September 16, 2022
Major League Baseball is trying to speed up the game. You know you have a problem when a baseball game takes almost as long as a round of golf. Two golfers can actually play around in less time. It has proposed a pitch clock, which should help. I have some other ideas.
Ban batting gloves. I am tired of watching hitters constantly stepping out of the batters box in order to readjust their batting gloves. Are you listening, Dustin?
Once a batter is in the batters box, lock the door. He should be able to escape only if he has to go to the men’s room.
The number of times batters strike out these days has gone up dramatically. There are many reasons. Batters swinging for the fences, and six foot eight pitchers throwing downhill at 100 miles per hour are just a couple. Strikeouts typically take longer than other at bats. Baseball did speed up the game a little bit by allowing batters to take first without the agony of having to watch four intentional balls lobbed up by the pitcher. Many batters have no chance against the likes of a Justin Verlander. Why not give batters the option of taking an automatic strikeout, and taking a seat in the dugout?
No one likes seeing the manager or pitching coach walk to the mound. It just means another delay, and a commercial timeout. Let’s have the dugout text a message to the pitcher, the catcher, and the bullpen when it is time to move on. The physical taking of the ball from the pitcher is always awkward, and often causes animosity and controversy. In lieu of texting, the dugout could bang on a trash can when it was time.
While we are on relief pitchers, can’t we just put the relief pitcher on a Segway to get him to the mound faster?
Do players really need to round the bases after hitting a home run? I know it’s fun and a part of baseball, but it takes time as the player slow walks around the infield, preening, and fist bumping the first and third base coaches. The ball is out of the park. The play is over. Move on.
The Spin Doctor 