The Pace Of The Game Thread (This Thread Used To Have A Long soxhop Title)

soxhop411

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soxhop411

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So who will be the sponsor for the Red Sox bullpen cart? Can’t be a beer company because drinking and driving.
 

vadertime

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I remember way back when Lou Gorman was GM and they did 'Sox talk' after Sunday games. One of the callers asked about bringing them back way back then, and he said they once had a pitcher step off one of them and injure his ankle and was out for an extended period. He was against it for that reason.
 

tims4wins

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It's laughable they think this will help. Pace of play. Time between pitches. Not saving 15 seconds for a pitching change. This will save max like 2 minutes a game. It doesn't matter. No one cares. It's not the length of game everyone is complaining about. PACE. OF. FUCKING. PLAY.
 

Marbleheader

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If they eliminated the managers sauntering their fat asses to the mound, that would make more of a difference. Make the pitching change from the dugout. Also, eliminate mound visits from pitching coaches, which every pitcher says are completely useless. Limit catcher visits to 2 per game.
 

Marceline

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Why not eliminate warm up pitches from the mound? They should be warming up in the bullpen. When they are ready, bring them in.
 

Jim Ed Rice in HOF

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Why not eliminate warm up pitches from the mound? They should be warming up in the bullpen. When they are ready, bring them in.
Different mound, maybe need to landscape it a bit around the rubber or the landing zone so I can see the reason for those pitches. T4W above has the real culprit and MLB really hasn't done anything about it.
 

3_games_down

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It's a great idea of course, but it also reduces the TV timeout so one less commercial so it ain't happening.
Shouldn't basic supply and demand principals apply? If you reduce the number of 15 and 30 second spots that are available to advertisers, those that remain should increase in value. Speeding up the game will draw more viewers, which would conceivably multiple the value of the limited advertising inventory.
 

McDrew

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So who will be the sponsor for the Red Sox bullpen cart? Can’t be a beer company because drinking and driving.
Yeah, but the player isn't driving and they could make it a whole "designated driver" thing. If you think about it, the cart is going to be coming out a lot in the later innings, when some people are getting pretty intoxicated. Having a "Now pitching, So and So, being driven by a designated driver. Sam Adams and the Red Sox thank all the designated drivers in attendance this evening for ensuring that their companions get home safely."
 

brs3

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edit: I changed my mind about this, but I support bringing back fun things like a decorative golf cart!
 
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Harry Hooper

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Shouldn't basic supply and demand principals apply? If you reduce the number of 15 and 30 second spots that are available to advertisers, those that remain should increase in value. Speeding up the game will draw more viewers, which would conceivably multiple the value of the limited advertising inventory.
Augusta National has garnered plenty of money from the network despite putting the Masters broadcast under very tight restrictions.








I last saw this cart on display at Twins Enterprises. Is it still there?
 

DennyDoyle'sBoil

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Where did they used to keep the bullpen cart at Fenway? I have this very vivid memory of a ball coming our way and my dad reaching across me to try to grab it, but it tipped off his fingers and pelted the top of the bullpen cart with a loud bang. I'm thinking it must have been the alley that divided the bleachers in right field (which did not used to have a pass through) but that would have made the ball a home run and I don't remember it that way.
 

joe dokes

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It's laughable they think this will help. Pace of play. Time between pitches. Not saving 15 seconds for a pitching change. This will save max like 2 minutes a game. It doesn't matter. No one cares. It's not the length of game everyone is complaining about. PACE. OF. FUCKING. PLAY.
So replace the bullpen car with something faster.
 

Lose Remerswaal

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Where did they used to keep the bullpen cart at Fenway? I have this very vivid memory of a ball coming our way and my dad reaching across me to try to grab it, but it tipped off his fingers and pelted the top of the bullpen cart with a loud bang. I'm thinking it must have been the alley that divided the bleachers in right field (which did not used to have a pass through) but that would have made the ball a home run and I don't remember it that way.
It was kept in Canvas Alley, which used to be wider than it is now. Where the Grounds Crew sits.
 

santadevil

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The mound is different?
Yes...because typically there have been other people throwing off of the game mound, so there is sometimes a bit of work needed by a new pitcher to groom the mound to their liking so they don't land in a hole and kill the first batter they face
 

TheYaz67

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So, the original post brings up another question - considering they are talking about bring back the bullpen carts. Did MLB officially change some rule or guideline back in the day when they were phased out that currently prohibits them, or could any team this next year unilaterally decide to use one again - does anyone know that?
 
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DeadlySplitter

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what is happening is mound visit limits.


Significant @MLB rule change for 2018: "Mound visits without a pitching change shall be limited to six per team, per nine innings. For any extra-innings played, each Club shall be entitled to one additional non-pitching change mound visit per inning."
 

gryoung

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what is happening is mound visit limits.


Significant @MLB rule change for 2018: "Mound visits without a pitching change shall be limited to six per team, per nine innings. For any extra-innings played, each Club shall be entitled to one additional non-pitching change mound visit per inning."

Sounds like not enough to make a difference - what was the major league average the past few seasons?
 

TheYaz67

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Hmmm - first tweet above suggests reduction in "the time required for inning breaks" - that is usually a pretty "standard" 90 seconds to 2 minutes (the TV commercial break between half innings) and is driven by advertising revenues/considerations - would be helpful if that changed, but seems difficult to get everyone's buy in for such a change....
 

joe dokes

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what is happening is mound visit limits.


Significant @MLB rule change for 2018: "Mound visits without a pitching change shall be limited to six per team, per nine innings. For any extra-innings played, each Club shall be entitled to one additional non-pitching change mound visit per inning."

Given the reference to pitching changes, I assume a "mound visit" is only when someone comes from the dugout?
 

swiftaw

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Given the reference to pitching changes, I assume a "mound visit" is only when someone comes from the dugout?
I'm not sure. If its just visits from the dugout without a pitching change then 6 seems high - I can't imagine there were that many games last season with more than 6 visits from dugout without a pitching change.
 

jungleboy

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It's also catcher visits and visits from other players. Per the announcement on MLB.com:

2. Definition of Mound Visit. A manager or coach trip to the mound to meet with the pitcher shall constitute a visit. A player leaving his position to confer with the pitcher, including a pitcher leaving the mound to confer with another player, shall also constitute a mound visit, regardless of where the visit occurs or the length of the visit, except that the following shall not constitute mound visits:

A. Discussions between pitchers and position player(s) that (i) occur between batters in the normal course of play and do not require either the position player(s) or the pitcher to relocate;
B. Visits by position players to the mound to clean spikes in rainy conditions;
C. Visits to the mound due to an injury or potential injury of the pitcher; and
D. Visits to the mound after the announcement of an offensive substitution.
 

joe dokes

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The rule soxhop posted includes catcher visits and most infielder visits. Thats a pretty big deal.

EDIT: as noted just above.
 

OfTheCarmen

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I'm confused by the whole "no pitch clock in 2018".

Isnt there already a rule on the books about 12 seconds between pitches (if no swing and no runners on) and batters not stepping out of the box that just hasnt been enforced since being added? Or did those get removed as part of this as well?
 

Max Power

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What’s the punishment for going above 6 visits? I haven’t seen that anywhere.
Disciplinary action from the league if there's continued breaking of the rule. Should Gary Sanchez start the season with a warning already in place, or should they wait until the end of opening day to issue one?