Manfred to succeed Selig

[Sammys Boombox]

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/sources--mlb-could-alter-strike-zone-as-response-to-declining-offense-232940947.html

 

This excites me. I love the consistency in the zones right now. It is much much better than before. Now getting it back up where it needs to be and I'll be plenty happy. This will appease me for quite awhile.

 

Major League Baseball is considering altering the textbook definition of the strike zone for the first time in nearly two decades, fearful that the proliferation of the low strike has sapped too much offense from the game, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

 

Concern around baseball about the strike zone filtered down to the MLB’s Playing Rules Committee, which must formally adopt a rules change before it’s implemented. The committee will pay close attention to the size of the strike zone in 2015 with an eye on change as early as 2016 after studies showed it has expanded significantly since 2009, coinciding with a precipitous dip in run scoring.

[imb]

raise the strike zone up a little bit and that low and away slider is no longer as tempting. JAVY IS BACK IN BUSINESS.

[treebird]

that is great to hear. it would be cool to have a real commissioner that does real helpful things for the game.

[Guest]

yep would love this

[NonProfitCow]

raise the strike zone up a little bit and that low and away slider is no longer as tempting. JAVY IS BACK IN BUSINESS.

And the 1980 Cy Young Award winner Steve Stone will be out of a job.

[Clem Fandango]

raise the strike zone up a little bit and that low and away slider is no longer as tempting. JAVY IS BACK IN BUSINESS.

And the 1980 Cy Young Award winner Steve Stone will be out of a job.

 

Double whammy

[Sammy Sofa]

Wilbon is a sloppy meatball on the best of days, but his rant over this idea was magnificently terrible.

[Sammys Boombox]

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/12351883/major-league-baseball-announce-pace-play-rules

 

Haven't seen this anywhere. I really like it.

 

The rules include mandating that managers stay in the dugout during replay challenges, that hitters keep at least one foot in the batter's box during at-bats, a prompt return to play after TV commercial breaks and timed pitching changes.

 

Players who violate the rules will receive a warning, with "flagrant violators" subject to a series of fines up to $500, sources familiar with the changes told ESPN.com's Jayson Stark. The intention is not to impose penalties but rather to help change the habits of current players in an effort to speed up the game, sources told Stark.

 

The new rules begin in spring training, but the warnings and fines will not be imposed until May, as spring training and the first month of the regular season will be a phase-in period.

 

Also, two timers -- on or near the scoreboard and another on the facade behind home plate near the press box -- will be used in every major league ballpark to help quicken the pace. For each half-inning break, teams will have either 2 minutes, 25 seconds (for local telecasts) or 2 minutes, 45 seconds (national telecasts) from the time the commercial break begins until the first pitch should be thrown to the next batter, who should be in the batter's box with no fewer than 20 seconds remaining on that timer.

 

If a pitcher fails to complete the traditional eight warm-up pitches before the timer reaches 30 seconds, he forfeits the right to do so.

 

"The players believe that enforcing the rules that currently exist regarding between inning breaks and plate appearances is the best way to address the issue of pace of play," MLBPA executive director Tony Clark said in a statement.

[Banedon]

"I don't think length of season is a topic that can't ever be discussed," Manfred told ESPN.com. "I don't think it would be impossible to go back to 154 [games]."

 

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/12370390/rob-manfred-says-consider-shortening-season-there-was-interest

[Clem Fandango]

Is 8 games going to make that much of a difference to the people who complain about it?

[Banedon]

Is 8 games going to make that much of a difference to the people who complain about it?

 

Means you can maybe get the World Series finished before November.

[jersey cubs fan]

Is 8 games going to make that much of a difference to the people who complain about it?

 

Means you can maybe get the World Series finished before November.

you already can

[Banedon]

Is 8 games going to make that much of a difference to the people who complain about it?

 

Means you can maybe get the World Series finished before November.

you already can

 

I'll rephrase....it means you wouldn't be in danger of World Series games being played in November.

[jersey cubs fan]

Is 8 games going to make that much of a difference to the people who complain about it?

 

Means you can maybe get the World Series finished before November.

you already can

 

I'll rephrase....it means you wouldn't be in danger of World Series games being played in November.

 

until the next 9/11

[Sammys Boombox]

If they cut 8 games off I don't think they should change the length of the calendar from from Opening Day to Playoffs, but they should just have 8 extra off days back loaded in the schedule so it's easier to get in all of the makeup games without having some of the ridiculous 23 games in 22 days type situations.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

If they cut 8 games off I don't think they should change the length of the calendar from from Opening Day to Playoffs, but they should just have 8 extra off days back loaded in the schedule so it's easier to get in all of the makeup games without having some of the ridiculous 23 games in 22 days type situations.

 

You are first fan in the history of baseball to argue for more off days.

[apete6]

If they cut 8 games off I don't think they should change the length of the calendar from from Opening Day to Playoffs, but they should just have 8 extra off days back loaded in the schedule so it's easier to get in all of the makeup games without having some of the ridiculous 23 games in 22 days type situations.

 

You are first fan in the history of baseball to argue for more off days.

 

He's also correct.

[Irrelevant Dude]

Is 8 games going to make that much of a difference to the people who complain about it?

No.

 

I am tired of seeing people clamor for a shorter season, shorter games, etc. I want as many games to watch as possible and when I attend a game I certainly don't want it to be over in 2 hours.

 

For a majority of people complaining about those things, they aren't going to be satisfied no matter what changes are made. It feels like MLB is chasing an audience that simply isn't interested in their product. I understand they want to expand their fan base, but I fail to see how shortening the season by 5% (or any amount for that matter) accomplishes that.

[Guest]

Baseball is still a widely popular sport regionally. I'm not sure what they can do to make a KC vs Cleveland game interesting to the rest of the country. MMA bouts between innings?

[CubInOK]

Wouldn't shortening the season drop the value of those massive contracts cable companies have been giving teams? Why is this even a thing?

[Cubswin11]

Wouldn't shortening the season drop the value of those massive contracts cable companies have been giving teams? Why is this even a thing?

I think the idea is that if the season is shortened the playoffs will be expanded and the contracts from expanded playoff TV contracts will make up for it.

[Sammys Boombox]

Wouldn't shortening the season drop the value of those massive contracts cable companies have been giving teams? Why is this even a thing?

I think the idea is that if the season is shortened the playoffs will be expanded and the contracts from expanded playoff TV contracts will make up for it.

 

But would it? As has been said already it's a regional sport. I don't think baseball's problems are regular season viewership but postseason viewership.

[jersey cubs fan]

Wouldn't shortening the season drop the value of those massive contracts cable companies have been giving teams? Why is this even a thing?

 

The value of those massive contracts comes with the subscriber fees paid to get those stations (plus just keeping subscribers from cutting the cord). As long as they are still playing regularly over 6 months, there is no difference to the subscriber fees and a handful of games is only going to marginally affect advertising revenue.

[Guest]

Manfred is going to re-examine the Pete Rose ban. I don't expect anything will change.

[NonProfitCow]

Manfred is going to re-examine the Pete Rose ban. I don't expect anything will change.

I really [expletive] hope not.