According to Major League Baseball, the rules regarding the speed of the game are going to be strictly enforced...again.
(Laugh Track)
The plodding pace of an average game is what attracts some people to the great game, forcing fans to make a couple of trips to the refreshment stand to grab a couple of cold ones and a dog. True fans of the game don't watch baseball to see cheerleaders or pyrotechnics or acrobats. The game of baseball was created, I believe, as respite from the day-to-day rat race. You know, up at 6:00, cup of coffee, in the car by seven, at the office by eight, listen to the mundane musings of your co-workers, flirt with 'what's-her-name', lunch, afternoon meeting, coffee break, back in the car at five, home by 5:30, dinner done by seven and then sit down to watch the game. Unwind with your significant other, chat about the day or read the paper while glancing at the TV. Really, in this fast food, remote-control society that we currently live in is there a better way to wind down than watching a well played game of baseball?
Unfortunately, that's all sounds fine and dandy, but in reality the majority of games have become downright boring, especially this season where offence is currently at premium. For every two hour, ten minute gem that Roy Halladay spins there are dozens of three-plus hour games where nothing of circumstance ever happens. Of the 2,200-plus games that I've now witnessed in my capacity as statistician/font co-ordinator/bug operator/reactionary comic, I could probably only count on my fingers and toes how many games were played crisply and had you leaving the ballpark feeling satisfied that you got you monies worth. That's because the game is played so much differently in the new millennium.
Pitchers and batters are routinely allowed to step off the mound or out of the batter's box by the umpires even though the rules are clear. It all starts with the pitcher, though. Nothing can ever happen until he throws the ball to the plate. And that, unfortunately, isn't happening in a timely manner.
Rule 8.04 clearly states: When the bases are unoccupied, the pitcher shall deliver the ball to the batter within 12 seconds after he receives the ball. Each time the pitcher delays the game by violating this rule, the umpire shall call "Ball."
Wwhen was the last time that you saw that happen? If that rule was enforced, Baltimore's "rain-delay-in-waiting" Steve Trachsel would walk the bases full while having only thrown eight total pitches.
In my mind, relievers are the worst culprits. I'll point out one in particular: Jason Frasor of the Blue Jays. In between pitches Frasor can be seen doing a multitude of things that do not involve delivering a pitch to the plate.
During last Sunday's six hour, two rain delay epic in Philadelphia, I timed Frasor between pitches. Of the 27 he threw in his 1 1/3 inning of work that day, 13 of them took over 30 seconds to deliver. And then MLB wonders why their fan base continues to age with the younger generation tuning out en masse.
Hey, I'm hoping that umpires do crackdown and start enforcing the rules as written in the book. Maybe I'm a little biased because I'm not paid an hourly wage, but I'm hoping that when I finally reach my end of days, I'm not lying there wishing I had back some of the 7,000+ hours that I wasted watching batters and pitchers do the step in, step out tango. That would be sad.
AROUND THE HORN
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