I know this may sound hyperbolic, but it’s the truth. The MLB has made some of the most impactful and important rule changes to baseball since its inception as the very pace and flow of the game has been massively improved for fan enjoyment.
I truly don’t think there has been a more impactful rule change to the sport of baseball since the spitball was outlawed in the early 1920’s. These new rule changes really are that important.
So, for those who haven’t followed up with the new rule changes, there was essentially three major changes to the sport: 1. Pitch Timer, 2. Shift Restrictions, and 3. Bigger Bases.
The Pitch Timer, which is probably the most complicated and extensive rule change, now introduces a pitch clock that forces pitcher to release the ball within 15 seconds if no one is on base and 20 seconds if there are runners on base. Moreover, the pitcher also has only two pick-off attempts per batter, while the batter only has one timeout per at bat and must be within the batter’s box before the 8-second mark on the pitching clock.
The Shift Restriction rule is a little less complicated but still serves an important function as now all infield players (1B, 2B, SS, 3B) must be within the infield when the pitcher is on the pitching mound, while teams are also required to have two infielders on either side of 2B on all batters. So, no more shift stacking on one side of the field or another to better adjust to the batter.
And, lastly, the Bigger Base rule is the most obvious one as it simple increases all base sizes to 18′ from its traditional 15′ diameter.
This may not seem like a big deal, but these new rules honestly couldn’t have been better crafted by the MLB league officers.
Not only are games far safer (due to the Bigger Base rule) and exciting with more stolen bases and hits (due to the Shift Restriction rule), but they are also infinitely shorter and more enjoyable to watch at home as the Spring training games timespan has been reduced by nearly 15% (due to the Pitch Timer rule).
Instead of having to sit through grueling 3-hour long games that are dragged out by endless pickoffs attempts, extremely slow pitches, and needless instances of batters leaving the batting box to fix their gloves, shoes, helmets, etc., fans can now enjoy high-quality, fast-paced baseball being played by the world’s best players in under 2 hours and 35 minutes.
Sure, the 25 or so minutes being scrubbed off the game may not seem like a long time, but it really makes a difference when one compares baseball’s original runtime to that of basketball, hockey, and football. The average NBA game takes about 2 hours and 14-15 minutes, the average NHL game is about 2 hours and 20-30 minutes, while an average NFL game takes about 3 hours and 15 minutes.
Seeing how baseball is a far less physical and contact sport than the other three major sports (which helps the audience forget about the stoppages and commercial breaks), it was imperative for MLB commissioner Rob Manfred to reduce the number of dead-time stoppages, create more exciting plays and moments (ex: stolen bases, hits, home runs, RBIs, etc.), and to speed up the game.
And, seeing how fans of all ages and backgrounds love the changes, I’d say they have succeeded thus far.
I just hope these rule changes are enforced by the umpires once the regular season kicks off, which has not always been the case when similar rule changes have occurred.
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