I go to a good many actual games, not just watch on TV. The new clock they put in year before has actually helped with that between innings. It's not that bad when you're watching live, unless it's the national game of the week. They add an extra commercial for those breaks on Fox & ESPN. The pitching changes are still bad - let's bring back the bullpen cars! It's weird that this question wasn't answered in anything I saw. There was a special exception for the previous rule about the catcher's positioning, as long as he keeps both feet inside the catcher's box until the ball leaves the pitcher's hand, he wouldn't be given a catcher's balk or whatever the rule was. I don't know if they eliminated that part. If it is still allowed, I wouldn't be surprised if some of the crusty old managers refuse to do it the new way. I suspect the signal will be holding up four fingers, but I saw somewhere suggested that the manager should have to wave a white flag.
Does this mean the umpire has to look into the defensive teams dugout Every. Single. Pitch. While the manager decides what he's going to do? I can't see that rule being abused. And if the ump misses the signal? Here comes the manager screeching and gesticulating. "The umpires are going to have to check with a replay from dug out cam and wait for the crew in NY to make a determination. We'll be back after a short break." That'll speed things up for sure.
As long as there's a players union, there will be a DH. It is (sadly) more likely that both leagues adopt the DH than it is the AL gets rid of it. I hate people that make the argument for the NL adding the DH to make "everybody play by the same rules" or whatever. They do play by the same rules in each game. It's not like one team has the DH and the other one doesn't when they're playing against each other. Teams all over the league play with different sets of rules. Does every park have Fenway's green monster, or overhanging speakers that can be hit with a fly ball, or the short HR corners, or bullpen mounds in the way, or the amount of foul territory?
I think the only "advantage" is the NL has a slightly better offence in the World Series because their pitchers have hitting experience. But that's a minor issue. Pitchers hitting in both leagues just seems like real baseball. The way it SHOULD be played in my opinion. Even Colon eventually hit a homerun, and he's so fat doesn't even have KNEES anymore.
Nothing makes me more excited than seeing a pitcher coming to bat with a .184 AVG. I love worrying about Clayton Kershaw shattering his elbow when it gets hit with a 97 MPH fastball. Who wants to see a professional ass hitter lacing doubles and HRs all over the goddamn field? I certainly don't. Keep that entertaining shit in the AL where it belongs. -Every NL purist ever.
And do away with bats. For the amount of money those fuckers get paid they can just wag their heads in the strike zone.
Apparently Bryce Harper put on 15lbs of muscle in the off season. Read the article and watch what he did to the second pitch he saw this spring. (It went a long way.)
Not PC: The Mariners hired a mariachi band to follow Leonys Martin around on his birthday Martin is Cuban.
What the fuck? Baseball's new intentional walk signal....there is no official signal. Managers will be allowed to do whatever they want to signal a walk. I can't see this rule being abused at all. Mike Trout up. Runner on second. 2 outs. Manager wipes his brow because, Mike Trout. Trout hits the first pitch over the wall. Manager comes screeching out of the dugout "How did you miss my IW signal you blind bastard! It was clear as day! Look at the fucking tape!" Obviously they didn't think this brilliant plan through.
That's on the pitcher that throws the pitch. Not the umpire. I don't think you thought through this enough.