MLB 2017 Season

[RushmoreAcademy]

Pitchers and catchers have reported!
The unseasonably warm weather has put the thoughts of the MLB season into my head a little sooner than usual.  Coupled with being a Cubs fan and still riding a high from the fall, I'm aching to get going.
Cubs, Dodgers and Nationals look like easy picks for division winners at this point, but the Giants can never be counted out and the Mets still look really good if they can get a full season out of those arms. I'll look at the Rockies to be a surprise contender for the wild card.
In the AL it looks like all Indians and Red Sox.  Boston getting Sale is going to make them really tough to beat in a series.  I expect Houston to bounce back from their disappointing season.  I'd like to see the Mariners finally pull through and live up to expectations.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Only 2017 season

I've heard a lot of bitching about getting rid of the four pitch intentional walk, but I'm a big fan.

I know IBB have trended downward in recent years but it doesn't change the basic structure of the game and nothing's more annoying than spending a minute and a half watching an intentional walk.

[RushmoreAcademy]

Only 2017 season

Whoops. No excuse for that one.

[brandx]

Pitchers and catchers have reported!
The unseasonably warm weather has put the thoughts of the MLB season into my head a little sooner than usual.  Coupled with being a Cubs fan and still riding a high from the fall, I'm aching to get going.
Cubs, Dodgers and Nationals look like easy picks for division winners at this point, but the Giants can never be counted out and the Mets still look really good if they can get a full season out of those arms. I'll look at the Rockies to be a surprise contender for the wild card.
In the AL it looks like all Indians and Red Sox.  Boston getting Sale is going to make them really tough to beat in a series.  I expect Houston to bounce back from their disappointing season.  I'd like to see the Mariners finally pull through and live up to expectations.

Agree on Cubs.

If the Mets get 700 innings out of their 5 starters, I think they beat Washington. A big "if".

And LA's pitching staff is full of repaired arms and their outfield is terrible unless Puig is re-born. I see a tight 3 team race in the West.

[brandx]

I've heard a lot of bitching about getting rid of the four pitch intentional walk, but I'm a big fan.

Some people will complain about anything.

[RushmoreAcademy]

Only 2017 season

I've heard a lot of bitching about getting rid of the four pitch intentional walk, but I'm a big fan.

I know IBB have trended downward in recent years but it doesn't change the basic structure of the game and nothing's more annoying than spending a minute and a half watching an intentional walk.

I'm a big fan as well. The only remaining value was populating the blooper reels.
Although we really should take a moment to remember Kelly Leak reaching across the plate to hit an intentional walk pitch and nearly winning the title for the Bad News Bears.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

Cubs extend Strop for 2018 with a team option for 2019 at reasonable terms.

Excellent move.

[CTWarrior]

Only 2017 season

I've heard a lot of bitching about getting rid of the four pitch intentional walk, but I'm a big fan.

I know IBB have trended downward in recent years but it doesn't change the basic structure of the game and nothing's more annoying than spending a minute and a half watching an intentional walk.

So we save 60-90 seconds every three games or so.  I suppose its a good thing, but I would prefer they make real changes, like a 20 second pitch clock with no one on base, limit visits to the mound by ANYBODY (catcher or manager) to one per pitcher per inning, with the second meeting meaning the pitcher has to leave the game, instituting a rule that any pitcher entering a game mid-inning has to face at least two batters, batter has to stay in the batters box, no time outs by the batter, etc.  I love baseball, but MLB should insure we spend more time playing baseball and less time just dawdling.

I'd also like to do something to reduce strikeouts.  Baseball is at its best when the ball is put in play and fielders and base runners are on the move.  Not sure how to accomplish that, but I think the specialization and proliferation of relief pitchers is the primary cause, and expanding the roster to 26 is just going to make it worse.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

There was a White Sox game I went to once when Buehrle was pithing, and the game didnt even take two hours, and if it did, it was barely over 2.

[MerrittsMustache]

So we save 60-90 seconds every three games or so.  I suppose its a good thing, but I would prefer they make real changes, like a 20 second pitch clock with no one on base, limit visits to the mound by ANYBODY (catcher or manager) to one per pitcher per inning, with the second meeting meaning the pitcher has to leave the game, instituting a rule that any pitcher entering a game mid-inning has to face at least two batters, batter has to stay in the batters box, no time outs by the batter, etc.  I love baseball, but MLB should insure we spend more time playing baseball and less time just dawdling.

I'd also like to do something to reduce strikeouts.  Baseball is at its best when the ball is put in play and fielders and base runners are on the move.  Not sure how to accomplish that, but I think the specialization and proliferation of relief pitchers is the primary cause, and expanding the roster to 26 is just going to make it worse.

I'd like to see pitching changes just signaled from the dugout. There's no need for the manager to slowly walk out there to take the ball from the pitcher. Get the umps attention, motion to the pen and have the reliever come in. Again, it's not going to save a huge amount of time but it could average out to 4-5 minutes a game.

[chapman]

I'd like to see pitching changes just signaled from the dugout. There's no need for the manager to slowly walk out there to take the ball from the pitcher. Get the umps attention, motion to the pen and have the reliever come in. Again, it's not going to save a huge amount of time but it could average out to 4-5 minutes a game.

Catchers should also get their one brief time out in an inning for sign changes and that's it.  None of this pseudo timeout a couple times each inning as they walk halfway to the mound to give the ball back - come out in front of the plate and it's your timeout.  You get that, then the pitching coach comes in.  Then the manager.  Then the relief pitcher starts with two balls so it's halfway to the mound again.

