video of those players to prove they were not as good. It is kind of silly to the public and makes people not want to watch.

Peace

[Steven Tyler]

I don't think things are more boring than this thread.....

Anywho, I went to game 2 of the ALCS last Saturday. The game lasted approximately 3 1/2 hours. I had a blast throughout the whole game. I had taped the Texas-Nebraska game and watched it when I got home. I fast forwarded through all timeouts, commercials, and halftime. It took me about 1 1/2 hours to watch the game. I throughly enjoyed it also.

My advice. Deal with it. It is what is.

[MD Longhorn]

Baseball fans, or at least those who have been fans at some point, understand that the game has action, pause, action, pause... etc. The issue is that the pauses have become interminable. 45 seconds to throw a pitch is freaking ridiculous - and will lose the attention of many fans who were interested 45 seconds ago. Do this multiple times, and you wonder why the ratings are so low.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Steven Tyler

I don't think things are more boring than this thread.....

Anywho, I went to game 2 of the ALCS last Saturday. The game lasted approximately 3 1/2 hours. I had a blast throughout the whole game. I had taped the Texas-Nebraska game and watched it when I got home. I fast forwarded through all timeouts, commercials, and halftime. It took me about 1 1/2 hours to watch the game. I throughly enjoyed it also.

My advice. Deal with it. It is what is.

They are dealing with it. Monday Night Football was on and they watched that and not the baseball game.

The question was how do you fix that? And MLB has to be concerned that a post season game is not doing better than a blowout or not two of the biggest draws in the NFL. It was not like the Colts were playing New England on MNF. It was a decent team playing a team that was even worse. And both of the QBs were knocked out of that game.

And being at the game is completely different than watching it on TV. Not a good comparison at all if you ask me.

Peace