Can Extending Relief Appearances Address Baseball’s Pace of Play Concerns?

This is a bad idea. Managers should not have an artificial constraint like this getting in the way of managing a game.

The purpose of minor league baseball is player development. Winning games is of low priority. It's much more like spring training baseball than it is like regular season major league baseball. Pitchers are used based on how much work they need, not based on how they can help win a given game. For that reason, comparing the length of major league relief appearances and the length of minor league relief appearances is worthless data.

Research told McDonalds that they wanted healthy food options. McDonalds introduced the McLean as a result of what seemed to be undeniable data. The people spoke but the people didn't put their money where their mouth was. 

 

When you ask people to make suggestions there are times when they say things that they think they should say. Umm... Healthy Food... Yeah... Healthy Food... that's what I'm supposed to say.  

 

 

Baseball clearly has a major demographic issue that needs to be addressed and they don't have that long to address it. The median age is 55, it won't be long before the bulk of the audience ages out of the prime demo real estate that attract advertisers. The advertisers will placing ad buys with the coupons offered by your favorite team. It's a serious problem.

 

When conducting research to solve this serious problem. I totally believe that the number one issue would reveal itself as pace of play. 

 

However... I'm not sure they are drilling down what they mean by that.

 

I just don't believe that a pitch clock saving 10 minutes or the extra 10 minutes saved by limiting mound visits and pitching changes is going to fix it. Lowering the average length of game from 3 hours and 7 minutes to 2 h7yours and 47 minutes isn't the button that turns on the future generations. They can barely make it through one inning without flipping over to the WWE and forgetting to go back to the game. 

 

Baseball is what it is. It's a game built on failure and failure means the routine over and over again until someone hits one 500 feet. The problem isn't time... it's the action.

 

They need to think about connecting with the increasingly distracted younger generation. This needs to be done with technology. Use technology to get the game on every smart phone, tablet, or whatever so people can watch the game with ease. Tired of whatever App... I can easily flip the game on. Don't charge an arm and a leg for viewing rights. Think Cume... a little from the many instead of milking the few.

 

Use that same technology to create stars. If you don't know who Mike Trout is... Hang in there... we will educate you by plastering Mike Trout funny videos on every social media site. Make Trout and Byron Buxton human interest stories so people can relate to them. Use the technology to educate and entertain. Don't think you are too hip for the room if you introduce spin rates or launch angles. The more people know... the more they will get into it. Educate... share the details. 

 

Get Rid of Dick and Bert. I'm sorry to say it... I love those guys... but... broadcasts need to re-brand themselves. Dick and Bert style is yesterday. If broadcasts are going to explain the new data and educate people about the game of baseball... we are going to need people who understand it. The Big smooth tones of Dick won't matter anymore... It will be the content... can he entertain? Can he liven up the dull times that are inherent in the game.  

 

And please stop worrying about the short term buck and stop quibbling over territorial rights and make sure that the Twins Fans can access the action in Iowa, Vermont or anywhere on every device possible for as economically as possible. Think Cume... a little from the many instead of milking the few. 

 

It's also going to take a culture change from the 1920 baseball ideals that are still adhered to. Baseball got a big clue toward the right direction of actually entertaining a younger generation during the WBC and Ian Kinsler was sure to slap the Puerto Rico baseball team for that... Let them know that fun is not allowed is what Ian and our 1920 traditions are saying.

 

Let them do backflips around the bases after home runs. Enough Library Baseball or you get beaned. 

All of this--those minor tweaks won't change a thing.  There will still be a high-profile playoff game (or every playoff game as well as the All-Star game) with tons of pitching changes gumming up the works.  But that is the game!  Changing the fundamental perception, and how it is digested is the key.  

Hell, I rarely watch or listen to a full game, but because I have an overall appreciation, consuming it in TF's TD Recaps and watch highlights on the MLB app on my Apple TV is pretty sweet.