[Lennys Tap]

There was a White Sox game I went to once when Buehrle was pithing, and the game didnt even take two hours, and if it did, it was barely over 2.

Routine for Buehrle

[RushmoreAcademy]

I don't see much in the way of roster decisions for the defending champs.  It could be a Szczur or LaStella call.
Maddon recently brought up having two fifth starters, meaning they would take turns in the fifth spot, sighting that neither of these two potential #5's has thrown many innings over a season.  I don't think it's a terrible idea, but you'd have to be really creative with how that other 5th guy was used and still available, so you weren't just going 10 straight days with one less arm.

[MerrittsMustache]

I don't see much in the way of roster decisions for the defending champs.  It could be a Szczur or LaStella call.
Maddon recently brought up having two fifth starters, meaning they would take turns in the fifth spot, sighting that neither of these two potential #5's has thrown many innings over a season.  I don't think it's a terrible idea, but you'd have to be really creative with how that other 5th guy was used and still available, so you weren't just going 10 straight days with one less arm.

I thought he meant that Montgomery and Anderson would each take stints as the fifth starter (i.e. 3-4 starts) while otherwise working out of the pen and he'd also add one of them in as a sixth starter occasionally to give everyone an extra day of rest.

Maddon likes the unorthodox so it should be interesting.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

I don't see much in the way of roster decisions for the defending champs.  It could be a Szczur or LaStella call.
Maddon recently brought up having two fifth starters, meaning they would take turns in the fifth spot, sighting that neither of these two potential #5's has thrown many innings over a season.  I don't think it's a terrible idea, but you'd have to be really creative with how that other 5th guy was used and still available, so you weren't just going 10 straight days with one less arm.

Agree with this, assuming everyone is healthy. They seem to like Caleb Smith, the lefty reliever the Brewers selected for them in the Rule V. If he doesn't make the team, I can see them working out a minor deal to keep him.

Important year in the system for some of their younger starters - that will bear watching. 

[muwarrior69]

Are they going with the automatic ( no pitches) walk this season?

[RushmoreAcademy]

Are they going with the automatic ( no pitches) walk this season?

Yes, it's official.

[Ellenson Guerrero]

Yes, it's official.

Seems like a silly change.  How much time per game is spent on intentional walks?  One minute?

[buckchuckler]

Sounds like David Price may need Tommy John...

[RushmoreAcademy]

Seems like a silly change.  How much time per game is spent on intentional walks?  One minute?

I'm personally glad it's gone, but I'm not sure how they are selling it.  It also has some implications with pitch counts, as these pitches were listed as part of the pitch count.  I'm sure coaches were smart enough to ignore this, but it appears on the stat count..... I don't know, just grasping as straws here.  I'm glad it's gone but I can't give a good reason as to why it really matters.

[RushmoreAcademy]

Sounds like David Price may need Tommy John...

Looks like he is avoiding surgery. 

[CTWarrior]

There was a White Sox game I went to once when Buehrle was pithing, and the game didnt even take two hours, and if it did, it was barely over 2.

I heard Jim Kaat talking about this once as one of the reasons why pitchers can't throw as many innings as the old days.  He said it was much harder to keep you best stuff three hours after your first pitch than two hours.

[WayOfTheWarrior]

I'm personally glad it's gone, but I'm not sure how they are selling it.  It also has some implications with pitch counts, as these pitches were listed as part of the pitch count.  I'm sure coaches were smart enough to ignore this, but it appears on the stat count..... I don't know, just grasping as straws here.  I'm glad it's gone but I can't give a good reason as to why it really matters.

I'm sort of a purist when it comes to these things, so I think the intentional walk should go untouched. I always like the ensuing boo-fest when it happens to the hometown slugger. It doesn't have to be a boring minute if you are at the game at least. Just think there are better ways to shave off time, and they are trying to address some of those things.

A couple of these changes include 30 sec time limits for mound visits and deciding whether to challenge a call are steps in the right direction. The thing I disliked most about the challenge process was waiting for the skipper to make a decision as his replay people looked over the play.

There is the measurable pace of play and then there is the perceived pace of play. In some cases you have events that cause a game to take a measurably longer time but don't really cause people to perceive the game is taking too long (ie, benches clearing brawl, long at bat in a critical moment in the game, etc.). Intentional walks are sort of the opposite in that they really don't take that long but they are perceived to take more of a toll on pace since nothing really happens 99% of the time.

Some things that are both measurably longer and perceived to take longer:
- multiple pitching changes within an inning
- replay challenge decisions on calls that are really no-brainers (both from the dugout and official review center)
- multiple mound visits to buy time for relievers to warm up in the bullpen
- pitchers that take a lot of time between deliveries and/or step off the rubber frequently

Some of these things can be sped along, but many cannot.  Baseball is just slower in nature than most sports.

[#UnleashSean]

I'd also like to do something to reduce strikeouts.  Baseball is at its best when the ball is put in play and fielders and base runners are on the move.  Not sure how to accomplish that, but I think the specialization and proliferation of relief pitchers is the primary cause, and expanding the roster to 26 is just going to make it worse.

I like everything you said but this.

[brandx]

Some things that are both measurably longer and perceived to take longer:
- multiple pitching changes within an inning

- multiple mound visits to buy time for relievers to warm up in the bullpen

Limit visits to the mound to 2 per inning.

Have pitching changes signaled from the dugout. No need for the manager to slowly trudge to the mound - sometimes several times per inning.