~2021 MLB Thread~

[MarqHusker]

Too lazy to dig it up, but this has been studied to death, it ain't the pitching changes or longer commercials.   The amount of time elapsed between pitches is far and away the biggest contributor to longer games.   

Love the experiments underway at minor leagues on this.   A hardened enforced pitch clock is the best solution.   Game flow is noticeably better at games with an enforced pitch clock.  

[ELA]

Too lazy to dig it up, but this has been studied to death, it ain't the pitching changes or longer commercials.  The amount of time elapsed between pitches is far and away the biggest contributor to longer games. 

Love the experiments underway at minor leagues on this.  A hardened enforced pitch clock is the best solution.  Game flow is noticeably better at games with an enforced pitch clock. 

It's a twofold problem in my opinion. I do agree that a pitch clock mixed with penalizing batters for stepping out of the box speeds up the pace of play, but does nothing to address the problem of the game boiling down to the three true outcomes. That is a more complicated issue. I think getting rid of the lively ball has helped, and I would put some limits on the shifts, so that guys don't feel like they might as well swing for the fences, because even if they make good contact, they're hitting it right into four defenders.  I think you need to enforce two infielders on either side of second base, and they must be positioned somewhere within the back of the dirt

[OrangeAfroMan]

Walks have largely been stable for decades.  
Yeah, guys are workiing long counts, but they're striking out.  Ks and HRs are absurd nowadays.  
In AZ Fall League games, there's a pitch clock and yeah, it works.  You watch a few innings of it and actually believe there used to be 9 inning games played in 2 hours back in the day.  

[FearlessF]

hitting to the opposite field easily defeats the shift, but no one wants to hit singles any longer

swing for the fence and pull the ball for HR power

[FearlessF]

hitters stepping out of the box on EVERY pitch to play with the velcro on their gloves is absurd

[ELA]

hitting to the opposite field easily defeats the shift, but no one wants to hit singles any longer

swing for the fence and pull the ball for HR power

Because the pitchers are so nasty, stringing together base hits is nearly impossible.  And certainly not statistically wise

[ELA]

Games actually moving along at a pretty good pace

[ELA]

Webb about to make it through 7 is what I like to see

[MarqHusker]

TTO indeed a separate issue and would require some medley of remedies.    I'm much more annoyed by pitcher/ batter stalling than anything else.  

[OrangeAfroMan]

Doubles and triples are exciting.  Even singles with multiple baserunners is exciting.  It's actual action.  Today's baseball isn't that.  ELA is right, it's most effective to play boring baseball.  Ks and BBs untiil you hit a HR.  

When any kind of entertainment has it's best incentive to win at odds with the enjoyment of watching, it's no longer entertaining.  

[OrangeAfroMan]

Is it selfish of me to have just wanted a blowout?  A 1-run game in the bottom of the 9th is too nerve-racking.

[ELA]

Yikes, horrible call to end it.  Not sure Flores was going to get him either way though

[OrangeAfroMan]

[MarqHusker]

Sorry punch out to end that.