Teams get six mound visits per game.
There are mound visit exemptions
There are, of course, exemptions to the mound visit rule. The following does not count against each team's mount visit total:
A pitcher-catcher conference between batters.
An infielder goes to the mound to clean his spikes during rainy conditions.
Any visit involving a potential injury.
Any visit after a pinch-hitter is announced.
Also, if a team has exhausted their six mound visits, the umpire has the discretion to allow the catcher to visit the pitcher following a cross-up. The MLBPA had concerns about potential injuries resulting from the battery getting their signs mixed up.
Commercial breaks will be shorter.
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I just wish they didnt have "C" which will put a lot of pressure on umpires to allow the extra visit(s). And if they dont, i'm sure the pitchers response will be to just stand there for 45 seconds refusing to pitch. And what you get is a clusterfuck.
At the very least, an 'extra' visit should result in an automatic 'ball' being credited to the at-bat - take the subjectivity out of it.
I also think you should only get to check a runner 3x. If you cant pick him off in 3X, you can't throw over anymore... runner knows it so you you'll probably have to pitch out or give him an easy steal. Oh well.
This could actually increase the number of mound visits per game than what we are accustomed to.
Baseball isn’t soccer: there are breaks in the action every half inning. Eliminating commercials means watching guys walk off and on the field and then watching them play catch.
This could actually increase the number of mound visits per game than what we are accustomed to.
Not sure what your logic is there. They didn’t eliminate any existing restrictions on mound visits, they just added more.
Other changes would have been nice, but their hands are tied by what the players union will approve.
In short, the union is just a pain in the ass that wont work to create common sense solutions for a game that has spiraled into a 5-hour 9 inning snoozefest come playoff time.
Regular season isnt so bad - at least on fri-sunday anyway. I'm fine to 'relax' on a sunday afternoon for 3 hours... though Tuesday night games where people have to go to work the next day would benefit from faster pace too.
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Limit mound visits to 6 per game without counting all the reasons that people visit the mound.
This could actually increase the number of mound visits per game than what we are accustomed to.
Not sure what your logic is there. They didn’t eliminate any existing restrictions on mound visits, they just added more.
Other changes would have been nice, but their hands are tied by what the players union will approve.
Read the OP again and the things that won’t count against the 6 visit minimum. That’s what most of the visits are anyway. Coaches don’t come out close to 6 times a game for reasons other than a pitching change. Infielders don’t visit that much. They exempted most of issue spots.
So, logically, if you continue to allow most of the pitcher visits that already exist but also place a “minimum” number of visits that is likely more than a coach already uses...yeah, it could very likely make the game longer.
Unless it's raining I guess - don't know how often players clean spikes.
Still obviously batters staying in box, all the pitching changes in 7th/8th inning, and the never ending pick off throws that have no chance of succeeding are bigger issues.
I do think this will cut down a playoff game by 10 minutes which is a start. This assumes when umps don't allow extra visits that pissed off pitchers don't purposely stall in retaliation.
2: Pitchers taking ridiculous amounts of time to offer with no baserunners on
Regular season games: 2:05 (previously 2:25)
Nationally televised games: 2:25 (previously (2:45)
Postseason games: 2:55