Fixing Long Baseball Games

[mass1926]

After thinking about this for a long time, I would like to know your thoughts on my two proposals here. Being a lifetime baseball fan, I can't help but still hate games that go for like 15 or more innings. I see no point to this during the regular season. Hockey has shortened overtimes and shoot-outs, football has a one extra quarter rule, and basketball has 5-minute periods.

I think that during the regular season there should be an "extra innings rule" where if after the 13th inning with no team comes out on top, the game is suspended and made up at the end of the season ONLY IF NECESSARY to determine a playoff spot. Nobody, including the players, wanna witness mutiple 15 inning game in the month of July when there's still 60 games left to play. That's too much on catchers, pitchers, the health of the players who need to travel or get adequate rest before the next game, and it's just boring for a game to go that long. I also think it would encourage teams to take more gambles in the late innings of games to avoid a suspended game.

My only other suggestion would be that after the 11th inning if no team wins, they start out each upcoming inning with a runner on first base to start the inning. College football sped things up with the short-field overtime, so this is not a terrible idea I don't think. The player on first does not get credit with a hit or "on base percentage points" and the pitcher does not get charged with an earned run for that runner. He is simply serving the purpose of the "go-ahead" run for the team at-bat. Let me know your thoughts.

 

[Mitchell]

mass, of the two things you suggested, I'd sooner go with the suspension after 13 innings. I dont like the idea of starting an inning with a runner on base.

I was once at a 19 inning game in Houston, which ended at 1am. I dont know if you heard about the 19 inning fiasco between the Mets and Braves in Atlanta in July of 1985, that had two rain delays, and ended at 355am.

Another thing baseball could do would be to install a point system like hockey does, in addition to the division races, to help in a situation like this. You could give two points for each team's win, one for a tie, and none for a loss, like they do in hockey. Then, you could end ties after a certain number of innings, and each team would get one point for that game. At the end of the season, the team with the most points, wins. I dont know if such would work, unless you got rid of the divisions, and just had the top four teams in each league make the playoffs, keeping the same format, without having a division champ.

Chances are, this wont happen. The last major rule change in baseball was after the 1994 strike, with the advent of the wild card, which I personally am a fan of. I like the wild card, because, if you have a division race where the team wins by twenty games, the wild card enables fan interest in more cities later into the season.

Mitch

 

[mass1926]

mass, of the two things you suggested, I'd sooner go with the suspension after 13 innings. I dont like the idea of starting an inning with a runner on base.

I was once at a 19 inning game in Houston, which ended at 1am. I dont know if you heard about the 19 inning fiasco between the Mets and Braves in Atlanta in July of 1985, that had two rain delays, and ended at 355am.

Another thing baseball could do would be to install a point system like hockey does, in addition to the division races, to help in a situation like this. You could give two points for each team's win, one for a tie, and none for a loss, like they do in hockey. Then, you could end ties after a certain number of innings, and each team would get one point for that game. At the end of the season, the team with the most points, wins. I dont know if such would work, unless you got rid of the divisions, and just had the top four teams in each league make the playoffs, keeping the same format, without having a division champ.

Chances are, this wont happen. The last major rule change in baseball was after the 1994 strike, with the advent of the wild card, which I personally am a fan of. I like the wild card, because, if you have a division race where the team wins by twenty games, the wild card enables fan interest in more cities later into the season.

Mitch

I live in Massachusetts and have you ever heard of the Pawtucket Red Sox of Pawtucket, Rhode Island. They have the longest professional baseball game in history at 33 innings long back like 30 years ago. That is just ridiculous.

I actually thought about the point system and mentioned that to someone before but they quickly declined my suggestion. I personally am all for the point system. With 162 games in a season I say a points system is a great idea. 1 point for a win, 0.5 points for a tie (13 innings completed with tie score), and 0 points for a loss.

I remember I think last summer or the summer before two teams played back-to-back 13 or 14 inning games. That wears down the entire pitching staff on a team, causes players to get little sleep if the next day is an afternoon game, or worse off, if they have to travel right after the game is over. It also wears out the position players, especially catchers. I personally have no problem with ties in baseball after say 13 completed innings with no change in score. If they installed a points system it would be non-issue. I can't even see how players would be against this idea seeing as how it's really for their own health benefits. Love the game or not, who really wants to play a 6 hour game? 15 innings is more than a game and a half.

