Commentary by Sanford D. Horn
September 13, 2022
In the interest of speeding up the pace of professional baseball games, new rules have been thrust upon the players, the teams, and the fans, actually starting prior to Covid-19, with three new rule changes effective the 2023 baseball season.
As a baseball purist, I object to just about every rule change since, and including, the imposition of the Designated Hitter in the American League in 1973. Sadly, the National League caved and adopted the DH full time this season after using it during the 60-game Covid-shortened 2020 season for the first time - with the exception of interleague play, something I also abhor.
That said, there is one of the three new rule amendments I actually support - the introduction of the pitch clock, mostly. It will be imposed with nonsensical riders, as is said of extra, useless legislation added to an original bill being debated in Congress. Currently employed in the minor leagues, the pitch clock is proving successful in its quest to move the game of baseball along. For the first two weeks of the minor league season, nine inning games clocked in at two hours 59 minutes, sans pitch clock. From April 15 through the first week of September, minor league games, now with the pitch clock, crossed the finish line in two hours 35 minutes - 24 minutes shaved off the time of game. Nine inning Major League games are lasting an average of three hours and five minutes this season. If for nothing else, by the time minor league pitchers reach the Majors, they will be fully ensconced in the world of the pitch clock.
Once the pitch clock hits MLB, there will be 30 seconds between batters. Between pitches, there will be a 15 second clock when the bases are empty, and 20 seconds with runners on base. With runners on the basepaths, should the pitcher attempt to pick off a runner, the pitch clock resets. Should the pitcher fail to begin his motion before the clock expires, an automatic ball will be called against him. Should the batter not be in the batter’s “box and alert to the pitcher by the eight-second mark,” an automatic strike will be called against him. Since there is no point to having rules without penalty, it would be hard to support the pitch clock, but not the penalty.
Here’s where the pitch clock rule gets bogged down with unnecessary minutiae. Pitchers are to be limited to two, what are being called “disengagements,” be they pickoff attempts or simply stepping off the pitching rubber per plate appearance by a batter. Should any runner advance, the two disengagements are reset. If a pitcher offers a third attempt at a pickoff and is unsuccessful in picking off the runner, he is automatically awarded the next base. This is ridiculous. Once a pitcher has made two pickoff attempts, the baserunners know they have carte blanche to widen their lead or simply steal a base. This part of the pitch clock rule handcuffs the defense, giving an edge to the offense, something the powers that be in MLB, wanting more action and more runs, support.
Another rule change that could have merit, if employed properly, is the growth in size of the bases from 15 inches square to 18 inches square. The purpose here is to give runners and defenders a bit more room to avoid collisions, players getting stepped on or inadvertently spiked. It could also reduce the amount of oversliding of bases - a player oversliding a base and losing contact with that base, if tagged, is out.
Herein lies the problem. With larger bases, the distance between the bases will shrink by four and one half inches. This will make stealing bases easier. This will make beating out close plays for infield hits easier as well. That actually IS a problem, as for more than a century and a half, the distance between the bases has been an even 90 feet. Not 89 feet seven and one half inches. Records will be artificially rewritten - the same way when the regular season expanded from 154 games to 162 games.
For the only time in Major League history, expansion in terms of teams and games played were out of balance in 1961. In that year, the American League expanded from eight teams to 10, and from a 154 game season to 162. The National League followed suit in 1962. Perhaps the biggest debate to emerge from the expanding schedule, was the legitimacy of Roger Maris’ record breaking season home run record when he hit 61 homers in 1961 to best the record held by Babe Ruth who hit 60 in 1927 in a 154 game schedule. Maris hit home run number 61 in the last game of the season - game number 162. For years, two records stood - Ruth’s in a 154 game season, and Maris’ in 162 and the use of an asterisk (*).
The only way for the bases expansion to keep records honest, would be to move the bases ensuring the 90 foot distance between them is maintained.
The one rule change that has absolutely no merit of the three passed by the Competition Committee, and truly smacks of imposing equity, is banning the shift. For the uninitiated, the shift is a defensive strategy employed in the infield oftentimes positioning three infielders either to the left or to the right of second base. Sometimes an infielder will move behind the infield to the short outfield. This strategy is a maneuver clearly designed to prevent the batter from successfully reaching base as he is prone to hitting the ball typically to the side of the infield where the greater number of players are positioned. Obviously this strategy has negatively impacted hitters’ batting averages, and with fewer hits, fewer baserunners, and less action on the field. It also inevitably means fewer runs being scored. By banning the shift, the four infielders must be evenly distributed on either side of second base - two to the left, two to the right, and be fully ensconced on the dirt of the infield - standing on nary a blade of outfield grass.
Here’s where the equity nonsense emerges. Because the defense has the advantage, this rule is designed to handcuff the team in the field because the batters’ averages are dropping. So instead of encouraging the batters to work harder at hitting the other way, or dropping down a bunt, a lost art in and of itself, the league has to create a rule change to make it easier for the batters. I oppose this handcuffing of the defense. It’s good managing to be able to position the players where the manager thinks it best to prevent the other team from getting on base and scoring. The solution is simple - hit better! Or bunt. Drop a bunt down the lesser defended side of the infield and a batter can run all day. A few of those and the defense will think twice about the shift - problem solved - on its own, without a mandate from on high.
The imposition of these rules come via the Joint Competition Committee which consists of four active MLB players, six members of management appointed by MLB itself, and one umpire. Base enlargement received unanimous support by the committee. The pitch clock and banning of the shift passed, but with split votes - the players voting against both in defeat.
However, there should be a ray of hope and sanity with the addition of the pitch clock. As it is designed to increase the pace of play, there are recent rule changes that must be ended and reversed. End the no-pitch intentional walk. End the mandatory three batter or end of the inning rule for relief pitchers - yet another rule handcuffing the defense. End the automatic runner on second base starting all extra innings - that was imposed during Covid to prevent games from going deep into multiple extra innings.
No true baseball fan likes, appreciates, or wants to see rule changes past, present, or future that will radically alter the game, our national pastime, that has brought joy, and yes, anguish, to millions of, not just Americans, but fans around the world. Baseball is huge in Japan, South Korea, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, elsewhere throughout Latin America, and growing in popularity in Australia, and even in Israel. In an effort to draw new, younger fans to the great game of baseball, the powers that be, including the incompetent Commissioner Rob Manfred, are in jeopardy of losing many of the long standing fans who simply wish the game be played as it has for more than a century and a half. The pitch clock should have its desired effect - both on the field and off. Reverse or end the other superfluous rule changes and all will be right with the baseball world. Play ball!
Sanford D. Horn is a writer and educator living in Westfield, IN. He has been a New York Mets fan for 50 years and counting.
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