The Pitch Clock

There’s one way to aggravate me with one sentence by simply saying:

“Baseball is boring.”

I’m not sure that there’s anything I’ve done in my life more than watching baseball.

I don’t watch every pitch, but when the Yankees are playing they’re on as I read, write and do reports for work.

I’ve never minded that a game takes more than 3 hours with the exception of the playoffs because they don’t start the damn game until after 8:00.

I don’t find anything about the game to be a bore, but I definitely understand the fact that ratings are down with the younger generation.

Yet, I have three boys.

They are fully tuned in to the happenings of MLB even if they don’t watch every inning as I do. 

They love the sport.

MLB made a bunch of changes for the upcoming year.

1). The shift has been reduced - infielders have to stay on the infield. 

I’m all for it! 

When a 3rd baseman is making catches in the right-field corner things are out of whack. The game was perfectly designed and players playing out of position was annoying and led to batters trying to hit homers…

…or striking out.

This will help bring more action.

2). Bigger bases and less throwing over to check the runners.

Speed in the game is exciting and more stolen bases and hit and run plays will bring more action.

3). Pitch clocks 

No more will a pitcher spend 25-30 seconds holding the ball before throwing another pitch.

Another great move!

Through the years I spent some energy yelling, ‘Throw the ball!’

So far in spring training the games are running between 2 and a half hours to 2 hours and 45 minutes.

Will kids suddenly tune in because the game is 15-30 minutes shorter?

Who knows?

But…as you talk about how boring baseball is…

…go back and check the time of the Bills-Dolphins playoff game.

It started at 1:05.

It ended at 4:53.

It was a colossal bore most of the way because most of what I watched on television was one damn commercial after another.

There is less action in a football game than there is with the ball in play with baseball, but it is a more widely watched sport because they run a play and then show it 2 or 3 times on replay before the next play.

There was about 11 total minutes of action in that nearly 4 hour Bills game and the next day everyone was talking about how exciting it was.

Baseball is boring?

Not around here!

But man…

…football is a 😴 💤 🛌 

…freaking snooze!