This all reminds me of a recent article I read about the venerable old churchs of downtown (fill in the blank, this article was about Twin Falls, Idaho.). Dwindling attendance and what to do about that.  Is religion and/or spirituality dead?  Or do the younger generations just not want to sit around listening to Reverend Lovejoy/Dick Bremer?

The pitch clock thing is like giving my 6 year old a band-aid when they have a headache.

Want more action? Make the strike zone larger so that batters will swing at more pitches. Decrease the height of the mound so that pitchers won't be able to strike as many batters out.

Baseball heritage was one pitcher per game. So baseball has changed and evolved over time. 

Let's get rid of pitchers who only pitch to one batter.

Two Rules:

1. A pitcher who starts the inning must pitch to three batters.

2. A pitcher who comes into the game must pitch to three batters.

It speeds up the snail pace of games.

It adds even more strategy.

It'll probably add more hits and drama.

Reduce the number of commercial breaks.  That's were a bulk of the time is going.

Millennials will not begin to embrace the game of baseball until MLB figures out that batters strolling back to the dugout after whiffing should be given a Certificate of Participation by the time they reach the on-deck circle. No waiting til he gets to the dugout because speed of game, you know. And instant feedback.

Baseball needs to rid itself of the pace of play agenda. Baseball is what it always has been and we are getting dangerously close to damaging the integrity of the game. Baseball has either the 1st or 2nd most participants in youth sports in this country. It will survive and thrive.

Baseball needs to rid itself of the pace of play agenda. Baseball is what it always has been and we are getting dangerously close to damaging the integrity of the game. Baseball has either the 1st or 2nd most participants in youth sports in this country. It will survive and thrive.

Questionable assertion.

http://www.engagesports.com/blog/post/1488/youth-sports-participation-statistics-and-trends

Baseball hasn't been number #1 or #2 in some time; while it's unlikely to keep falling down the charts any time soon, the participation numbers are declining like a lot of youth sports. 

It's easier than ever to see a baseball game on tv...and harder to carve out enough time to do it. The fan experience at a professional baseball game is one of the better ones in professional sports...but time makes it harder to bring kids to the game. (Think about how many parents leave in the 6th or 7th inning when they have kids, because it's already 9:30pm and if they stay to the end it's after 10 and will take another 435 minutes to get out of the parking garage)

the relief epidemic is getting to be problematic, and I'd have no problem with mandating a reliever face more than 1 batter (3 sounds like it might be a sweet spot). rosters with 13 pitchers, constant pitching changes and delays, starters being considered quality for hacking their way through 5 innings these sorts of things impact the integrity of the game in their own way too.

A pitch clock would be great. Meditating on the mound and running through 7 sets of signs while contemplating the mysteries of the universe before throwing the ball doesn't help baseball. (what are they doing, reciting tug McGraw's "frozen ice-ball" theory in their heads before each pitch?) batters stepping out of the box to re-adjust 14 straps on various equipment their wearing so they can dip their elbows into the strike zone without fear of getting hit by a pitch don't help either.

I swear, I miss Mark Buehrle just for how fast he kept a game moving.

Why are people in such a hurry to get the games over? Do they really have a better place to be than at the game?

I think once baseball gets away from lumbering dinosaurs, who are three true outcome players, and move to more athletic players, triples, steals, great defense, the game will be exciting again. Three outcome players are killing my entertainment.

  I see two very feasible ways to speed up games.  1) Limit catchers' trips to the mound.  2) Use the in-game commercials like FOX does for NFL games.  There are 17 breaks between half innings.  Cut a minute off each by limiting commercial time.

  These two things would immediately cut 20+ minutes off each game time.

I agree with most here; I hate the idea of limiting the number of pitchers available or setting a minimum number of batters a relief pitcher must face. 

At what point is MLB going to accept some responsibility in the length of games? I'm tired of seeing the burden being shifted entirely onto the players and I certainly don't want to see the game fundamentally changed as a result. 

