(My new American Thinker)
Back in the 1970s and 1980s, there was a fellow named Mike Hargrove. He hit .290 over 12 seasons and managed the Indians to a couple of World Series trips in 1995 and 1997. But we remember him as "the human rain delay." Mike took so much time between pitches and drove pitchers crazy. It sort of went like this:
Before every pitch, Hargrove would step out of the batter's box following each pitch and: adjust his helmet; adjust his batting gloves making sure they fit exactly right especially around the thumbs; pull each sleeve up about an inch; wipe each hand on his uniform pants; reach back to adjust his rear pockets; knock the dirt from his cleats -- both feet -- with the bat; flex his shoulders; adjust the gloves again; rub his nose; adjust the rubber ring to protect his thumb; and then repeat the entire sequence.
Well, Hargrove is now retired and thankful that he did not have play under the new clock in major league baseball.
Effective next season, you will see three big changes at your favorite ballpark. Here they go:
A pitch clock that will count down 15 seconds with no runners on base and 20 seconds with runners on base.
Catchers will be required to be in the catcher’s box with nine seconds left on the clock. Hitters will be required to be in the batter’s box and focused on the pitcher with eight seconds remaining. Violations for either will result in a ball called against a pitcher and a strike called against a batter.
A batter can ask an umpire for time once per plate appearance. Following the initial ask, time will be granted only at the umpire’s discretion if the request is made while the batter is in the box.
To eliminate the shift (which needs to go), four players other than the pitcher and the catcher need to be in front of the outfield grass when a pitch is thrown. Two of the four players need to be on either side of second base.
During each plate appearance, only two pickoff attempts or steps off the rubber will be allowed. If a third attempt is made and is unsuccessful, a balk will be called.
The size of bases will increase to 18-inch squares from 15 inches in the hopes that stolen bases will increase.
I am yes, no and not sure on these rules changes.
I don't know about the size of the bases. My sense is that the lack of stolen bases is due to a drop in offense. Or, as we remember our Little League coach saying that you can't steal first. The elimination of the shift should put more runners on first base and that's how stolen bases go up.
I am a strong yes on the so-called shift. Watching a baseball games these days is awful. Ground balls up the middle now find a shortstop playing behind second base rather than rolling to center field. Line drives to right field find the second baseman playing "short right" and another four to three out on the box score. It means that batters have to swing for home runs and that kills the pace of the game. Too many swings and too few balls in play. The end of the shift will mean a better game to watch.
I don't like the pitch clock because I remember when baseball games took two and a half hours on a nightly basis. Check this out:
Forty years ago, the average MLB game had an average time of just 2:33.
A decade after that it was 2:48.
Then in 2001 the average time jumped to 2:58 before increasing to 2:51 in 2011.
And now here we are.
Yes, here we are playing three-hour games and four-hour games in the post season. Every World Series game these days starts at 7 P.M. central and finds most kids (future fans) in bed by the time it's over. The pitch clock will help shorten the game but will it create more arm injuries?
Maybe the pitch clock will take us back to those wonderful days of yesteryear when you could go to a game and get home to watch the highlights on the 10 P.M. news. I am willing to give it a try but not sure that's the real problem. Bring back more pitchers throwing complete games and that will do it.
So enjoy your games this month. It will be the last time that infielders will be playing in the outfield.
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