The two major changes to the MLB rules this year

[Lake Shore Drive]

It's a subject we've yet to discuss here in Soxville. So with it being Xmas with no news of significance happening today in MLB, and since I don't have a life, I suppose this is as good a time as any. The two mega changes this coming year are:

1. 26 man rosters. This one is historic. For the first time since what I'm guessing has to be at least in more than a century, if not ever, Major League ball clubs will have 26 man rosters. The general assessment is it will result in teams splitting the rosters with 13 position players and the like number of pitchers. I think the Sox more often than not thruout each season carried 13 pitchers, but I can't state this as a fact. Maybe one of you stat hounds can confirm or contradict this. In any event, I'm all for going with the standard balance of 13-13, and tweaking as needed when the situations dictate.

2. Three batters minimum. In an effort to reduce the number of pitching changes and in turn, cut down the average length of time per game, MLB will require pitchers to either face a minimum of three batters in an appearance or pitch to the end of a half-inning, with exceptions for injuries and illnesses. I highlighted that one condition so that it's understood that the minimum batter count doesn't carry over to the next inning. I guess we'll have to see how this plays out as to whether or not it benefits or hurts various teams. To me, it obviously helps clubs who have a strong, veteran bullpen. It's one of a number of reasons I'd like to see us ink a FA reliever or two before we call it an offseason.

 

[podsox]

People are pissed about the facing 3 batter minimum but I like it. Overmanaging has gotten out of control of the last 5 yrs

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

People are pissed about the facing 3 batter minimum but I like it. Overmanaging has gotten out of control of the last 5 yrs

Yeah, agreed. Not sure how much it will speed up things up in the big picture, but I'm with you in that the game has become 'overmanaged'.

 

[richig07]

The MLB is doing what they can to consolidate the game down and make it move faster. I agree with most of what they do.

However, this is also why the length of replay reviews piss me off so much. Literally, every close stolen base gets reviewed. Even if just to see if the runner came a HAIR off the bag with the tag on and the review will take 3-4 minutes. It's like... Christ. If you can't see it the first 20 times. Let's move on. Baseball isn't like football. There's not arbitrary interpretations of safe, out, fair or foul. They're set in stone. I say you get like 2 looks at each angle. If you can't see that there's a clear mistake? Move on.

At the end of the day; baseball is a slower moving game. Only so much you can do. I'm really not sure how well it fairs the further we get along into the 21st century.

The things that would really help baseball translate to this century are things that myself and other actual baseball fans would LOATHE. Like... 82 game season and play 3-4 days a week like basketball. Make the games 7 innings to cut the duration to 2-2.5 hours (again, basketball model).

This also means you only have a 3 man rotation. Not a huge bullpen. Your stars are always out there, they're fresh and there would be no such thing as the slew of horrendous #5 starters we trotted out last year.

Now... that sounds HORRIBLE to me. It would also create a circus of union issues and cut pitcher jobs in half. lol

I'm just saying what would have to be done to put baseball near the forefront of US sports again and make that last another 100 years.

 

[podsox]

The MLB is doing what they can to consolidate the game down and make it move faster. I agree with most of what they do.

However, this is also why the length of replay reviews piss me off so much. Literally, every close stolen base gets reviewed. Even if just to see if the runner came a HAIR off the bag with the tag on and the review will take 3-4 minutes. It's like... Christ. If you can't see it the first 20 times. Let's move on. Baseball isn't like football. There's not arbitrary interpretations of safe, out, fair or foul. They're set in stone. I say you get like 2 looks at each angle. If you can't see that there's a clear mistake? Move on.

At the end of the day; baseball is a slower moving game. Only so much you can do. I'm really not sure how well it fairs the further we get along into the 21st century.

The things that would really help baseball translate to this century are things that myself and other actual baseball fans would LOATHE. Like... 82 game season and play 3-4 days a week like basketball. Make the games 7 innings to cut the duration to 2-2.5 hours (again, basketball model).

This also means you only have a 3 man rotation. Not a huge bullpen. Your stars are always out there, they're fresh and there would be no such thing as the slew of horrendous #5 starters we trotted out last year.

Now... that sounds HORRIBLE to me. It would also create a circus of union issues and cut pitcher jobs in half. lol

I'm just saying what would have to be done to put baseball near the forefront of US sports again and make that last another 100 years.

The best move for replay is remove slow motion replays from it. If you can’t tell at full speed move on.