A Couple of Rants

[DOUGHBOYS]

A little rant here about a couple of subjects.....

Much has been made about Bryan Price and his 77 f words in a presser.
He was upset about a Reds reporter 'giving away' that Devin Mesoraco could not be used in a close game with the Cardinals.
The press is all over Price. The 77 f words are everywhere on every sports site.
Who cares?
He was pissed. Big deal.
And this isn't to stick up for Price. I don't care about him or the Reds.
Every headline seems to capture 77 f words. Not the words between them.

My point is this. Broadcasters, especially home broadcasters, give Managers softball questions.
They laud that Manager any chance they get.
They'll find a silver lining to even his bad decisions.
These broadcasters have press credentials. Only because broadcasting is under the press umbrella.
The reality being, that broadcasters are team driven fellas whose main job is to read promos and get more fannies in the seats.
Most refrain from telling truths, if it hurts the team or organization.

Beat reporters or National reporters ARE part of the press.
There job is to uncover news. Any news. Mesoraco not playing is news.
Here is what Price has to understand.
You can go to your broadcasting team and ask them not to mention that Mesoraco wouldn't play.
They will do it. Broadcasters are cheerleaders, not newshounds.
Their bread is buttered by their teams.

Beat writers are paid by their newspapers or sites.
New news or breaking news is their job. They want to be the fella breaking this news.
They could give a crap if the Cardinals know that Mesoraco can or can't be used as a pinch hitter. As long as they're the ones that broke the exclusive story.
Price needs to realize that real members of the press are not there for his Reds. They are there for their stories.
Was it professional to utter 77 f words to the press as a response?
No.
At the same time, is it professional to make the 77 f words the headline by the press?
Unless it's an E! or National Enquirer type place....no.

On another subject....

The press and broadcasters have led the charge for shorter games.
Hardly any fans have asked for shorter games. They know that if they're bored or cold or whatever, they can go home. The press and broadcasters stay till the bitter end and that rubs them the wrong way.
I've worked with them. They are clock watchers. They have deadlines.
I've never heard one fan complain about the length of a game. Not one.
At the same time, I've never NOT heard a comment from any member of the press about time.
In extra inning games, groans can be heard everywhere in the press box.
To be sure, time of game is the press' battle.
Nobody cares but them. But, the press is a powerful force. And MLB listens to them.

As a fan, I would like to see the time of game approached in a different way.
What is the most boring thing we see when at a ball game?
To me, it is when anybody but the pitcher goes to the mound.
I get bored when a pitching coach goes out to see a pitcher.
In what other sport does a coach get to go on the field to talk to a player?
It is only allowed because of tradition.
ELIMINATE THIS!
Does the pitching coach really have something to say that is SO golden that it'lll change the way things are going for the pitcher?
With one trip, the pitcher warming up in the bullpen can almost beat the Manager to the mound. There would be no question that he is coming in.
I mean really, do we see batting coaches running up to a hitter in the batters box to tell the hitter he is dropping his shoulder?
Give me a break.
It's a stupid tradition that needs to end with this generation.

Akin to this, limit catchers visits to the mound.
Yankees-Red Sox games were long. Jorge Posada would seemingly go out to the mound every other pitch.
Fans hate this. And it makes the game longer.
Limit these visits to one visit per mound change.
Each pitcher, one visit.
This would include the starting pitcher.
Bob Gibson, in waving him away from his mound, told Tim McCarver, "There is nothing you can tell me that I don't already know!"
Sadly, as fans having to listen to McCarver, we said the same thing to McCarver through our televisions.

Streamlining between inning breaks and keeping batters in boxes?
Fine. Good.
But, if having to shorten the game, do it with the fans in mind as well.
Getting rid of things that are just taken for granted, but boring or traditional is a way to go.
Coaches and catchers visit the pitchers mound to stop time. It is either to get a new pitcher warmed or to settle a pitcher down and slow down his rhythm or pace. Also, slowing the game.
It's baseball's version of a time out. Baseball should not have time outs.
Just ask the press.

[DOUGHBOYS]

One more little rant...

