• Fri. Mar 29th, 2024

April 9, 2015, Brooklyn, NY Baseball is considered to be America’s national pastime. But since the 1994 lockout, the MLB’s image has been taking one hit after another. After almost a decade-long plan to rid the sports of performance-enhancing drugs and bringing some of the credibility back to baseball, Rob Manfred who is the successor to Bud Selig, has come up with a few plans to change the game. For years, baseball has been played at its own pace. And now after one hundred plus years, Manfred wants to make changes? Why do this? In an ESPN article titled, “MLB,” the author discusses pace-of-play rules for 2015 which is an effort to speed up the game. The rules include mandating that managers stay in the dugout during replay challenges, hitters keep at least one foot in the batter’s box during at-bats, a prompt return to play after commercial breaks, and timed pitching changes.

“These changes represent a step forward in our efforts to streamline the pace of play,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “The most fundamental starting point for improving the pace of the average game involves getting into and out of breaks seamlessly. In addition, the batter’s box rule will help speed up a basic action of the game.” The league, which announced the changes with the MLB Players Association,  established a pace-of-game committee in September aimed at making recommendations to speed up games, which grew to a record average of 3 hours, 2 minutes in 2014, up from 2 hours, 33 minutes in 1981.

Some of these changes are a bit absurd like a pitching clock ensuring that pitchers throw their pitch within a forty second timeframe. Another rule is the batter stepping out the batter’s box. The batter cannot step out the box to read any signals or adjust what needs to be adjusted unless they are pushed out by a pitch. The third rule is the elimination of home plate collisions. That’s right, you just read that. Home plate collisions have been a part of the game since the game was invented and you’re (Manfred) going to eliminate it from the game? The first two rules are ridiculous.

I understand baseball games are longer than other sports, but putting a pitch clock and rules to a batter box can ruin certain aspects of the game. Pitchers should have the liberty to play at their own pace instead of hurrying to select their pitches causing them (pitchers) to make a mistake. Batters should be able to do the same. Athletes spend their whole lives trying to build routines to become comfortable and confident in their sport. So, to realize the game you have been playing for years has to be changed is somewhat disheartening.

The collision at the plate is a different story. Back in the day, athletes were not built like today. Today’s athletes are big and will only get bigger. So although we enjoy watching collisions at the plate, we have to come to the realization that someone will get hurt and protecting our players should be priority one. But if we are to protect our players, why not protect what they worked so hard to build also? Routines. Think about it, Commissioner Manfred.

By Vernon McKenzie

Graduate of New Institute Of Technology with a BA in Communications with a focus on Television Radio. Owner and Executive Producer of PureSportsNY

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.