The pace of baseball is the whole point of the game. Might as well just play a round robin tournament in April and get it over with instead, huh?

Seriously, it's wise to not want time to balloon out of control, but a clock is a fundamental change. I fully advocate limiting time between at bats or pitches in some way, but mandated behind the scenes. I don't want penalties in baseball (and they don't speed up the game either).

Reduce the number of commercial breaks. That's were a bulk of the time is going.

Plenty of time to blog but so little time to watch the games.

Questionable assertion.

 

http://www.engagesports.com/blog/post/1488/youth-sports-participation-statistics-and-trends

 

Baseball hasn't been number #1 or #2 in some time; while it's unlikely to keep falling down the charts any time soon, the participation numbers are declining like a lot of youth sports. 

 

It's easier than ever to see a baseball game on tv...and harder to carve out enough time to do it. The fan experience at a professional baseball game is one of the better ones in professional sports...but time makes it harder to bring kids to the game. (Think about how many parents leave in the 6th or 7th inning when they have kids, because it's already 9:30pm and if they stay to the end it's after 10 and will take another 435 minutes to get out of the parking garage)

 

the relief epidemic is getting to be problematic, and I'd have no problem with mandating a reliever face more than 1 batter (3 sounds like it might be a sweet spot). rosters with 13 pitchers, constant pitching changes and delays, starters being considered quality for hacking their way through 5 innings these sorts of things impact the integrity of the game in their own way too.

 

A pitch clock would be great. Meditating on the mound and running through 7 sets of signs while contemplating the mysteries of the universe before throwing the ball doesn't help baseball. (what are they doing, reciting tug McGraw's "frozen ice-ball" theory in their heads before each pitch?) batters stepping out of the box to re-adjust 14 straps on various equipment their wearing so they can dip their elbows into the strike zone without fear of getting hit by a pitch don't help either.

 

I swear, I miss Mark Buehrle just for how fast he kept a game moving.

It seems like we are quibbling on the particpation rate, but whatever. This Washington Post link has baseball at #2:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/local/wp/2016/05/17/youth-sports-participation-is-up-slightly-but-many-kids-are-still-left-behind/?utm_term=.790d4580bca5

I had a recent study that had baseball at #1, just cannot find it now on my lunch break.

Even your link has baseball at #3 in raw numbers. Furthermore, the baseball decline in the study you cite is less than the % decline seen in basketball and football, the two other major sports.

My point was that baseball participation rates are strong amongst youth and that is a good indicator for the future of baseball.

Why are people in such a hurry to get the games over? Do they really have a better place to be than at the game?

haha....yeah but who has the time to consistently go to games after work that start at 6 or 7 and last 3-1/2 - 4 hours during a week night?  If they could knock it down to under 3 maybe closer to 2-1/2 hours it would do wonders.  The key commercials.  Get rid of half of the commercials all together and the game speeds up considerably.

You are a wise person. This would be the easy, simple, logical, quickest solution that would solve all of our problems, except for the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.

The truth is staring them in the face.  What do they value more?  People sitting in front of their TV's watching baseball or those paying tickets, buying concessions and going to games?  The game has stretched from 2-1/2 hours to 3-1/2 /  4-1/2 hours mostly due to television commercials and that turns A LOT of people off from the sport.  It makes a slow paced sport almost unbearably slow and that's why they are losing the attention of younger fans. 

The reality is that most Americans work till 5:30 - 6:00 and don't have the time to spend entire evenings watching a sporting event where almost a third is commercials.  Like you said though it's the $ that talk.

Do I care all that much if a game ends about five minutes earlier? Not really, but I also need to watch McCann whisper into his glove for five minutes either. 

That's a good point. Watching mound meetings certainly isn't entertaining, but is saving 5 minutes really worth potentially altering a competitive aspect of the game? IMO the time saved doesn't justify the potential impact.