HOW STUPID IS THE MLB SUSPENSION PROGRAM?
Seriously.
David Ortiz gets a one game suspension. He can pick and choose any time he wants to receive this suspension.
Feel a little under the weather?
Take a day off courtesy of a SUSPENSION.
Facing a tough lefty?
Take a day off courtesy of a SUSPENSION.
Penalty? None.
Even a child has to serve his grounding immediately!
What good would parenting be if your child said, "Grounded? Hmmm, that doesn't work for me till next Tuesday. Yeah, let's do it next Tuesday."
What sort of punishment is this?
I'll answer my own question.
None.

By the way, the fantasy player is penalized more than Ortiz.
Ortiz will not warn the community when he will take his day off.
It's for sure that it'll come when his owners have him in the lineup.

[Edwards Kings]

Maybe Ortiz can put off taking the suspension until 6/17 when they play next in an NL park!

[Philly High Hopes]

The press and broadcasters have led the charge for shorter games.
Hardly any fans have asked for shorter games. They know that if they're bored or cold or whatever, they can go home. The press and broadcasters stay till the bitter end and that rubs them the wrong way.
I've worked with them. They are clock watchers. They have deadlines.
I've never heard one fan complain about the length of a game. Not one.
At the same time, I've never NOT heard a comment from any member of the press about time.
In extra inning games, groans can be heard everywhere in the press box.
To be sure, time of game is the press' battle.
Nobody cares but them. But, the press is a powerful force. And MLB listens to them.

I would consider myself a diehard baseball fan and I personally think that games are too long. The average game time in 2014 was 3:08. That means that as many games last 3:30 as 2:45. If I'm at home listening to or watching games, it's not so much an issue. I can do things around the house, flip around to other games, or put in on my iphone and take my dog for a walk.

The issue of game time becomes an issue when attending the game live. It's a problem when an average game lasts until at least 10:15, 10:30 or even later. I currently live 90 minutes from 2 MLB stadiums - Cleveland and Pittsburgh. It is nearly impossible to go to a week night game and get home before midnight. For me, it's not an issue of being bored or cold, it really is an issue of time. Sure, I could simply go home early, but wouldn't it be nice for fans to actually see games through their conclusion?

Then factor in wives and kids. My wife, for example, is not a big sports fan, but she will go to games with me. I can guarantee that when the clock turns 10:00, she's not rooting for a late rally by the home team. And with kids, I've taken my young nephews to numerous games. Their interest is waning after 2 hours, let alone 3. Meanwhile, my brother-in-law is clock watching realizing the kids will get to bed after midnight on a school night. So the answer is to simply go home? I rarely go to a week night game any longer opting for Saturday or Sunday afternoon games when time really isn't much of an issue. Unfortunately, that only accounts for about 15% of the games.

So what's the answer? I am not in favor of drastic measures but let's at least try some of these basic things to move the game along, even if only a little bit. Replays and pitching changes are two of the biggest culprits in stalling game. While limiting pitching changes in an era of lefty/righty specialization isn't an option, the replay process can still improve. I agree with your proposal to limit mound visits and I would simply eliminate them all together. If MLB can simply speed up the game between pitches (and no, I am not a proponent of a hard pitch clock), I think that will help a lot.

After reading your post last night, I was watching the Nats/Cards game. It was a 1-1 pitchers dual that had just finished the 9th inning. I looked at the clock and it was 10:35. It was a 1-1 game! I'm guessing that commercials might have been longer since it was the MLB Network national game, plus the Cards used 6 pitchers and the Nats 4. The game concluded in the bottom of the 10th with a walk off HR by Yunny Escobar, at 10:57. I enjoyed the ending sitting on my couch at home, but how enjoyable was it for the thousands of fans that were already sitting in their cars on their way home?

[DOUGHBOYS]

Thanks for the post and your outlook.

I need to hear stuff like that. So far, complaints I've heard have only come from the press.
There is a friend of mine who has season tickets to Dodgers games since the 70's.
A typical Dodger fan. He doesn't mind arriving late and leaves early.
He explains that folks in that area already have had it with traffic, so the hours dictated by the Dodger games are just a guide to him.
Although his reasoning is dictated by traffic, it explains the beauty of baseball.
He loves hearing Vin Scully on the way to the game and loves hearing him on the way home.
He feels he gets more than his money's worth.
It wouldn't be what we may do with season Dodger tickets, but it works for him.

A season ticket holder of the Rockies gets there well ahead of game time, but unless really vested in a particular game, the seventh inning stretch signals that it is time to go home.
It's not the time of game or time on his watch.
His reasoning is that it takes him a half hour to' wind down' after watching the game and leaving earlier affords him a better quality of sleep.

