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Report: MLB proposes changes to intentional walk and the strike zone

redseat

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Report: MLB proposes changes to intentional walk and the strike zone

In an effort to improve pace of play and generate more offense, Major League Baseball has made formal proposals to the players union seeking changes to intentional walks and the strike zone, reports ESPN Jayson Stark. No rule changes can be made without the MLBPA's approval.

Here are some details from Stark:

MLB's proposal would raise the lower part of the strike zone to the top of the hitter's knees. Since 1996, the bottom of the zone has been defined as "the hollow beneath the kneecap." But data shows that umpires have been increasingly calling strikes on so many pitches below the knees that, if umpires enforce the redefined strike zone, it would effectively raise the zone by an estimated 2 inches.

The change in the intentional-walk rule would end the long-standing practice of requiring the pitcher to toss four soft pitches outside the strike zone. Instead, a team could just signify it wants to issue an intentional walk, and the hitter would be sent directly to first base.

The intentional walk proposal has been floated in the past and really, it won't have much impact. There were 932 intentional walks issued in 2,428 games last season. It works out to one intentional walk every 46 1/3 innings or so. Changing the rule won't increase the pace of play that much.

As for raising the strike zone, that could have a significant affect on offense. Research by Jon Roegele of the Hardball Times has shown the strike zone has grown in recent years, mostly downward below the knees. Not only are pitchers getting more strike calls in those spots, but hitters also have to protect against those pitches, and it's really hard to drive a pitch down below the knees.

Raising the zone an estimated two inches, per Stark's report, would lead to more favorable counts for hitters and ostensibly more well-hit balls in play, increasing offense. Run-scoring did tick up around the league in 2016, though it's still down considerably from where it was in the early-to-mid 2000s.

Any rule changes would presumably have to happen very soon. MLB and the MLBPA will want the new rules in place by the start of Grapefruit League and Cactus League play so players could get used them before the regular season. Spring training games begin in nearly three weeks.

I am pro raising the strike zone -- hooray more offense! -- but anti-automatic intentional walk. I say make the pitcher execute the pitches because there's always a chance for a wild pitch or a mistake pitch, like this one: (doesn't let me post video but it's the one of Sanchez of the Yankees hitting a homer on a supposid intentional walk pitch)
 

JohnU

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Raising the zone makes sense, but lowering it also does.

The strike zone as they have been calling it in recent years is almost impossible for the hitter. The best hitters in history would have had a .246 average if they had been told that a pitch around their armpits was a strike and one that cut the back of the bottom of the knee was a strike. Hitters are striking out a record pace now because they haven't got a chance.
 

podsox

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Smaller strike zone might increase scoring but games are going to be even longer. A lot more walks coming
 

Fountain City Blues

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I would approve of this rule change. As much as I like a suffocating pitching performance, I don't like seeing junksink getting called a strike.
 

Nosferatu

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I'm against both.

Raising the zone will only lead to more bitching about low pitches being called strikes and it will also lengthen the game.

Changing the intentional walk rule would be ok if there was never an instance of a player getting a hit or a wild pitch being thrown on said pitch.

Leave it alone it ain't broke!
 

JohnU

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Raisin ng the zone will only lead to more bitching about low pitches being called strikes and it will also lengthen the game.

Not much can be done about bitching. The umps toss a guy for wriggling his nose now.
I don't see any evidence being presented that games will be all that much longer. If the umps insist on coughing up a new ball every time it hits the dirt, then there isn't much we can do about that.
 

Nosferatu

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Not much can be done about bitching. The umps toss a guy for wriggling his nose now.
I don't see any evidence being presented that games will be all that much longer. If the umps insist on coughing up a new ball every time it hits the dirt, then there isn't much we can do about that.


Smaller strike zone leads to more pitches being taken and more balls being called which leads to longer games. I just think if it's not broke don't fix it. Baseball is the best sport on the planet and the games aren't to long if you love the game, leave it alone already!
 

calsnowskier

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Want to speed up the game?

1) Relievers coming in only get 4 warm up pitches. They should already be warm anyway. This would require that the home teams HAVE to make both bullpen mounds the same height and that they are regulation.
2) 90 seconds from the end of the play to declare a challenge. Once the replay umps "have it", they have 120 seconds to determine the call. If it takes longer than that, the play was too close to reverse.
3) enforce the clock. Some pitchers take WAY too long, and some batters take forever to get ready. The umps need to enforce that shit.

That should help. Anything else really begins to attack the game itself.
 

Nosferatu

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Want to speed up the game?

1) Relievers coming in only get 4 warm up pitches. They should already be warm anyway. This would require that the home teams HAVE to make both bullpen mounds the same height and that they are regulation.
2) 90 seconds from the end of the play to declare a challenge. Once the replay umps "have it", they have 120 seconds to determine the call. If it takes longer than that, the play was too close to reverse.
3) enforce the clock. Some pitchers take WAY too long, and some batters take forever to get ready. The umps need to enforce that shit.

