The new improved upgraded thread on the pace of play

[JohnU]

Arizona is using a golf cart to speed up the pace of play.
I've seen reliever run in from the bullpen as fast as this thing will go.
Does anybody at HQ have any data on how many hours per year this thing will cut from the times of games?

 

[molsaniceman]

27 seconds

 

[JohnU]

Seems to me that the second the manager signals to the pen, they cut to commercial and that's going to take that long no matter what. But it lets them put some advertising on the golf cart, so there's that.

 

[Carnzo]

 

[The Derski]

Will they use the golf cart to ride out when the benches clear too? Because this could get hilarious, and possibly dangerous.

 

[The Derski]

 

[soxfan1468927]

Arizona is using a golf cart to speed up the pace of play.
I've seen reliever run in from the bullpen as fast as this thing will go.
Does anybody at HQ have any data on how many hours per year this thing will cut from the times of games?

Did Arizona say they are doing this to speed up pace of play? Because it's going to add time, not decrease it.

 

[JohnU]

Did Arizona say they are doing this to speed up pace of play? Because it's going to add time, not decrease it.

I didn't see specifically in the D-backs pablum press release that it was aimed at pace of play but it's part of an initiative that MLB began before ST began. I imagine the conversation will include that parenthetically. If the only reason they are doing it is because they think it's a great gimmick, every other team that had them in the 70s and 80s trashed them.


Bleacher Report's take on it:

The reasoning behind the move could be as simple as wanting to shave minutes off games. Perhaps it could keep pitchers from tiring themselves out before they even throw a pitch. Or, as Rovell noted, there could be financial gains involved: The Diamondbacks have sold their bullpen cart sponsorship to delivery company OnTrac.

 

[JohnU]

The life, death and rebirth of the bullpen cart

 

[soxfan1468927]

I didn't see specifically in the D-backs pablum press release that it was aimed at pace of play but it's part of an initiative that MLB began before ST began. I imagine the conversation will include that parenthetically. If the only reason they are doing it is because they think it's a great gimmick, every other team that had them in the 70s and 80s trashed them.


Bleacher Report's take on it:

The reasoning behind the move could be as simple as wanting to shave minutes off games. Perhaps it could keep pitchers from tiring themselves out before they even throw a pitch. Or, as Rovell noted, there could be financial gains involved: The Diamondbacks have sold their bullpen cart sponsorship to delivery company OnTrac.

It's the financial aspect, no doubt in my mind it's just a gimmick. Like I said, it won't shave "minutes" from anything. It will add time.

And just because teams trashed the gimmicks from the 70s/80s doesn't mean it's a bad gimmick, it just ran it's course. Old school uniforms ran its course but we still see them every once in a while.

 

[broncosmitty]

I didn't see specifically in the D-backs pablum press release that it was aimed at pace of play but it's part of an initiative that MLB began before ST began. I imagine the conversation will include that parenthetically. If the only reason they are doing it is because they think it's a great gimmick, every other team that had them in the 70s and 80s trashed them.


Bleacher Report's take on it:

The reasoning behind the move could be as simple as wanting to shave minutes off games. Perhaps it could keep pitchers from tiring themselves out before they even throw a pitch. Or, as Rovell noted, there could be financial gains involved: The Diamondbacks have sold their bullpen cart sponsorship to delivery company OnTrac.

Tiring themselves out!?!


They're "professional athletes".

 

[broncosmitty]

I don't remember these things.


Was it common place?


Seems real ghey to me ftr.

 

[JohnU]

I don't remember these things.


Was it common place?


Seems real ghey to me ftr.

So clever these ball bloves instead of lights ...

 

[JohnU]

And just because teams trashed the gimmicks from the 70s/80s doesn't mean it's a bad gimmick, it just ran it's course. Old school uniforms ran its course but we still see them every once in a while.

I agree that some gimmicks stopped being useful and started being useful again.
But the bullpen cart is not going to add anything to the game that's better than watching Old Smokeballer come strollin' in from the pen. I recall the big deal they made over Mariano Rivera at the ASG (overblown, but not the point) can you imagine trying to sell that moment with a guy puddlin' in on a fuckin' golf cart with a cartoon hat on it?

Recent years, when the Reds are sucking, the only real fun we ever had was watching Chapman make an appearance knowing there was something to come. I think the golf cart would have ruined what little we had to look forward to.

 

[broncosmitty]

Do away players have to lower themselves to this?



Or just Dbacks?

 

[JohnU]

Do away players have to lower themselves to this?



Or just Dbacks?

My guess is that MLB probably isn't making it a rule and if they are, they need to start the fuck over about their conversations on pace of play.
If I am the manager of the opposing team, I tell the D-backs to shove that damned golf cart up their apparatus and my pitchers will prepare for a game the way WE coached them, not the way the sponsor of this golf cart wants to handle it.

 

[The Derski]

Astros reliever Collin Mchugh became the first pitcher to use the golf cart this season. Not sure why Arizona hasn’t used it yet but the road team did today.

 

[JohnU]

Watching the Reds relievers, I think a hearse is more practical.

 

[thedddd]

Astros reliever Collin Mchugh became the first pitcher to use the golf cart this season. Not sure why Arizona hasn’t used it yet but the road team did today.

Astros reliever first to use D-backs' bullpen cart

Sounds like everyone was afraid to break the ice.

 

[Markwassillylaugher]

Now lets see if umpires will keep the hitters from stepping out of the box as often as they do!