A Home Run of an Idea or Traumatic Foul Ball?
D. Benjamin Miller, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The MLB has created new rule changes to speed up games and attract more viewers
The MLB has announced new rule changes that took effect on Feb.1. These new changes were implemented during spring training to test how they may affect the game in the future. There are three significant rule changes in the new rule book which many people have conflicting opinions about. The first, and probably most controversial rule change is the introduction of a pitch clock. The pitch clock is a 15-second clock with bases empty, and a 20-second clock when runners are on base. If the pitcher does not start his delivery in that time, the batter is awarded a ball. The batter must be in the box within eight seconds, but he gets one time-out per plate appearance. If the batter violates this rule, the pitcher gets a free strike.
The second change to the rule book is the base size change. Bases are now 18 square inches instead of their traditional 15 square inch size. The increased base size will hopefully decrease collisions between base runners and infielders when running bases and sliding. The last rule is a defensive shift limitation, which eliminates infield overshifts. Overshifting is the strategy of moving infielders toward the batter’s strong side. If this strategy is implemented the batter will receive a free ball.
The new rule book changes have been tested for around a year on semi-pro teams to see if the new rule book would work for major league teams. The MLB organization hopes that the new rule book changes will lessen the total game time. The speed of games is one of the reasons why the MLB believes that viewership is down. They hope that the faster-paced version of the classic game will drive up sales and bring more viewership to America's favorite pass time.
These changes could be beneficial for the development and growth of the sport. The new rule changes will allow for a cleaner, faster game. The changes will also allow for umpires to make fewer mistakes when evaluating plays, causing less confusion and the ensuing wrath of angry fans. The pitch clock will completely revolutionize the game, causing faster plays and a more engaging game for casual viewers of the sport. The clock will also create room for more errors and blunders on defense and offense. This “wild card” effect in the game will cause more excitement and hopefully be more engaging for viewers. The final rule change of the infield limitations will cause more integrated strategies to be implemented, causing more serious viewers to be engaged with new defensive strategies. The new rule changes could cause an uptick in viewership due to the revolutionary developments to the game, but old fans of baseball might become bitter with the alterations to their beloved sport.
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