Thoughts on MLB's Pitch Clock

Photo by si.com

We're two months into the 2023 Major League Baseball Season and the "new" rules seem to be helping the game that used to be America's pastime.

MLB claims games are roughly a half hour shorter than they were last year. I did a quick check yesterday and of the 16 games played, four were over three hours, three more were within five minutes of three hours and the other nine were less than 2:55 in length.

As a fan I am happy the games are shorter.  No one liked watching pitchers step off of the rubber and batters step out of the box on what seemed like almost every pitch. The 15/20 second pitch clock has made a big difference but there are still some issues needing to be addressed.

Many MLB umpires, for whatever reason, are unwilling to call the strike zone as it is written.  Many pitches near the bottom of the zone are being called balls resulting in hitters taking what should legitimately be called strikes.  This results in more pitches and batters waiting out pitchers for walks.  Walks slow down the game and add to the time needed to play the game not to mention the lack of action on the field.  MLB needs to address this immediately and force the umpires to call the strike zone correctly.  This issue can be resolved with technology that's currently being tested in the minor leagues.  The robot umpire doesn't miss any pitches in the strike zone.

Both hitters and pitchers are lobbying to increase the length of the time clock. Currently hitters are allowed to call one time out per at bat as are pitchers.  But, both sides are wanting the play clock to be longer.  I have heard some inane arguments from both sides saying the games are too fast and fans don't have a chance to go to the concession stand without missing a chunk of the game.  I call baloney.  MLB must keep the existing play clock times in effect.  If anything they can probably be shortened a few seconds with runners on base.

Time will tell if the players end up getting their way or the fans can expect reasonably played games at a relatively snappy pace.  If the games go back to their old length of over three hours and 15 minutes fans will stay away in droves and both attendance and TV ratings will continue to fall.

Happy Memorial Day 2023!

Thank you to those who have paid the ultimate price to keep the United States of America free. I also want to say thank you to the brave men and women of our armed forces who put their lives on the line each and every day to keep the rest of us safe.

Happy Memorial Day! May God bless the United States of America!

Happy Easter!

He is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Happy Easter to all of my family and friends!

So Far, So Good

Major League Baseball is five days from opening day and spring training is all but a memory.  The rules implemented by MLB over the winter to speed up games appear to be working...so far.  Pitchers and hitters are on the clock and the overall time of games is reported by MLB to be down 25 minutes per game.

If you read this blog regularly you know I've lobbied for faster games for years.  Up through last  year the games had become snooze fests with batters stepping out, pitchers stepping off and fans taking a nap between pitches.

Now that spring training games are almost behind us let's hope major league umpires enforce the rules once the real season begins on March 30th.

Thoughts on Super Bowl 57 (LVII)

This image belongs to the NFL

Hail to the Chiefs!  The Kansas City Chiefs are the 2022 world champions of NFL football.  (I don't know why the media keeps saying world champions, because there are only 32 American professional football teams in the world and they're all in the United States).

-I thought the Chiefs were in trouble when QB Patrick Mahomes trotted off the field just before half wincing in pain.  The Chiefs were down 24 - 14 to talented Philadelphia Eagle quarterback Jalen Hurts. The KC defense had failed to stop Hurts on numerous occasions to that point.  But, one thing I know about Mahomes and the Chiefs is never give up on them.  They are talented, fast and deep.  And they came back to score on every possession in the second half. The Eagles defense was feckless as Mahomes went on to claim the game's MVP trophy and lead his team to a 38-35 win.

-We didn't go out to a party this year and I fell asleep watching the game shortly after the opening kickoff.  But, I did see all of the highlights after the game on ESPN.  I kept my record for the year in tact by not watching one NFL game from start to finish.  I could go on a long rant why I don't watch professional games, but leave it to say I could care less about a league of billionaire owners and felon players that on two occasions moved the teams I had cheered for to two other cities.

-I think Andy Reid, the Chiefs head coach, is without a doubt the best coach in the game today.  He has been to Super Bowls in three of the last four years and won two of them.  He will be in the Hall of Fame five years after he calls it quits.

-I understand the need for diversity and inclusion but the NFL seems to have gone overboard.  What' s up with needing an all female fighter squadron to fly over the stadium after the national anthem?  The Air Force doesn't practice discrimination so why does the NFL?

-Speaking of the national anthem, why can't the selected artist just sing it by the book like Whitney Houston did at the start of Operation Desert Storm in 1991?  The country music artist that sang it last night, Christ Stapleton did nothing to distinguish himself from the rest of the morons who have butchered it over the years.

-We ate dinner at halftime of the game because Fox told us it would be about a half hour long.  I left the TV on at the start of halftime when this Rhianna woman came out to "sing", but turned it off pretty fast.  Is that all the better the vaunted National Football League can do?  As many on social media put it..."worst halftime show ever!"  And that's a shame because the game was in my top three Super Bowls of all time.  And I've seen every game on TV since the first one in 1967.

-Someone smarter than me may have already pointed this out, but the "City of Brotherly Love", has now managed to lose two of the biggest sporting events in the country in just over three months time.  First the Philadelphia Phillies got beat by the Houston Astros in the 2022 World Series and now the Philadelphia Eagles lost to the Chiefs.  Maybe Philadelphia should rename itself the "City of  Runners Up".

-I thought Fox TV was adequate in its presentation of the game but there is nothing about last night's telecast that really stands out in comparison to previous years.  The announcers were OK and the technology was good, but nothing innovative.

-One thing I did find annoying was youtube.tv told me the game was available in 4K.  (It's something every TV network should be doing, since millions of smart TVs have that capability).  But, no.  Youtube.tv wanted me to shell out another ten bucks if I wanted to see the game in 4K.  Sure, I would love to see it in that definition but not for another ten dollars a month.

-Why, when there is no competition from other sports leagues does the NFL persist in playing its championship game on a Sunday night?  Numerous people over the years have asked why the game isn't played on a Saturday night.  That way thousands would have a chance to rest and relax on Sunday (ie, nurse their hangovers). I realize the league plays its regular season games on Sundays, but it schedules playoff games on Saturdays almost every week in January.  Why not its ultimate game of the year?

-Finally, if last night's Super Bowl was the ultimate football game, then why will the NFL play another ultimate game one year from now in Las Vegas?  That should be interesting as the circus comes to Sin City. And another "ultimate" championship game is scheduled for two years from now in New Orleans.  More freaks in The Big Easy.