Speeding up the game

[Eagles_Ball]

My rant got me thinking...What seriously can be done to either speed up the game or make it more exciting/have more action?

Bigger/automated K zone
Pitch clock

Throw out some ideas.

 

[Duck_walk]

Shock collar for any pitcher who holds the damn ball on the mound would be cool.

Ear piece for the players for communication from dugout. No more stupid arse finger signals from catcher and changing them with a man on second. Then all the defenders will know pitch and location immediately.

The new rule for relievers next year will help.

 

[3Rfan]

Shock collar for any pitcher who holds the damn ball on the mound would be cool.

Ear piece for the players for communication from dugout. No more stupid arse finger signals from catcher and changing them with a man on second. Then all the defenders will know pitch and location immediately.

The new rule for relievers next year will help.

Ear pieces would get hacked and everyone would know. Holding the ball is THE most effective way to keep guys from stealing on them.

 

[Duck_walk]

Ear pieces would get hacked and everyone would know. Holding the ball is THE most effective way to keep guys from
stealing on them.

No one hacks NFL equipment, except probably New England.

 

[Duck_walk]

Ear pieces would get hacked and everyone would know. Holding the ball is THE most effective way to keep guys from stealing on them.

Tim Raines and Vinve Coleman retired. No one is stealing bases any more.

 

[3Rfan]

Tim Raines and Vinve Coleman retired. No one is stealing bases any more.

Maybe all the pitchers have figured out holding the ball stops them. I'll bet you see more running come back in the game, it makes things happen and helps score runs, silly not to be doing it.

 

[Duck_walk]

Maybe all the pitchers have figured out holding the ball stops them. I'll bet you see more running come back in the game, it makes things happen and helps score runs, silly not to be doing it.

So you are saying the game will be more exciting again. I am all for it.

 

[oldroundballer]

Pitching changes are the biggest culprit in my opinion. In the 80s teams averaged under 3 pitchers a game. Today it's well over 4. It's a double whammy. Changes add down time and specialized pitchers limit offense.

In the current 5 game home stand the Cards have used 24 pitchers. Not all of those are mid-inning changes but it's still absurd.

I'm not sure how to change it but it's not good for action nor game time.

 

[chs_02]

Call more strikes. If guys have to swing they are either putting the ball in play or going to the bench

 

[Pancho and Lefty]

12 pitchers used in the Cards game yesterday. Length of game yesterday was 3 hrs 42 min. I know its a game of strategy, but not many of the youngsters today have an attention span to sit through that. I know I don't.

I don't live and die by every pitch, but I think a big think a big part for the lack of interest is the amount of teams who are taking the tanking approach to try to get the better draft picks to win later. Look at the standings, there are really no races close at all other than the NL Central. 9 teams are 15 games or more out of contention, with 5 of them over 19.5 games out.

 

[Pancho and Lefty]

I heard Bob Knightengale on KMOX yesterday, he basically said the game is as bad as it has ever been. High strikeout rates, low balls in play, statistics dominating everything, catchers don't call pitches much, etc.

 

[Duck_walk]

The games are long and fewer balls are put in play. When you see a triple nowadays, your jaw drops. What a novelty. Why? Because they have made a science out of a game that is supposed to be fun. Launch angles are killing me. Spin rates are tearing my heart out. The shift has ripped the joy out of the game.

 

[Eagles_Ball]

The games are long and fewer balls are put in play. When you see a triple nowadays, your jaw drops. What a novelty. Why? Because they have made a science out of a game that is supposed to be fun. Launch angles are killing me. Spin rates are tearing my heart out. The shift has ripped the joy out of the game.

They've allowed it too though. IMHO. K zones are tiny. Body armor, lack of pitching inside, lowered mound...how could you not be a success. Even with the dude on the mound throwing 95. Automate the zone. Use a pitch clock, for EVERY SINGLE PITCH. Man on or not. I think that solves a lot of it. Make timeouts a thing. Have to use a timeout for a mound visit, for one of Yadi's 48 "talks" during a game...basically anything over the pitch clock, for it not to be a ball, you use one of your, let's say 5 timeouts. Want to make a pitching change mid-inning? Time out required. The game has got to get moving! It's going to die if it doesn't. And that will be a shame.

As far as the shift goes...that's the fault of the player and coaches. Matt Carpenter is hitting .220 because teams are just smarter than he is. He's more concerned about doing "damage" than getting on base. Well, his damage currently equates to that of a replacement level player. Learn more than one approach. And here's a thought, learn to bunt with two strikes. It's not the most complicated thing ever.

 

[3Rfan]

The games are long and fewer balls are put in play. When you see a triple nowadays, your jaw drops. What a novelty. Why? Because they have made a science out of a game that is supposed to be fun. Launch angles are killing me. Spin rates are tearing my heart out. The shift has ripped the joy out of the game.

And yet you want MORE science in it with a computerized strike zone. That ain't gonna speed up the game and will likely cause even more SO's. There will never be a strike called if it's in, out, up or down. This is a human's game and humans should officiate it. Replays do not always get a call right, I've seen several that made me scratch my head, dump that too.
The only thing worse than this in the constant replays in the last minutes of a basketball game, especially in the playoffs. They give teams several free TO's when they're tired and they should NOT be allowed to go to their bench and talk to the coaches during replays.

 

[Duck_walk]

And yet you want MORE science in it with a computerized strike zone. That ain't gonna speed up the game and will likely cause even more SO's. There will never be a strike called if it's in, out, up or down. This is a human's game and humans should officiate it. Replays do not always get a call right, I've seen several that made me scratch my head, dump that too.
The only thing worse than this in the constant replays in the last minutes of a basketball game, especially in the playoffs. They give teams several free TO's when they're tired and they should NOT be allowed to go to their bench and talk to the coaches during replays.

Refs and umps suck. The more we take those yahoos out of decision making positions, the better. They ruin many a game.

 

[3Rfan]

Refs and umps suck. The more we take those yahoos out of decision making positions, the better. They ruin many a game.

Sounds like a disgruntled old coach talkin . Sure would be tough to have sports without em.

 

[Duck_walk]

Sounds like a disgruntled old coach talkin . Sure would be tough to have sports without em.

So many bad ones.