Ch, ch, ch, changes. Four alterations MLB should make
Posted on Monday, March 28, 2011 at 02:21 PM
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For those of us who love baseball, this is a wonderful time of the year. There are only a handful of Spring training games remaining, and most clubs are about to break camp and head home to play their openers. There is a marvelous sense of anticipation in the air. However, there is absolutely no doubt Major League Baseball has started to lag behind the NFL and the NBA in terms of popularity. Not just 'bums in seats' statistical popularity, it has lost a foothold in the zeitgeist too. The average Joe Punter on the street just doesn't care as much as days of old.
Some people approach change like Khloe Kardashian approaches a diet. With great trepidation. Change though, can often be good. Change, in the case of MLB, is essential.
The slow paced game our parents and grandparents loved is being outdated faster than Mel Gibson's career imploded. MLB has to change to keep up with today's fast paced, instant results based society.
Here's four ways they can go about that.
One
Police those jaywalking catchers. There is already a limit on the amount of times a manager or pitching coach can visit the mound during the game. Why are catchers like Jorge Posada allowed make three to four, sometimes more, visits with the pitcher in mid inning? This would be such a simple change to police. Give them two visits per inning, and that's that. Quick, easy, sensible change.
Two
Put the clamps on the batters. I have never understood why MLB tolerates some of the completely ridiculous behaviour of players in the batters box. There is simply no reason for this. Players should be allowed step out of the batters box once, and once only, in an at bat. Every time they step out after that should be called a strike. This would speed the game up dramatically. The players have so much time to prepare for an at bat, in the dugout, in the stairwell and then in the on-deck circle too. How on earth can they not be ready to swing the bat after all that? Get them back in the box!!
Three
Start using a video umpire. MLB turns over billions of dollars a year, yet they can't afford to have one extra umpire sitting high in the stands, watching the tape of the game and helping the field umpires with calls? The one call we saw take way too much time last season was controversial home run balls. Currently the 'blues' have to comically waddle into the stair well to review the tape, then waddle back out and give the decision. It would be dramatically faster if there was a further official sitting upstairs ready to watch the tape and make the call in a matter of seconds. There is no doubt also that video review is going to filter in for further calls down the road, implementing this addition now would plant the framework for that. Get it done.
Four
Toss those managers faster. Hey, it was fun while it lasted, but umpires and managers, it is no longer interesting to watch you argue, shouting, practically spitting in each others faces. A short, sensible discussion on an issue should be enough for any calls. Why do we have to sit through long, protracted arguements? Why do managers think we want to see that? Ego, much? Toss their crabby old butts immediately. Speed the game up.
Some people approach change like Khloe Kardashian approaches a diet. With great trepidation. Change though, can often be good. Change, in the case of MLB, is essential.
The slow paced game our parents and grandparents loved is being outdated faster than Mel Gibson's career imploded. MLB has to change to keep up with today's fast paced, instant results based society.
Here's four ways they can go about that.
One
Police those jaywalking catchers. There is already a limit on the amount of times a manager or pitching coach can visit the mound during the game. Why are catchers like Jorge Posada allowed make three to four, sometimes more, visits with the pitcher in mid inning? This would be such a simple change to police. Give them two visits per inning, and that's that. Quick, easy, sensible change.
Two
Put the clamps on the batters. I have never understood why MLB tolerates some of the completely ridiculous behaviour of players in the batters box. There is simply no reason for this. Players should be allowed step out of the batters box once, and once only, in an at bat. Every time they step out after that should be called a strike. This would speed the game up dramatically. The players have so much time to prepare for an at bat, in the dugout, in the stairwell and then in the on-deck circle too. How on earth can they not be ready to swing the bat after all that? Get them back in the box!!
Nomar: Aka - the human rain delay
Three
Start using a video umpire. MLB turns over billions of dollars a year, yet they can't afford to have one extra umpire sitting high in the stands, watching the tape of the game and helping the field umpires with calls? The one call we saw take way too much time last season was controversial home run balls. Currently the 'blues' have to comically waddle into the stair well to review the tape, then waddle back out and give the decision. It would be dramatically faster if there was a further official sitting upstairs ready to watch the tape and make the call in a matter of seconds. There is no doubt also that video review is going to filter in for further calls down the road, implementing this addition now would plant the framework for that. Get it done.
Four
Toss those managers faster. Hey, it was fun while it lasted, but umpires and managers, it is no longer interesting to watch you argue, shouting, practically spitting in each others faces. A short, sensible discussion on an issue should be enough for any calls. Why do we have to sit through long, protracted arguements? Why do managers think we want to see that? Ego, much? Toss their crabby old butts immediately. Speed the game up.
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Mike7571 | Mar 29, 2011, 09:00 PM EDT
Make a foul count as the third strike every time, that would do the job.
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SingleDonald | Mar 29, 2011, 02:42 PM EDT
I especially love the idea of a video umpire. That bad call on 6/2/10 cost the young Tiger pitcher a perfect game! Even if the 4 on field umpires reviewed plays like that, it would be OK by me!
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rhunter67 | Mar 29, 2011, 01:32 PM EDT
Why change the game? IF you don't like some of the quirks that makes baseball great, don't watch it. Got back to watching cricket or something. Video umpires is a retarded, yes, retarded idea. The batters box rituals, part of the tradition of the game. Catchers visits, also tradition and aids in the pitcher's effectiveness. Do you realize that it is the catcher, not the pitcher who runs the game? By the way, I don't know where you're from, but the NBA has not been more popular than baseball since Michael Jordan left the bulls.
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DaddyMac22 | Mar 29, 2011, 01:16 PM EDT
@ Fightin69th - very good point re: rugby. Exact situation that would work with MLB, I think..
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Fightin69th | Mar 29, 2011, 12:57 PM EDT
Rugby got it right with instant replay and communication. If a try is questionable, the ref makes a motion for a tv-review, and the man up stairs watches all the angles and then sends the result into the ref's earpiece. No need for a ref to be trotting off to the sidelines, and the ref isn't "held accountable" for the decision
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TheOldPerfessor | Mar 29, 2011, 10:41 AM EDT
I agree that some change needs to be made to speed up the game. Maybe have the video and allow each team two challenges to the ump's call. I disagree about the relative popularity of baseball. Ever heard a heated discussion about who should or should not be in the Football Hall of Fame. The Basketball Hall of Fame? Ask a football fan who won the Superbowl two years ago.
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DaddyMac22 | Mar 29, 2011, 10:10 AM EDT
@ joecasey - clearly you have no understanding of the benefit of change! If you actually read the article rather than just treating us out of context to your opinion, you'll see it was a suggestion to tweak baseball to keep up with our fast paced society.
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JosephOCasey | Mar 28, 2011, 08:59 PM EDT
Clearly you have no understanding of baseball. Hitters step out to take signs from the 3rd base coach. They step out to prevent the pitcher from delivering a pitch while they are getting the signs from the 3rd base coach.
No real baseball fan wants to give the umpires more power. We don't pay to see the umpire.
Additionally, the beauty of baseball is that there is a human element in having umpires make calls. I don't want to see the game constantly delayed while instant replay is reviewed. That would kill the rhythm of the game. What's next? Beginning with a 1-1 count to speed up the game? Or waving the hitter to 1st instead of pitching the intentional walk? And what do you propose as the penalty for the catcher going to the mound more than twice in an inning? Forced removal of the pitcher? Please.
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