Fixing MLB

[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.

[GA Umpire]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

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.

It's the same in football. A play happens. Then, it is 40 seconds to the next play. Basketball has the same thing. Pass the ball enough times for 35 seconds. The passing of time between actual "action" in the game is not necessarily the issue. Maybe the perception of how long that wait is between "action" but it is prevalent in all sports. Just some, like baseball, it seems more noticeable b/c all action waits on 1 person to do something rather than a couple of people.

The "time" issue is not a valid argument. It is much more than that.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by GA Umpire

It's the same in football. A play happens. Then, it is 40 seconds to the next play.

Not entirely true. The 40 second clock starts only at the pro and college level. Also the play clock (40 or 25) runs when the last play is ruled dead. And at both the college and pro level the clock is a 25 seconds for the play clock when certain action ends the play (after timeouts, injuries, incomplete passes or even penalties), not 40 based on what took place. And that only applies to teams that do not run a no-huddle that even take time between the plays.

The pitcher in a baseball game will get the ball back and take 40 seconds to throw a pitch after they have received the ball. And the batter will spend 20 adjusting everything on their uniform before they get back into the box after they took a pitch as well.

Originally Posted by GA Umpire

Basketball has the same thing. Pass the ball enough times for 35 seconds. The passing of time between actual "action" in the game is not necessarily the issue. Maybe the perception of how long that wait is between "action" but it is prevalent in all sports. Just some, like baseball, it seems more noticeable b/c all action waits on 1 person to do something rather than a couple of people.

The "time" issue is not a valid argument. It is much more than that.

And your basketball comparison is even sillier. For one the clock is running during all of “action.” And at the pro and college levels there is a shot clock. Even if nothing is going on in a basketball game, the clock is running. The game is going to get over sooner. Many teams do not wait for that clock to run that much to score.

We do not have to wait until an event to get the game over with like you do in baseball. And there is often no real possibility to score in baseball unless there is a home run. A basketball game they can score several times in a minute. Not going to happen even in a high scoring baseball game.

There is nothing wrong with liking one sport over another. We all have those preferences. But if one game is so unlike the others and they are not getting the same attention that can be a problem. I think there is nothing wrong with creating some rules to speed up the game that would allow the game to be seen without having to sit there for 3 hours all the time.

Peace

[GA Umpire]

Justify the argument anyway you want. But, it all has the same issue. Only perception makes it different. And, as you reiterated my point, in football and basketball, anything can happen to change how a team scores or gets on offense. Thus, making time "seem" different and irrelevant. In baseball, that can't happen.

Baseball is a completely different sport b/c it doesn't have that. Again, there is only 1 way to score and only 1 way to get on offense. No other sport I am aware of has those set rules to determine who is allowed to score and who is allowed to be on offense.

I have no problem sitting through a 3 hour football game or a 3 hour baseball game. So, as far as I see it, the game is fine. The only thing I would like is less commercials. That's it. There's a reason why baseball is a "thinking man's" game. I, like many fans, am not watching the game for all of the "action". I watch it for the game and all its aspects. I want the game left alone. Time is not a problem for me.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by GA Umpire

I want the game left alone. Time is not a problem for me.

Part of the problem not mentioned here is the way the dead time is filled. It wasn't that long ago that baseball announcers had some credibility, not to mention just ability. They could keep you interested between pitches, and even educate. Now, it's meaningless (and often simply incorrect) drivel between two guys who seem to occasionally stop watching the game entirely, and just talk through the action as if we were tuning in to hear them.

The 3 hours AT a ballpark, to me, are easy. 3 hours watching them on TV? I rarely have the patience (conversely, I can sit for 3 hours solid, sometimes 6, watching football, and wonder where the time went).

Can we legislate out the stupidity in the booth?

First to go ... McCarver and Morgan.

[nopachunts]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

can we legislate out the stupidity in the booth?

First to go ... Mccarver and morgan.

+1

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by GA Umpire

It's the same in football. A play happens. Then, it is 40 seconds to the next play. Basketball has the same thing. Pass the ball enough times for 35 seconds. The passing of time between actual "action" in the game is not necessarily the issue. Maybe the perception of how long that wait is between "action" but it is prevalent in all sports. Just some, like baseball, it seems more noticeable b/c all action waits on 1 person to do something rather than a couple of people.

The "time" issue is not a valid argument. It is much more than that.

No, this isn't even close. There are 25-40 seconds between plays in football. So a couple times a minute, we have an explosion of action to watch.

In baseball, the PITCHES are that far apart ... but the potential explosion of action doesn't happen every pitch, placing the action of the game 2 to 3 (to 4 or 5 sometimes) minutes apart. If we could get rid of the nonsense between pitches and cut that to 15-20 seconds, we'd get 2-3 pitches per minute, instead of 1.

The basketball comparison is completely ridiculous - almost not worthy of response. Come on. Basketball motion is constant, even away from the ball. Clock stoppages and time between plays is VERY short (maybe you can call the 4-6 seconds of dribbling the ball from basket to front court actionless ... but even if the dribbler is not moving, everyone else is most of the time.

[GA Umpire]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

No, this isn't even close. There are 25-40 seconds between plays in football. So a couple times a minute, we have an explosion of action to watch.

In baseball, the PITCHES are that far apart ... but the potential explosion of action doesn't happen every pitch, placing the action of the game 2 to 3 (to 4 or 5 sometimes) minutes apart. If we could get rid of the nonsense between pitches and cut that to 15-20 seconds, we'd get 2-3 pitches per minute, instead of 1.

