Picking up baseball's pace: is it necessary?

[Auggie]

mlb.com / June 14, 2010

Much of baseball's essence is wrapped in its timelessness. The game has stood through three centuries, two world wars, an ever-changing society, and, unlike most other major sports, a clock doesn't determine when a game is complete. Ironically, it's the element of time that has become one of Major League Baseball's prominent subjects of discussion in recent years.

For many reasons -- including changes in strategy and current national-television coverage -- the average time to complete a nine-inning baseball game has gradually increased over the years. But while Commissioner Bud Selig has stressed that he wants games to feel like they're going by quicker, it isn't necessarily the time he's concerned about. Rather, it's the pace.

"I think Bud, the Commissioner, is very sensitive about improving the pace of the game -- not necessarily shortening the game, but the pace of the game," said Dodgers manager Joe Torre, who was named to Selig's special committee to review on-field matters like these in December. "I agree with it, and I can understand his frustration with it."

The average time to complete a nine-inning game in the 1970s -- not including on-field delays -- was two hours and 30 minutes. That increased to an average of 2:57 in the 10-year span from 2000-09. Through Thursday, this year's league average was 2:51, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

MORE: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100613&content_id=11167658&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

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Discuss

[HuckleB]

1. I don't know if it's necessary, but...

...I think they had reduced average game time for a couple years in the a few years ago. It's going to be hard to do with pitching changes seemingly endless in today's game. On the other hand, I would like to see the NFL pick up the pace of the game a bit.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704281204575002852055561406.html

[madinmaryland]

2. I think the specific concern about length is the duration of Yankee-RedSox games.

They average nearly a half an hour longer than the league average. The other issue is having playoff games end near midnight on the east coast when the games don't start until 8:45pm ET.

A typical season game starting at 7:05 local time is typically over by 10:00 local time which is not really an issue.

[HuckleB]

3. Indeed.

I can understand starting playoff games at 8:00 ET, but I have a hard time believing that the ratings are dramatically different with a 6:00 PST vs 5:00 PST, and it seems like they must be losing viewership on the east coast with those late games. But what do I know?

[JonLP24]

4. Those east coast endings

are games played on the West Coast or Denver. However they don't complain when that west coast team is playing a game on the east coast 10 or 11 in the morning (MST or Pacific) when many are at work or kids in school while it's a comfortable start for East Coast fans. Attending or watching a game that starts well into the afternoon. Well those games that end too late for east coast fans are actually comfortable starts and endings for west coast fans.

My point is I missed the first two Rocks-Phils games last year because they started around 10:30-11AM.

[Auggie]

5. The article mentions these games have longer commercial breaks

because they're nationally televised. I'd start there first -- raise the ad rates and shorten the breaks.

I don't mind that these games take seemingly longer to play. They're great theater.

[HuckleB]

6. .

.

[Iggo]

7. Any faster and it'll ruin a good nap. (n/t)

[El Supremo]

8. Just ban Red Sox - Yankees games and the averages will go back to normal. n/m

[HuckleB]

9. That would be a huge drag on the economy, however.

The amount of overtime earned by Boston and NYC police during those games is enormous, and it's effect on the economy cannot be understated.

[TZ]

10. Nice post Joe West. n/t

[flvegan]

11. An observation I made a couple weeks ago.

I had the privilege of getting to watch a historic Red Sox game from the 70's on the MLB network. Went by much faster than any game today. Things I noticed...

-Batter got in the box, stayed in the box until out or walked. None of this pacing around between pitches, futzing with gloves and pads.
-No calls for "time" after a base hit or gods forbid a double so that the batter can walk his multiple pieces of armor to the sidelines.
-Starting pitcher went a good 8 innings. No opener, bullpen, bullpen, bullpen, closer.

Lots of little things, but they add up. Not that I'm against the gloves, pads and related guards/armor. I think a lot of that is important in today's game.

[many a good man]

12. Pitchers don't just pitch any more

I bet pitch counts are way up from what they were decades ago.

I can understand keeping the ball off the plate when going against the meat of the order, but when the stiffs who barely hit their weight are up JUST PITCH THE DAMN BALL! There are seven guys behind you trying their hardest not to fall asleep, to say nothing of the thousands in the stands.