February 24, 2015

Not Really Quickening the Game

Via BBTF, this disappointing interpretation of the pace of game rules:

Hitters who keep one foot in the box but maintain lengthy routines of adjusting batting gloves and other pre-pitch rituals will not be considered to be in violation of the new rules, even though it runs contrary to the spirit of them. Anthopoulos said MLB officials used Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista as an example of a player who “is able to adjust his gloves, adjust his helmet, do all those things and keep one foot in the box.”

So the one foot in the box isn’t to cut down on these habits, but to cut down the distance to travel. This might save 30 seconds a game.

3 thoughts on “Not Really Quickening the Game

  1. Scooter

    Of course, if the umpire signals it’s okay to pitch, hitters might decide to curtail their routines. I’m becoming convinced that it’s all about the umpires, and whether they’re given, and perceived to have, authority to move the game along.

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  2. Larry Faria

    Well, the umpires DID have the authority, in that the batter had to ask for time, and it was at the umpire’s discretion to grant it. I don’t know if the new rule supersedes that, but if umpires were persuaded to enforce the requirement that a batter ask for and wait to receive time out, and exercise their discretion in granting it, there might not have been a need for new rules.

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  3. Scooter

    I agree that the umpires have always had rulebook authority to keep the game moving. Unfortunately, I think that was allowed to lapse via disregard. So now they needed, at least, a reaffirmation of their power in that regard.

    I’m pretty sure the ump still signals the pitcher when it’s okay to pitch. But years of common practice meant that a batter could complain, legitimately, about being rushed if he weren’t allowed to do his whole routine.

    Anyway, we’ll just have to see what really happens.

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