I fully understand your reasoning. No doubt.
90 minutes to and from a Stadium would make you heavily vested in the game.
You've already sacrificed three hours before purchasing your ticket.
Very understandable that you want to see the full game in a timely manner.
Thanks again.

[jvetter]

Regarding the length of game.

I live around 30 minutes from Busch Stadium for two years now and have attended around 15-20 games in those two years. I am 30 years old and consider myself still part of the younger crowd. I have no problem with the game length. I love the whole experience of going to a ballgame. I get excited about the prospect of extra innings because it means more baseball. I will stay to the bitter end of 16 inning game even if my friends/family leave early. If the Cardinals are getting blown-out 12-1, I will still stay all 9 innings because I came to watch baseball and enjoy the live experience. My wife and kids know this about me and accept it. All this worry about length of game is just noise to me.

[TOXIC ASSETS]

Philly - good analysis there.
You must be a Harry the K and a Phils fan?

I've said it before on these boards and I'll say it again. They need to make some changes to speed things up otherwise they are going to lose a lot of fans when the next generation grows up. Mixed feelings on replay, yeah it costs some time but on the other hand it likely prevents a lot of arguments which is a time saver. But I'd do things like put a clock on the pitcher, eliminate batters getting out of the box, eliminate 'player conferences' at the mound (I like that comment by Bob Gibson - it's really nothing more than a big waste of time). How about this one: Once you get two strikes -- two more foul balls hit anywhere is an out. (But let's create a new stat so that it isn't called a strikeout). Radical, sure, but it speeds things up!

And the transit nightmare is something I'm well aware of being in the Philly area. There is just no way to get in and out of a game in a reasonable amount of time so therefore I never go to games during the week. Obviously this is beyond MLB's control, but it's something that they need to think about. People don't want to get home that late on a work night.

[Philly High Hopes]

I forgot to also comment on the original post that I do agree that it's the media really pushing the game time agenda. Network programming get's thrown off when games go long. And beat writers, well that's it's own beast. I worked for 15 years in minor league baseball, and even at the level and in much smaller markets, it was complaints night after night. I always thought to myself that there could be worse jobs than watching baseball and writing about it. I can only imagine dealing with the media in major MLB markets.

On a side note, I noticed where the Indians are testing some 6:10 weekday starts to see how the fans react to it. Maybe a little more challenging getting to the ballpark, but getting home an hour earlier might be welcomed by some fans.

Toxic - I'm originally from Hershey, Pa and a suffering Philly 4 for 4 fan. High Hopes is definitely a tribute to Harry K. Wonder how many people think it's a pot reference?!

[jariax]

In terms of time wasters, the only thing that annoys me, is too many throws over to first base.

There should be some sort of penalty or limit to the number of throws to first base, so that the pitcher doesn't just lob it over multiple times to wear down the runners.

[Cocktails and Dreams]

I don't care how long the game lasts. I do like the efforts being made to eliminate downtime that is not necessary. Batters don't need to step out for 15 seconds adjusting batting glove and all of this type of thing every pitch. Most players will like it once they get used to it. Why do they want the games to last longer than necessary?

[Edwards Kings]

At an International League game yesterday (Braves v Mudhens). They had a :20 pitch clock that started when the catcher threw back to the pitcher. Also had a changeover time of 2:00. Not sure if it sped things up or not.

By the way, the Mudhens could not keep Peraza off the bases and he turned a couple of nice defensive plays, including a 270 degree pivot from the OF grass to get a runner at first. And Moya tagged the first pitch he saw for a no-doubt double. That guy is HUGE...at least 6'5", 240. Impressive.

[DOUGHBOYS]

I think the clock is a good idea at the minor league level. If anything, it is programming pitchers to work quicker.
By the time these pitchers make it to the Big Leagues, maybe they'll pitch without Matsuzaka-like pauses between pitches.
Getting batters to just hit is a little tougher. Players like Ortiz seem to think of stepping out as more camera time for himself.
He's a veteran who feels entitled to stepping out.

There are so many pitching changes that take time.
Each pitcher should be brought in on a golf cart painted in the teams color and logo driven by the team's mascot or maybe even a 'designated driver' mascot. It would speed up the journey to the mound and give fans, especially kids, something to enjoy.
As is now, it's a long timeout.