 

[Mitchell]

Yes, I've heard of the Pawtucket Red Sox. 33 innings. Wow. A game like that would take 11-12 hours to play.

I' glad you agree with me about the point system. As for the person who didn't. It's like anything else. Different strokes for different folks. I just think that might be a way to solve the long games problem, but I doubt baseball will ever do it, though.

Mitch

 

[mass1926]

Yes, I've heard of the Pawtucket Red Sox. 33 innings. Wow. A game like that would take 11-12 hours to play.

I' glad you agree with me about the point system. As for the person who didn't. It's like anything else. Different strokes for different folks. I just think that might be a way to solve the long games problem, but I doubt baseball will ever do it, though.

Mitch

Of all sports, baseball is the one that is so friggin stubborn about accepting change. I mean, look how long it took before they realized that with all those teams in each league it didn't make any sense to only have 4 total teams (2 per league) make the playoffs.

 

[venray]

bAseball is as it is and should remain so....If anything in baseball should be changed, it is the designated hitter position...

The pitcher should have to bat putting a lot more strategy back into the game...as for the length,it aint over til its over...

 

[Dave Pavet]

I like the shoot out in hockey. I like how they do sudden death in pro football but not college. There are not a lot of games in baseball that go beyond 11 innings. I am fine with baseball the way it is. They are trying to speed up the game by not letting the batter step out of the box so much.

 

[mass1926]

bAseball is as it is and should remain so....If anything in baseball should be changed, it is the designated hitter position...

The pitcher should have to bat putting a lot more strategy back into the game...as for the length,it aint over til its over...

I actually would prefer the DH in both leagues. Most pitchers haven't hit since high school and can't hit for shit. I think the idea behind the DH is to prevent pitchers from injuring themselves swinging the bat or running the base path. I personally love the DH position not just for that, but it gives aging players such as Griffey and opportunity to stay in the game a few extra years when their legs keep them off the defensive side of the field.

 

[milagros317]

bAseball is as it is and should remain so....If anything in baseball should be changed, it is the designated hitter position...

The pitcher should have to bat putting a lot more strategy back into the game...as for the length,it aint over til its over...

We old people can agree on this. They play an interesting game in the AL, but it isn't baseball. Baseball has 9 players from each team in the game at a time, not 10.

The idea of beginning an inning with a runner on first base makes me ill.

 

[Cy/MiG]

Dude are you psychic or something?!

Mets-Redbirds went 20 innings tonight!!!

 

[mass1926]

Dude are you psychic or something?!

Mets-Redbirds went 20 innings tonight!!!

I know, and look what happened!!! They had to stick position players on the mound, which is extremely dangerous if they aren't used to balls being lined back at them from that close. Pitchers being forced to pinch hit or play the field is a major risk to injury. I just think gams should not go that long. Especially in friggin April. Like a "W" is that important in April that it's worth going 20 innings.

 

[Cy/MiG]

Actually, this win will mean alot to the Mets.

It will be the difference between ending up 19 1/2 games out and 20 games out.

Mets fans need that extra 1/2 game to hide their shame.

 

[mass1926]

Actually, this win will mean alot to the Mets.

It will be the difference between ending up 19 1/2 games out and 20 games out.

Mets fans need that extra 1/2 game to hide their shame.

Agreed, but damn, 20 innings is outrageous. Fans are gone by like the 12th. That's my reasoning why it needs to be changed to like after 13 or 14 innings the came gets postponed and made up if necessary at the end of the season or something. One day some team is gonna end up playing like 3 15 inning games in a row and destroy their pitching staff for the season.

