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Heard reports that MLB is considering cutting back to 7 innings from 9. Normally I'm resistant to a lot of change, but on this one I'll make an exception. The games nowadays are too damn long and they seem to be getting longer with every passing year. Either put a clock on the pitcher, forcing a pitch every X number of seconds, OR cut back the # of innings. Now we had instant replay to deal with too. Good intentions - get the calls right - but it adds even more time to the game. I for one can't invest 3 1/2 hours in a game night after night, especially on a work night. Give me a 2 1/2 hour game any time. By cutting down the number of innings you now make every pitch, every at bat that much more important. Sort of like in football. Fantasy football beats fantasy baseball in my opinion because every play and every game mean more. Although I like baseball better as a sport. Sometimes you need to adapt with the changing world. As for the statistics now being out of whack with historical numbers --- I say who cares. The statistics already bear no accuracy compared to historical numbers ever since Mark, Sammy and Barry and half of the rest of the league as well started juicing up back in the 90's. Bring it on -- I know this stance won't be popular.

We already have 7 inning games. It's called softball.

Baseball? Just no.

They just need to impose a timer on the pitcher once he gets the ball back from the catcher. Im from MN and Mike Pelfrey is notoriously slow, so I timed him about 5 times. Twice he reached the 30 second mark, the other three were about 15 seconds. There is no way a pitcher should need 30 seconds. Make it 15 and if he doesnt deliver by then, its an automatic ball. Make it an automated thing so its not at the discretion of the umpire.

I think it is amusing that folks think the seven inning game will be shorter.
With seven inning games, more speciality has to be factored in. We could see seven one-inning pitching changes for some teams....Every day.
Also, money could possibly be lost by such an idea. Less innings means less commercials. This means that between innings will be longer to accommodate more commercials and recoup that money.
In the end, the only one that loses will be, as usual, the fan.

dough- please- i KNOW you are smart- 7 innings will not mean less commercials. they will run as many as they want. they might run 5 minutes of them every half inning. less commercials- you crack me up.

headhunters wrote:dough- please- i KNOW you are smart- 7 innings will not mean less commercials. they will run as many as they want. they might run 5 minutes of them every half inning. less commercials- you crack me up.

You mis-read or I mis-wrote. More commercials was what I was saying.
That money will be made up.

Edit- I mis-wrote. I meant that seven inning games should mean less commercials...but it won't.
They'll make those between-inning commercials long and insufferable.
You know me better than that, Mike

ya- geez- i almost had a heart attack. thanks for correcting.

I don't find the games too long. The pace is part of what I enjoy.

I don't for one second believe the seven inning rumors. "Unnamed baseball exec" as reported by ESPN? Yeah...so like, an intern called Olney on a slow news cycle? Not gonna happen, so it's all moot, but...

Baseball isn't a great spectator sport like football for a one-off game, but man, if you follow one team for the entire season...there's nothing sweeter than baseball...Vin Scully on the Left-Coast feed after shutting down for the night? Heaven. Give me all nine.

Here are a few ways to speed it up -

How bout NO VISITS TO THE PITCHER'S MOUND ?

If there's one thing I hate is the pitching coach coming out like he's got some important info on how to get a batter out. He can talk til he's blue in the face the pitcher's the one throwing the damn ball. Then the whole infield comes over and now we got a union meeting. No thanks. Only 1 coach should come out and that's the Manager and it means the pitcher's heading into the dugout w/ him. Over half the time the PC comes out to "talk" it's an admitted stall for the Bullpen.

And enough w/ arguing close calls. You have replay now, either use your challenge or don't. I was watching Texas last wk and the announcer commented how Ron Washington had his body positioned towards his bench to see whether or not he should challenge, ie; stalling, while he was arguing. Before instant replay have you ever seen umpires reverse a call? You know Lou, I already called him out, but since you came out here and threw a tantrum worthy of my 2 yr old grandson I'm gonna go ahead and say he was safe, just for you buddy

Finally, for batters - get in the box and get ready to hit. Enough w/ the damn groundskeeping and even worse the getting out of the box b/w every pitch and grabbing your balls, the brim of your helmet, adjusting your batting gloves....soon they'll be pulling a cellphone out of their backpocket and checking it, "hang on Blue, I just got a text from my hitting coach"

I mostly agree, Dave.
The way instant replay is set up though, a Manager has to go out on the field to prevent the next pitch from taking place.
Maybe a change could be made there.

I've always hated Pitching Coach and Catcher visits to the mound. They should be curtailed whether we're trying to shorten games or not.
One visit per game without taking any pitcher out would be a good rule for Managers and pitching coaches.
One visit for each pitcher for catchers.

It's human activity on the field slowing down my updates?? ... I always thought it was the computer guy in the press box eating a hotdog or taking a piss who wasn't updating the stats feed in a timely manner.

Quahogs wrote:It's human activity on the field slowing down my updates?? ... I always thought it was the computer guy in the press box eating a hotdog or taking a piss who wasn't updating the stats feed in a timely manner.

Human INactivity

Best "pace of game" suggestion I heard was from the great Tom Verducci and I've never even heard this before was on pitching changes not allow the reliever any warm-up pitches when he comes in to the game. Take the ball and let's go, you have a bullpen to warm-up. As Verducci said, in football do we allow kicker's practice kicks before they kick? Do we allow a basketball player some practice shots? No. You come into he game, let's play. Also, I think a pitching clock, analgous to the play cock in football,to throw a pitch would speed up the pace of play. No pitch within the time, its a ball. This would eliminate all the BS with hitters stepping out. If tbe pitcher is ready to pitch and you're not, too bad, would just put some urgency to the batter/pitchers, just have the clock start once he has the ball in possesion and require the batter to be "ready."

COZ