MLB experimenting with huge new rule changes

E

Enscheff

Well-known member
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2019...e-changes-in-independent-atlantic-league.html

These are the most dramatic rule changes I've ever seen seriously tested in my lifetime, specifically:

- Umpires using Trackman to help call balls and strikes
- 2 infielders on each side of 2nd base
- Mound moved back 2'

While I like the introduction of robo-ump, I think the restriction on defensive alignment is pointless.

Moving the mound back 2' seems crazy to me, and it will be fascinating to see what effects this has on batters and pitchers.

A baseball takes ~400 ms to reach home plate. It physically takes ~200 ms for the electrical impulses between a human eye, brain and muscles to fire. A swing takes ~100ms to happen. That leaves ~100 ms for the batter to make a decision.

Moving the mound back 2' will allow something like ~15 ms for the hitter to decide to swing, and/or allow guys with slower swings to catch up to fastballs.

This one change could turn hundreds of non-prospects into prospects, so it would be in teams' best interests to find a way to identify guys that would benefit from this potential rule change.
 
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i think getting rid of the shift is dumb and shouldn't happen. but i'm not opposed to baseball trying this stuff out in lower leagues. why not?
 
The mound rule is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. So a 95 mph fastball will be like a 91 mph fastball. A soft tosser will be a thing of the past and it’ll put more stress on a pitchers arm. Beyond stupid.
 
Moving the mound back two feet would be insane. The game would probably end up looking entirely different than it does today. I wonder how much run production would go up under such circumstances? A full run per game on average?

I also wonder if it would have any effect on the health of pitchers. I don't know how much extra stress that may put on their arm over the course of a full season or career.
 
The issue with baseball is the time lag between interesting events. In football the lag is acceptable because enough happens during each play that talented analysts can point out something interesting that happened somewhere on the previous play.

If a pitcher throws a ball, then waits 30 seconds to throw another, there’s nothing to look at during the lag in action.

Any change that doesn’t address the pace of play is pointless.
 
Enscheff said:
The issue with baseball is the time lag between interesting events. In football the lag is acceptable because enough happens during each play that talented analysts can point out something interesting that happened somewhere on the previous play.

If a pitcher throws a ball, then waits 30 seconds to throw another, there’s nothing to look at during the lag in action.

Any change that doesn’t address the pace of play is pointless.
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I'm surprised they aren't experimenting with number of pickoff throws between pitches. If the limit was set at 3, I think you'd see mostly just one try. We would have more stolen base attempts, which is one of the more exciting parts of the game.
 
Enscheff said:
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2019...e-changes-in-independent-atlantic-league.html

These are the most dramatic rule changes I've ever seen seriously tested in my lifetime, specifically:

- Umpires using Trackman to help call balls and strikes
- 2 infielders on each side of 2nd base
- Mound moved back 2'

While I like the introduction of robo-ump, I think the restriction on defensive alignment is pointless.

Moving the mound back 2' seems crazy to me, and it will be fascinating to see what effects this has on batters and pitchers.

A baseball takes ~400 ms to reach home plate. It physically takes ~200 ms for the electrical impulses between a human eye, brain and muscles to fire. A swing takes ~100ms to happen. That leaves ~100 ms for the batter to make a decision.

Moving the mound back 2' will allow something like ~15 ms for the hitter to decide to swing, and/or allow guys with slower swings to catch up to fastballs.

This one change could turn hundreds of non-prospects into prospects, so it would be in teams' best interests to find a way to identify guys that would benefit from this potential rule change.
Click to expand...

Allard's value through the roof!
 
They should have a trampoline instead of a pitching mound. All the bats should be "Albert Belle memorial specials" that explode releasing 10's of little balls flying through the air when a hitter connects. Catchers should have to do the splits when they catch a pop up and 3B should be required to come out of the crowd with a hot dog in their mouth when they catch a foul in the crowd down the 3rd base line. Every team should have a DH each game, but the DH must be a midget. It should be mandatory that each manager has to throw a Lou Pinella fit at a random point in the game TBD by a an algorithm that uses concession and souvenir purchases. If the freeze loses, a live gorilla gets released into the visitors bullpen. In Washington, the 7th inning race should be between want to be presidents instead of historical ones.
 
nsacpi said:
I'm surprised they aren't experimenting with number of pickoff throws between pitches. If the limit was set at 3, I think you'd see mostly just one try. We would have more stolen base attempts, which is one of the more exciting parts of the game.
Click to expand...

That.... might actually be a good idea. I've never thought of something like that.
 
All for a real ball's and strikes system instead of the current system where umps can change their call because they got sand in their vagina. That kind of **** should be an instant ban for life from baseball.
 
cajunrevenge said:
All for a real ball's and strikes system instead of the current system where umps can change their call because they got sand in their vagina. That kind of **** should be an instant ban for life from baseball.
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RIP Eric Gregg, but if we had this system, well you know the rest of the story. Your plate was six foot wide for the Fish while ours was 4 inches.

It was a travesty, absolute travesty. I think one strikeout call, the pitch was a good 18 inches outside and low.
 
BeanieAntics said:
Moving the mound back two feet would be insane. The game would probably end up looking entirely different than it does today. I wonder how much run production would go up under such circumstances? A full run per game on average?

I also wonder if it would have any effect on the health of pitchers. I don't know how much extra stress that may put on their arm over the course of a full season or career.
Click to expand...

For this to work (and even if applicable it's a bad idea), the mound would have to be moved starting with high school baseball. The pool of pitching prospects would likely be thinned out with the change.

They lowered the mound in 1969 when hitters needed a boost. I somehow don't think hitters need any more boosting, so just leave things where they are.

I don't know about re-introducing something like Questec to help with balls and strikes. I think if umpires ever called the high strike, it would be a big plus to pitchers, but the high strike is rarely called with any consistency. I don't mind (and Tom Glavine probably doesn't mind either) giving the umps a little leeway as long as things stay within reasonable boundaries, but performances like Eric Gregg's are clearly an argument for machine-called balls and strikes. It's too bad it has to come to this.

Like others have said, limit the number of pick-off attempts. Stolen base attempts are exciting.
 
I don't like to talk about dead men and he EG rest in piece, but I think he had money on the game, Pete Rose style.

Sorry, I don't know that is underhanded, we had absolutely no chance that game, getting squeezed like an orange while the other team was jack fruit or a watermelon in comparison.

Yes.....I am still pissed about that game. I can't get it out of my head.
 
nsacpi said:
I'm surprised they aren't experimenting with number of pickoff throws between pitches. If the limit was set at 3, I think you'd see mostly just one try. We would have more stolen base attempts, which is one of the more exciting parts of the game.
Click to expand...

Add to that the 3" bigger bags at all bases would help to increase SB attempts.
 
I think the biggest issue is not pace of play but lack of balls in play. Too many walks and ks.

I hate the mound change. I’d rather lower it than move it back.

I don’t like the shift rules. If I had to I’d say you have to start on the dirt.

Bags bigger I guess is for safety? I’d be up for making first bigger to make it safer around that bag.

I’d be up for expanding rosters but only 25 active per day.

I want something to keep Kapler from changing pitchers every batter. That is boring.

I’d like to see less time between innings and use more in game advertising like soccer.
 
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