I don't need to tell you that the sheer joy that comes from knocking off of work a few hours early for a couple of beers, with the setting sun on your face and some great food on a summer's evening while watching a bunch of guys in pinstripes smack a ball. I loved it so much I grabbed a seasonal gig with my local AAA club, the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs. Beers notwithstanding, I still get some great food, see the sun set and watch guys in pinstripes knock around a baseball. However, now wth the reduced number of teams along with MLB's full conrol of the minors, MLB has decided to test the waters on some additional game changes again this year, adding to the intentional tie-breking runner as well as pitch and inning clocks from 2019.
AAA games will be featuring 3" larger bases, with a different composie material. AA will be eying up changes that limit the infield defensive shift we've grown accustomed to seeing. High A is utilizing a modified "step-off " rule to encourage more base stealing. Finally, Low A Southeast is looking at automated Strike/ball counts, Low A West already has the "step-off" rule, and is now using on-field time keepers to enforce time limits between pitches, inning breaks and pitching changes. Here's where you can go to look at these changes in detail.
Here's what MLB thinks:
“We are listening to our fans. This effort is an important step towards bringing to life rules changes aimed at creating more action and improving the pace of play,” said Michael Hill, MLB Senior Vice President of On-Field Operations.
Remember why you went to the ball park? Yeah, I remember why I did... I took a few hours of leisure time to slow down and enjoy the pace of a baseball game to soak in a summer evening. I took a position in video production with a cool group of women and men who love the game. Baseball is about tradition, stats and records. The game has been fairly unchanged for so long that it's a great measuring stick to compare athetes from 100 years ago to today. STOP CHANGING THE GAME FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T WATCH IT!!
Some of you guys who are Yankees, Phillies, Royals and mariners fans might remember Raul Ibanez. He's part of a group overseeing these changes. Here's Ibanez' input:
These experimental rules are designed to put more balls in play, create more excitement on the basepaths and increase the impact of speed and athleticism on the field,” said Raúl Ibañez, MLB Senior Vice President of On-Field Operations. “As another important goal of the rules approved by the Competition Committee and the Playing Rules Committee, we expect the new larger bases to increase player safety. We look forward to testing these rules in the Minor Leagues.”
News-flash Raul, I'd wager a signed Ibanez rookie card that at your local minor league park, 85% of the attendees really don't care about the on-field play. It's an entertainment experience. Get on Fan-a-Vision, play games with the mascots, see the quirky in-between innings skts and catch a t-shirt from the t-shirt cannon. Maybe get lucky on a 50/50 raffle. I don't know, have a beer, feel the sun on your face and eat some good food with your friends? A family can still get a nice night out for around $100. Pace of play is just going to kill the perceived value, even if folks always leave early because the kids get cranky, or reality sets in and they realize work is mere hours away again tomorrow. P.S. FOR THOSE OF US WHO CARE, STOP CHANGING THE GAME FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T WATCH IT!
Let's save the discussion for the robots calling balls and strikes along with clock watchers for another time, and be happy that Spring is upon us and its time for baseball again!