The "Are They Gonna Ruin My Favorite Sport?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading the "Nation" section of my local newspaper and found that today's pages began with a story about my favorite sport, baseball.  Headline read: "Pitch clock, shift limits coming in '23".  Well, I knew the changes were coming, but I was sort of hoping they wouldn't enforce them for a few more years.  The new rules were approved by the Competition committee to help speed up the game, but were opposed by the players.  Three new changes were adopted which included (1) the use of a pitch clock, (2) limits on defensive shifts, (3) and larger bases.  The decision on the clock and shift restrictions was made by baseball's eleven man competition committee over the opposition of the panel's players.  The changes are to help make the game better and more enjoyable.  The players weren't in total agreement and claim "they live the game...day in and day out."  On field rules and regulations impact their preparation, performance and ultimately, the integrity of the game itself.  The players association claimed that Major League Baseball was unwilling to meaningfully address the areas of concern that players raised.  The pitch clock will be set at 15 seconds with no runners on base and 20 seconds with runners...up from the 14/19 tested in minor league Triple-A ball games.  Another rule will put a limit of two on what Major League Baseball calls disengagements such as pickoff attempts or steps off the rubber per plate appearance.  A balk will be called if these take place.  A catcher will now be required to be in the catcher's box with nine seconds left on the clock and a hitter in the batters box and focused on the pitcher with eight seconds remaining.  Penalties for violations will be a ball called against a pitcher and a strike called against a batter.  A batter can ask an umpire for time once per plate appearance, and after that it would be granted only at the umpire's discretion if the request in made while in the batter's box.  It has been proven in the minor leagues that the clock has helped reduce the average time of a nine-inning game from 3 hours, 4 minutes to 2:38 this year.  The average time of a major league game this year is 3:06; it was 2:46 in 1989.  Why does it take almost 20 minutes more time for a game?  Another rule is the shift limit which will require two infielders to be on either side of second base and all infielders to be within the outer boundary of the infield when the pitcher is on the rubber, and infielders may not switch sides unless there is a substitution.  Use of shifts has exploded in the past decade, from 2,357 times on balls hit in play in 2011 to 28,130 in 2016 to 59,063 last year.  Shifts are on pace for 68,000 this year.  Bases will increase in size to 18-inch squares from 15 to promote safety, especially on 1st base.  It will boost stolen bases due to a 4.5-inch decrease in distance between bases. Whatever happened to baseball the way it used to be played?  Too many people are trying to change the game that I knew growing up.  We never put 3 infielders on one side of the infield.  Can you imagine how much time it will take to enforce all these new rules and regulations?  It will add on an extra half-hour to hour to each ball game.  Just what they are trying to eliminate!  And...will they have to hire someone to make sure all the new rules are used properly?  If only we could get back to playing baseball the way it was when I was a kid.  Now that was fun!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.