The basketball comparison is completely ridiculous - almost not worthy of response. Come on. Basketball motion is constant, even away from the ball. Clock stoppages and time between plays is VERY short (maybe you can call the 4-6 seconds of dribbling the ball from basket to front court actionless ... but even if the dribbler is not moving, everyone else is most of the time.

Again, the ADD factor and basketball is relevant. Again, the "action" is needed to keep the attention. Hmmmmm. Could that be a reoccurring theme? It seems to be for those who want to change the pace of the game. Seems to be common and keeps coming up. As I said, the pace of the game is fine for me. It has been this way for years. And, now it is b/c announcers can't cure the ADD of fans.

It's a thinking man's game which requires patience. So many arguments illustrate that not too many have it.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by GA Umpire

Again, the ADD factor and basketball is relevant. Again, the "action" is needed to keep the attention. Hmmmmm. Could that be a reoccurring theme? It seems to be for those who want to change the pace of the game. Seems to be common and keeps coming up. As I said, the pace of the game is fine for me. It has been this way for years. And, now it is b/c announcers can't cure the ADD of fans.

Again MNF had more viewers and the post season in baseball. I would suspect that any post season of the big three would out due in ratings in any regular season game. And a regular season game that did not even have the marquee players or teams featured. It has nothing to do with ADD, it has to do with someone is not watching the sport and baseball is about the forth or fifth played sport amongst boys in high school. Something is wrong.

Originally Posted by GA Umpire

It's a thinking man's game which requires patience. So many arguments illustrate that not too many have it.

Let me say this. How hard is it to know someone is going to bring in the lefty to face the lefty? Really that is a big time strategy to figure out? If anything it is the "over-thinking" man's game when most of what happens in baseball is very predictable and obvious what moves a manager is going to make. And in this day's game they bring in one pitcher to pitch to one guy. Really ground breaking stuff right there.

Peace

[GA Umpire]

Oh, if it were only as simple as which pitcher might come in, thanks for sharing that. It is never just about "a lefty facing a lefty". Sometimes, it is "This LH hitter can't hit a sinker and our RHP is the best in this situation b/c he throws a sinker." So much more. Not to mention having to worry about if the other team is going to bring in a switch hitter or change to a RH batter.

Now, I know why you don't like it. There are no simple connect the dots in the game.

Again, it does have everything to do with ADD. And, as far as HS boys, that is not a fair assessment (yet again). Let's see. Free shots to hit someone. More are allowed to be on the team. HS girls cheerlead and come to the game. The list can go on and on including how the game of football works with its other rules.

Also, football is far simpler in its method of play which is why there are fewer rules in it than in baseball. And, perception of "time delay" in the game is different.

[mbyron]

Nobody with power cares a fig about pace. Follow the money: money comes from TV. TV makes money from selling ads. The longer the game, the more ads they sell, the more money they make.

There does come a point of diminishing marginal returns, when you start to lose audience because the game is too damn slow and long. People get paid money to find that point, and the games won't get any shorter than that.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by GA Umpire

Oh, if it were only as simple as which pitcher might come in, thanks for sharing that. It is never just about "a lefty facing a lefty". Sometimes, it is "This LH hitter can't hit a sinker and our RHP is the best in this situation b/c he throws a sinker." So much more. Not to mention having to worry about if the other team is going to bring in a switch hitter or change to a RH batter.

Now, I know why you don't like it. There are no simple connect the dots in the game.

I was being a little facetious in my response because you made it sound like there was so much complicated to the strategy to baseball. Oh, that is ground breaking that we now a pitcher throws a sinker. At least they know he can throw that pitch it is about execution. In football they might not know they run a play out of that formation. The team may think they run to one side and because of motion or other movements they run to another side. Football is much more of a chess game than any baseball game as there is not much you can do in baseball but throw the ball and try to make the batter miss it. Even basketball has many more variations to offenses and defenses than that. All these sports have strategy, but to say that the dots are too simple in other sports and baseball is the complicated mind game, you cannot be serious.

Originally Posted by GA Umpire

Again, it does have everything to do with ADD. And, as far as HS boys, that is not a fair assessment (yet again). Let's see. Free shots to hit someone. More are allowed to be on the team. HS girls cheerlead and come to the game. The list can go on and on including how the game of football works with its other rules.

Not sure what ADD has to do with more people want to go watch a game. Baseball at the high school and college level is not even a revenue sport for most schools across the country. And the games as the high school level are theoretically much shorter than high school games. After all there are only 7 innings in baseball at the high school level. Many games end in less than 2 hours (and that is with speed up rules unlike the pros). High school football games almost always go over 2 hours and can be longer. It is much more than attention span that is drawing people in.

Originally Posted by GA Umpire

Also, football is far simpler in its method of play which is why there are fewer rules in it than in baseball. And, perception of "time delay" in the game is different.

Fewer rules than baseball??? Really???

Do you realize that there are over 300 rules differences from college to pro? Do you realize there over 200 from college to high school? Fewer rules?? I could step into working a MLB game right now and not pick up a rulebook at that level and function. You cannot do that in football, not even close. There are so many different penalties differences or so many mechanics difference. When I started working baseball I did not have to completely change the way I thought of the game to umpire unlike I had to in other sports. Of course there are rules in baseball that are not easy or well understood, but let us not make it seem that someone that watches a high school game cannot figure out when someone is out or when someone is safe in a baseball game. There are big time football fans that do not realize what is legal or illegal in a basic game because the levels have so many differences. And still the public loves to watch football much more than baseball. Remember, a MNF game had more people watch than a post-season baseball game, with two middle of the road teams with nothing on the line in that game. Both LCS have players that are the best in the game and two of the more popular teams in them and they were outdone by a regular season football game. And if San Francisco wins against Philly we will see worse ratings differences. I would have never imagined that when I was a kid.

Peace