 

[LD_Tickler]

As a baseball-hater, I support any initiative to shorten games. 😀

 

[Cy/MiG]

As a baseball-hater, I support any initiative to shorten games. 😀

Helpful tip:

If you get really, really, really drunk then you'll blackout a few times and any baseball game will seem shorter. 😀

 

[unit5610]

I personally don't mind extra-inning games. The thing that I hate is 9-inning games that go well over 3 hours, and not because they're high-scoring. It's the pitcher walking off of the mound, then taking for freakin' ever to throw; the batter stepping out of the box; 5 courtesy throws to first base to hold the runner, who then steals second anyway...stuff like that. The Red Sox and Yankees are especially bad for this, but another example was last night in the Sox/Rays rain-delay game. Rays manager Joe Madden warms up Lance Cormier for his third inning at the start of the 12th knowing full well he's not gonna pitch, then when Cormier has made his last warm-up toss, Madden comes out and makes the pitching change. There's no need for this stuff.
Otherwise I actually like extra innings because players want the game to be over and things actually move along faster.

 

[tickledorange]

We were at that game last night, and stayed all 20 innings. I still can't believe they had some of our position players as pitchers. I think by the end, all remaining fans had finally become sober. Ryan said about the 14th inning that they should either have a homerun derby or a free-for-all brawl where the team with the last man standing wins the game.

 

[mass1926]

We were at that game last night, and stayed all 20 innings. I still can't believe they had some of our position players as pitchers. I think by the end, all remaining fans had finally become sober. Ryan said about the 14th inning that they should either have a homerun derby or a free-for-all brawl where the team with the last man standing wins the game.

I can't believe you stayed that whole game!!!!! Jesus, I'm ready to split by the 8th inning of any game no matter how good it is. I think the most impressive thing about that whole game is that they go 18 straight scoreless innings, and then when one time finally scores a run in the top part of the 19, the other team also scores a run in the same inning to keep the game going!! It's like, one you these teams couldn't get that extra motivation to score until the other team did first....LOL.

 

[Cy/MiG]

We were at that game last night, and stayed all 20 innings. I still can't believe they had some of our position players as pitchers. I think by the end, all remaining fans had finally become sober. Ryan said about the 14th inning that they should either have a homerun derby or a free-for-all brawl where the team with the last man standing wins the game.

I applaud your fandom for staying all 20 innings.

Especially since they stop selling booze after the 7th...

Holy Hell, how did you watch 13 innings of baseball without alcohol?!

 

[mass1926]

I applaud your fandom for staying all 20 innings.

Especially since they stop selling booze after the 7th...

Holy Hell, how did you watch 13 innings of baseball without alcohol?!

They had a contest to see who could eat the most hot dogs before puking.

Something about ballgame dogs, I can eat like 6 by the third inning, they just taste so damn good.

 

[milagros317]

We were at that game last night, and stayed all 20 innings. I still can't believe they had some of our position players as pitchers.

I applaud you for being a true fan and staying the course.

 

[maniactickler]

Play one extra inning. if theres still no winner, then go to a mini home run derby. entertaining for all!

 

[mass1926]

Play one extra inning. if theres still no winner, then go to a mini home run derby. entertaining for all!

Next best thing to the shootout in hockey, which I think is ridiculous, why didn't they just stick to the tie game format.

 

[Cy/MiG]

Next best thing to the shootout in hockey, which I think is ridiculous, why didn't they just stick to the tie game format.

Because when all games are worth three points (two for win, one for OTL) and not two it keeps the competitive balance.

If you'll notice, alot of teams are still in playoff contention late into the season and don't get statistically eliminated until March or later.

It's really all just a ploy to help keep fans interested and players playing hard all 82 games.

 

[mass1926]

Because when all games are worth three points (two for win, one for OTL) and not two it keeps the competitive balance.

If you'll notice, alot of teams are still in playoff contention late into the season and don't get statistically eliminated until March or later.

It's really all just a ploy to help keep fans interested and players playing hard all 82 games.

I agree, I just never cared for it. It really is like the equivalence of a home run derby to determine a win in a baseball game after it's tied through so many extra innings. I personally think it cheapens hockey because you're leaving it up to a goalie and shooter, and not collectively the team to decide the game. I hate penalty shoot-outs in soccer too. I hate when world cup teams are left up to penalty kicks to determine who moves on in the elimination round.