That should help. Anything else really begins to attack the game itself.


I could not agree more strongly with #1
 

redseat

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Exactly... WHY do RP get so many pitches? It's not like they haven't already thrown about 30 at "game speed" already before entering the game. I see if they are forced into a game due to a pitchers injury and haven't been warming up but not 99.99% of the time
 

UK Cowboy

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I'm against both.

Raising the zone will only lead to more bitching about low pitches being called strikes and it will also lengthen the game.

Changing the intentional walk rule would be ok if there was never an instance of a player getting a hit or a wild pitch being thrown on said pitch.

Leave it alone it ain't broke!
100%. Leave it alone!!!
 

The Q

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Want to speed up the game?

1) Relievers coming in only get 4 warm up pitches. They should already be warm anyway. This would require that the home teams HAVE to make both bullpen mounds the same height and that they are regulation.
2) 90 seconds from the end of the play to declare a challenge. Once the replay umps "have it", they have 120 seconds to determine the call. If it takes longer than that, the play was too close to reverse.
3) enforce the clock. Some pitchers take WAY too long, and some batters take forever to get ready. The umps need to enforce that shit.

That should help. Anything else really begins to attack the game itself.

90 seconds?

Fuck that.

do what they do with the hotties in beach volleyball. It's like 10 seconds max.
 

The Q

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Want to speed up the game?

1) Relievers coming in only get 4 warm up pitches. They should already be warm anyway. This would require that the home teams HAVE to make both bullpen mounds the same height and that they are regulation.
2) 90 seconds from the end of the play to declare a challenge. Once the replay umps "have it", they have 120 seconds to determine the call. If it takes longer than that, the play was too close to reverse.
3) enforce the clock. Some pitchers take WAY too long, and some batters take forever to get ready. The umps need to enforce that shit.

That should help. Anything else really begins to attack the game itself.

For 3, what do you think the penalty should be?

I'm with you on 1 also FWIW.
 

The Q

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I don't care about the intentional walk thing.

Maybe it will speed up the game by also avoiding those unintentional, intentional walks too.

But either way it's such a small part of the game that I don't have a very strong opinion on it either way.

The strike zone, yeah, but they don't really call the top of the letters anyway.

But this will make for more contact. Which i think is the real goal.
 

JohnU

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Smaller strike zone leads to more pitches being taken and more balls being called which leads to longer games. I just think if it's not broke don't fix it. Baseball is the best sport on the planet and the games aren't to long if you love the game, leave it alone already!


Nah, these guys aren't going to take any more pitches. We're talking about 2 inches here.
Basically calling the strike zone as it was set in the original rules. The problem has been the advent of the perverse sinker pitches that umps are basically guessing on anyway.
 

JohnU

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Exactly... WHY do RP get so many pitches? It's not like they haven't already thrown about 30 at "game speed" already before entering the game. I see if they are forced into a game due to a pitchers injury and haven't been warming up but not 99.99% of the time

Please take a few minutes to review the Reds' relief pitching from 2016 and get back to me. It these guys had thrown 200 pitches to warm up, the first one to a hitter would have landed in the 24th row of the bleachers.
 

calsnowskier

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90 seconds?

Fuck that.

do what they do with the hotties in beach volleyball. It's like 10 seconds max.
The number is certainly debateable, but I think they legit need time to have it reviewed a time or two AND have time to actually get the umps attention. Surprisingly, the current rules state the manager has 10 seconds to get the umps attention and an additional 30 seconds after that to actually request a review. I have a feeling that timeframe is not enforced (except at the end of the game, which is where it needs to be extended), but I have no evidence to support that claim.

The actual rules...

Replay Review
 

calsnowskier

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For 3, what do you think the penalty should be?

I'm with you on 1 also FWIW.
I believe right now, if the pitcher is delaying, a ball is called, if the batter is delaying, a strike is called. I don't believe that has been assessed at the Major League level yet, though.
 

JohnU

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The problem with replay is that it's being used to show if a guy got his big toe on the bag all throughout the tag play. The umps have turned the game over to "New York" and seem to be flaunting that. The calls they miss at first base are so clearly obvious as to almost PROVE they don't give a shit if they get it right. Of course, the "we want to get it right" bullshit has done nothing but turn the game into a meeting with the radio crew.

It's worse in college basketball but that's not what we are discussing.

Now they think that if they abolish the intentional walk, they will be at least admitting to the millennials who hate the game anyway that they are trying to upgrade the content. Baseball doesn't need to fix this. The more they fix it, the worse it gets. Lucky for us, the pitchers don't have to throw behind a screen -- yet.
 

Omar 382

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Not sure how you guys would feel about it, but 15 years ago Bill James proposed an idea that a new reliever, unless injured, has to face at least 2 batters resulting in a PA or AB before being lifted for another reliever.

I'm against it, as it feels unnatural to me, but there's no doubt it would speed the game up.
 
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