MLB to Implement Pitch Clock and Shift Ban in 2023 to Reinvigorate Baseball

WSJ ^ | 08-SEP-2022 | Tim Brown

[SpeedyInTexas]

Major League Baseball will implement a pitch clock and ban defensive shifts beginning in the 2023 season, people familiar with the matter said, an attempt to quicken pace of play and reinvigorate offenses as a means of combating the sport’s faded appeal with fans.

An 11-person joint committee that includes four active players recommended the changes. Former Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox executive Theo Epstein served as an adviser to the committee. The league also will increase the size of bases by three inches, a measure it believes will reduce collisions and injuries.

[chuckee]

“The DH is a complete bastardization of the game...”

Yes, it is a bastardization but, in my view, a good bastardization. I like offense. The more of it, the more exciting the game is. Pitchers should not hit and hitters should not pitch. Same for football when it comes to offense. 3 yards and a cloud of dust does not do it for me. But bring on the fireworks of a long passing game and a Pat Mahomes and a 52 to 47 game and I’m dumb and happy.

[Lisbon1940]

Nutting will spend when contention is in sight.

[KevinB]

I stopped watching MLB when they moved the all-star game from Atlanta due to GA’s enactment of common-sense voting laws. As much as I used to love it, I don’t miss it a bit.

[ElkGroveDan]

Turning the MLB into the NFL. Baseball has never restricted who can stand where and what they do on the field. They are ruining the game.

[ElkGroveDan]

Turning the MLB into the NFL. Baseball has never restricted who can stand where and what they do on the field. They are ruining the game.

[Glad2bnuts]

A shift ban? Are they going to put dots on the field how deep, shallow, leftward or rightward they can play? If the bags are bigger, it will be easier to steal bases, more singles even.

[ElkGroveDan]

Yep

[Savage Rider]

I stopped caring when the players went on strike. I stopped caring about football when the Oilers left Houston. I stopped caring about basketball when I finally realized the refs were not going to call the game according to the rules I learned in middle school.

[Larry Lucido]

Just need better batting coaches.

[TN4Liberty]

Don’t need a shift rule ... batters should just learn to place hit ... hit ‘em where they ain’t ...

---

A good bunt away from the strength of the shifted defense seems like the best was to “fix” that problem. Hitting to the weak side would work well too, but pitchers can do things to make that less reliable.

[SuperLuminal]

Well, I bet that they (at least 20 teams) will continue strongly supporting the mutilation of children both physically & psychologically

[libertylover]

combating the sport’s faded appeal with fans.

I used to love baseball and was a Cincinnati Reds fan since way back, but after MLB insulted veterans by embracing players disrespecting the flag, I haven't seen a single pitch and don't plan to unless they apologize to veterans.

[HamiltonJay]

No he won’t.

30 years nearly non stop of high draft picks and low results… and when those future all stars have to be paid they trade them for nothing…

Nutting won’t ever spend the money needed to compete.. and don’t give me small market argument.. Cleveland is even a smaller market and they have had
Multiple runs one all the way to the World Series since 1992…

Nutting won’t field a winning team ever. He makes more profit putting up scrubs…

Hey your team went 61 and 101 last year.. what should we do?!? Oh I know cut the payroll even further.

In baseball you win 1/3 of your game no matter what, lose a 1/3 no matter what and your talent and management matter for the remaining third…

Pirate won 7 games above that 1/3 last year. 7. And responded by cutting the payroll.

Nutting has shown he has zero intention of ever spending a penny more than he must.. 30 years. No farm league development, no nothing. He does not care about even attempting to field a winning team.

Until MLB forced him to sell, there is no Major League Baseball in Pittsburgh…

[libertylover]

I’m against banning the shift though. Let the defense put their players anywhere they damn well please.

Would the ban have meant that Pete Rose would not have been able to intimidate the Yankees leadoff hitter by playing him 6 feet from home plate in the 1976 World Series?

[SpeedyInTexas]

“When MLB forces Nutting to sell the team”

I’ll take the Pirates in Austin. We’ve only got soccer. That’s not a real sport.

[BigEdLB]

Shift ban is STUPID. Strategy is as important defensively as offensively

[stockpirate]

Baseball took the knee, I cancelled my season tickets and haven’t watched a game since. Can’t even name any players on what was once my favorite team, same with football

[markoman]

They’re not wearing the right amount of “flare”

Marko

[A_Former_Democrat]

Quotas on foreigners

Its AMERICA’S Pastime

[SpeedyInTexas]

“Prices are horrendous.”

So true. Can cost $400-$500 for a family of 4 to see one game. Crazy.

Little story from my youth.

Back when Wrigley owned the Cubs, the Cubs would give you a free grandstand ticket if you would put up 1 row of grandstand seats after a game was over. The grandstand seats did not have springs on them to automatically pop up. Then ushers would come in and sweep.

So I’d skip school to attend home opener. Pay for that ticket. Then put up a row of seats thereafter to get a free grandstand ticket. I’d go to 20 games a year and only pay for the home opener.

Grandstand tickets were like $3.50. But I felt that a bandit with the money I saved.