Hitters can't even bunt because it's SOOOOO HARD. They can't hit the other way. All they do is zone in on what they can hit and look at every other pitch. Ks will be up, RS will be down. HR will be down. You want to wait 3 years to see what happens, that's a different story.

I'm not against it, just for 3 years institute it everywhere else first.

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Wattabout Kodak Black?

I don't think so. Strikeouts are up because hitters get into bad counts trying to coax walks and because of a cultural imperative to "see" pitches. If you open up the strikezone that will force the batters to get up there and swing.

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Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

And they'll fail for quite a while. Years of Lab just doesn't go away with a little spring training. There will be multiple 20 game winners and a record sub 3 ERAs. Doesn't mean it shouldn't be done, but you have to ease it in. Somehow.

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Wattabout Kodak Black?

A 4 hour game is fine. From the little spring training I watched the actual game is more interesting with the faster pace.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

I disagree. Four hours is ridiculous for virtually everything imo. Watching a Buerhle pitched game was glorious. Watching a Cleveland game managed by the Human Rain Delay could be horrible, even with all their talent.

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

4 hours can seem fast if the pacing of the action is right. Waiting 50 seconds for a pitch which then gets fouled off and they do it again is a grind.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

It can, but overwhelmingly does not. As almost a rule four hours is too much for anything. Games, movies, concerts or even three star dinners.

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

Even a hypothetical game of James Baldwin v. Yu Darvish wouldn't take 4 hours. The problem is a combination of increased bullpen substitutions, TV commercials, and replay. The twitter post is valid, though....they're not gong to bring in new fans with the proposed changes. What they are doing is pissing off the people that actually like baseball.
Pitch clock is fine. Call the legit strike zone....that would be a huge improvement. Shit-can replay / challenges and limit bullpen substitutions and the game will move into a reasonable pace.

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All periphery fixes. Time, bases, shifts. Ball on bat is the fix. Early and often. Pitch to contact and see how good the defense is. That was the essence of baseball from the gitgo. The strike out artist was a treat, not a generality. The Home run was a treat, maybe even essential for some teams, but not all 30 of them. No diversity of play. All cookie cutter baseball. If you don't play cookie cutter, you get whomped. That's where we're at.

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Wattabout Kodak Black?

Nardi...I do agree with you that bat on ball is the answer, but there is no way to "ease" that in. The strike zone enforcement needs to happen. It will take time for teams to adjust and evolve to it, but it just needs to happen. Strike outs are fine...the game is still moving. The real problem is the dead time. That's what is killing the game. I'm sure everyone is different, but the ridiculous bullpen changes is what gets me to find something else to do.

Replay has been a failure in just about every sport using it. There's no way to do it quickly...that also has to go. It's just not worth the wasted time.

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Replay is like taxes and the remote control. Once you have it, you never let go. Bullpens are a sweatshop, no doubt. But teams are locked in on protecting their investment in starters. Not to mention their agents. If you knock the season down to 120 games, it's a whole new ballgame in that area.

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Wattabout Kodak Black?

I completely agree on 120 games for regular season.

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Hey JORR, if you like 4 1/2 hour 9 inning games, and I know you like horse racing...you're gonna love this

https://twitter.com/PitchingNinja/status/1127236417900490752?lang=en

_________________
Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

More balls in play would be excellent, but short of eliminating the ability to get an out via the strikeout, I think it's just about impossible to legislate that more balls be put in play. IMHO, the only thing that gets that to change is if one prominent player, or a small group of prominent players, enjoy tremendous success eschewing homeruns and focusing on getting on base and taking as many extra bases as possible.

I disagree with those who argue that true baseball fans don't care if the game goes long. There are 162 of these things. If we get a Buehrleesque game the clocks in at under two and a half hours, everyone can relax, they'll be another game tomorrow. Four hour games are fine for the World Series, I don't need them on a Tuesday in May.

Agree. Baseball is somewhat susceptible to "the next big thing." I wanna see the Big Red Machine or the 90s Braves. Or more teams like the Dodgers (they have purchased a lot of stars, but they also draft and develop players well, despite giving up on PK14) or the small-ball, pitching-rich Indians. Tired of the softball, no-defense, can't-run-the-basepaths, I-own-a-useless-glove teams. Some have suggested that most of this is the result of the infusion of Latin American players, but I doubt it; they can be coached, too.

I keep waiting for another Greg Maddux to come along so they can re-train pitchers to actually pitch and not blow out their arms.

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On pti Nomar Garciaparra and Mike Hargrove's names came up in reference to the time clock rule. NG '99 - '00 365 426 .601 1.028 155. Hargrove had an amazing career .396 obp over 6694 pa in 12 seasons.