New pace of play rules experiment in AFL

[stoutdude04]

As long as the pitch clock is off when runners are on base I am okay with it. That being said...shorten the breaks between half innings(I know its all about the $), and make batters stay in the box.

[pete]

They should call it the Tulo rule. There are plenty of other pacers, glove tighteners, dawdlers including some guy named Ryan but Tulo is king.

[clancyphile]

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/10/01/mlb-to-test-new-pace-of-play-rules-in-the-arizona-fall-league-including-a-pitch-clock/

 

The Batter’s Box Rule: “The batter shall keep at least one foot in the batter’s box throughout his at-bat, unless one of a series of established exceptions occurs, in which case the batter may leave the batter’s box but not the dirt area surrounding home plate. (Exceptions include a foul ball or a foul tip; a pitch forcing the batter out of the batter’s box; “time” being requested and granted; a wild pitch or a passed ball; and several others.)

 

No-Pitch Intentional Walks: In the event a team decides to intentionally walk a batter, no pitches shall be thrown. Instead, the manager shall signal to the home plate umpire with four fingers, and the batter should proceed to first base to become a runner.

 

20-Second Rule [AT 17 SALT RIVER FIELDS HOME GAMES ONLY]: A modified version of Rule 8.04, which discourages unnecessary delays by the pitcher, shall apply. Rule 8.04 requires the pitcher to deliver the ball to the batter within 12 seconds after he receives the ball with the bases unoccupied. The penalty prescribed by Rule 8.04 for a pitcher’s violation of the Rule is that the umpire shall call “Ball.”

 

2:05 Inning Break Clock: There shall be a maximum 2:05 break between innings. Hitters must enter the batter’s box by the 1:45 mark. When batters violate this rule, the Umpire may call an automatic strike. When batters are set by the appropriate time and pitchers fail to throw a pitch before the conclusion of the 2:05 period, the Umpire shall call a ball.

 

2:30 Pitching Change Break Clock: There shall be a maximum 2:30 break for pitching changes, including pitching changes that occur during an inning break. The first pitch must be thrown before the conclusion of the 2:30 period or the umpire shall call a ball. The clock shall start when the new pitcher enters the playing field (i.e., crosses the warning track, or foul line).

 

Three “Time Out” Limit: Each team shall be permitted only three “Time Out” conferences per game (including extra innings). Such conferences shall include player conferences with the pitcher (including the catcher), manager or coach conferences with the pitcher, and coach conferences with a batter. Conferences during pitching changes, and time outs called as a result of an injury or other emergency, shall not be counted towards this limit. A manager, coach or player will not be permitted to call a fourth time out in violation of this Rule. In such cases, the game will continue uninterrupted, and offenders may be subject to discipline.

 

I like all of these except the intentional walk rule. An IBB only takes a minute, at most anyway, but this is taking the opportunity away for players to steal a base and a pitcher to screw up. I'm a huge fan of the 3 time out limit. That should make a sizable difference in game time. There's no reason a catcher has to go to the mound multiple times during an inning. If the pitcher can't remember the scouting report that's his own fault.

 

Yes, on the batter's box rule, but I'd add a minute to the inning break and pitching change clocks (three minutes for between inning and three minutes, thirty seconds to let the pitcher get tot he mound and warm up and get filled in on the situation by the manager and catcher), and maybe limit the "time outs" to either one per inning, or to maybe only apply those limits when the manager can come out of the dugout. No limits on when the catcher can come out, because there are pinch hitters, pinch runners. Maybe put a time limit on how long the conference can be (does two minutes sound good?) might be a better option than limiting the number of conferences.

 

As for the IBB rule... I hate it. Make the pitcher throw the pitches.

[jerichoholicninja]

Maybe this has been covered already but with the pitch clock what is there to keep a batter from standing with one foot out of the box until the clock gets to 1 and then step into the box trying to get a ball called?

[trwi7]

As for the IBB rule... I hate it. Make the pitcher throw the pitches.

 

Why? It's a lot like the extra point in football. Sure the pitcher might throw it to the backstop, but it happens so rarely that it makes sense to just let the batter take his base without wasting time throwing pitches.

[Patrick425]

Maybe this has been covered already but with the pitch clock what is there to keep a batter from standing with one foot out of the box until the clock gets to 1 and then step into the box trying to get a ball called?

 

 

The umpire dictates "time outs". If the umpire ends a time out by the batter (or doesn't grant one), the pitcher can throw whenever he wants. Although I guess the question remains as to when the umpire, with the clock running down, would tell the pitcher to go ahead and pitch. Seems like, to be fair to the pitcher, that if the umpire grants the batter a time out, then the pitcher's clock should stop also (which would defeat the purpose of the pitch clock rule).

 

Also, this may have been stated before...while I agree that baseball games could do a lot to speed up play and I don't have a problem with most of the suggestions, this seems like another area where baseball gets "picked on" compared to other sports. Baseball games are generally quicker than football games and, in actuality, have more action. I think there was a study that showed most football games have 6 to 8 minutes of actual action. The commercial breaks after a score and then again right after the ensuing kick off is maddening (but I get that its all about the sponsor money).

[clancyphile]

As for the IBB rule... I hate it. Make the pitcher throw the pitches.

 

Why? It's a lot like the extra point in football. Sure the pitcher might throw it to the backstop, but it happens so rarely that it makes sense to just let the batter take his base without wasting time throwing pitches.

 

Simply put, from the rules of MLB:

A BALL is a pitch which does not enter the strike zone in flight and is not struck at by the batter.

 

Rule 2.00 (Ball) Comment: If the pitch touches the ground and bounces through the strike zone it is a “ball.” If such a pitch touches the batter, he shall be awarded first base. If the batter swings at such a pitch after two strikes, the ball cannot be caught, for the purposes of Rule 6.05 © and 6.09 (b). If the batter hits such a pitch, the ensuing action shall be the same as if he hit the ball in flight.

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/downloads/y2014/official_baseball_rules.pdf

 

A ball's definition has been defined since the game's started. I'm leery of fiddling with that.