-Inning breaks reduced by 5 seconds for local games and 25 seconds for national games
- Mound visits cut to 5 from 6
- No more August trades. Players can be waived and claimed off waivers but can't be traded after passing through waivers
- Changes to All Star game voting
- Home Run Derby winner prize increased to 1 million
Further rules changes in 2020
- Pitchers must face a minimum of 3 batters or one-half inning. No more LOOGY
- Rosters increased by 1 and to 28 in September. No expanded 40 man rosters in September
- Players must be designated as either pitcher or batter on the roster and a cap on the number of pitchers on the roster. Once designated, cannot be switched
- Two way players can be designated for the roster provided player has accrued 20 innings as a pitcher and 20 ML games started as a dh or position player. No more Ohtani's
- Players not designated on the roster as pitchers cannot pitch except in extra innings or any game where the team is losing or winning by 6
- DL period back up to 15 days. Too much manipulation of the 10 day DL to rotate pitchers.
Does this mean if a player clears waivers, a team can then get the player for free?( doesn't have to give up a prospect or another player)
That an and the Ohtani rule are stupid. What happens if a new pitcher comes in and is injured while facing his first batter?
This is exactly right. The NFL has been changing rules to pander to new and fair weather fans while irritating the diehards.
A player can pitch AND hit well... let him!
Pitching changes suck, but only because they take too long. Just find a way to speed up the process. Cart them in, give them 30 seconds to prepare, then play ball. Something like that.
Baseball was fine as it is.
That rule is so outrageously stupid that I can see them reconsidering it
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I get the purpose but sometimes a pitcher won’t have it and will get shelled and it’s obvious right away. Three batters minimum could mean giving up multiple runs without being able to do anything.
That rule is so outrageously stupid that I can see them reconsidering it
Surprised that the players union agreed to it. The LOOGY market is going to take a hit.
Injury and illness are excepted.
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What happens if a new pitcher comes in and is injured while facing his first batter?
Injury and illness are excepted.
There's going to be a lot of Loogy tummyaches.
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What happens if a new pitcher comes in and is injured while facing his first batter?
Injury and illness are excepted.
You will start see this.
Link - ( New Window )
Agreed, I think it's unnecessary to do both.
1 million dollar prize in derby? Judge and Gallo now potentially interested...?
Designating pitcher/hitter I like alot. Last few years managers have thrown out position players instead of using their relievers in games out of hand. Enough of that. It isn't an anti-Ohtani because all you have to do is designate a player as a pitcher/hitter until they have accrued enough time as both.
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addresses a real problem but if overkill. Capping the number of pitchers on the roster (if the cap is low enough) will do this just fine.
Agreed, I think it's unnecessary to do both.
Agreed. I remember teams carrying only 10 pitchers for a long time. I find it absurd that there is such concern for "keeping players fresh" but teams are carrying only 3 bench players.
You yank him after 3 batters.
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I know pitching changes are irritating, but you're ruining the integrity of the game. What if a pitcher clearly has nothing?
That an and the Ohtani rule are stupid. What happens if a new pitcher comes in and is injured while facing his first batter?
C'mon...if injured, he'd come out like anyone else.
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I know pitching changes are irritating, but you're ruining the integrity of the game. What if a pitcher clearly has nothing?
You yank him after 3 batters.
Can always issue a few IBBs.
Really surprised they didn't go to 26 man roster and max 13 pitchers...or did I miss that.
Does this mean if a player clears waivers, a team can then get the player for free?( doesn't have to give up a prospect or another player)
The rule may be in response to managers like Gabe Kapler who would use a million pitchers in a game. Constant pitching changes slow the game down.
Yes, the rule simple limits non-pitchers being used as pitchers. It doesn't even limit a pitcher being used as a position player.
The rule may be in response to managers like Gabe Kapler who would use a million pitchers in a game. Constant pitching changes slow the game down.
I guess the argument is that a guy who doesn't have it will not get anyone out so it's 3 batters. But really, how often is a guy taken out after one or two batters because he just has nothing? I'd imagine the vast majority of situations a guy could stay in but the manager planned to yank him or has him on a very short leash for whatever reason and gets antsy. That doesn't mean the guy is out there just throwing batting practice and has no chance to get anyone out - that's very rare I'd think.
I'd also like to see changes made to extra innings - if after 12 innings you are still tied, so be it. Football and hockey sometimes end in ties - so what, especially over 162 games. Fans dont stick around to watch 16 innings, especially on weeknights, and it puts a lot of stress on players, especially reliever arms.
I think the 3 batter rule is good for the game and good for the health of relief pitchers. Guys like Kapler and even Joe Torre ruined so many promising young careers by having a guy throw 80 games a year....
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I get the purpose but sometimes a pitcher won’t have it and will get shelled and it’s obvious right away. Three batters minimum could mean giving up multiple runs without being able to do anything.
That rule is so outrageously stupid that I can see them reconsidering it
Glad I read the thread. This is, I agree, idiotic. And no, I am not that worried about some games being slowed down absent this new rule. How many? And under what circumstances? A total non-problem. Get rid of this new idea.
Really surprised they didn't go to 26 man roster and max 13 pitchers...or did I miss that.
They did go to 26 for 2020. It's in the OP but somewhat run together with the September change. "Rosters increased by 1 AND to 28 in September."
The number of pitchers will be capped but the exact number is yet to be decided. Previous discussion did suggest 13 until Sept 1, and then 14.
Amen. This is the biggest time suck of all, not managers playing pitching matchups late in games, not the intentional walks, and not a pitch clock on pitchers.
Nomar was brutal. Ortiz had to step out and fidget with his gloves for 5 minutes after every pitch. Lots of other culprits too.
Put a clock on hitters - every time they’re not ready to hit within 15 seconds of the previous pitch, they get fined $10k. Fine goes up to $20k after 20 offenses. $50k after 50 offenses.
Problem solved.
The popularity of the game is in decline, and they "logical" assumption is that rule changes will increase the popularity. They are drawing on the NFL experience in fashioning a made-for-TV product. They want the TV money
Problem is these changes are incremental, and it will probably take alot before any measurable progress is made, and if they are succesful the other sports will simply change their games, because they don't care about integrity. So they will ruin their game with very little chance of success.
They have to contiune to maintain the intrerity of the game and the fan experience. Going to a baseball game is much more fun than going to a football game. When I'm at a football game I'm far removed from the game and very aware of what I'm missing on TV
And since its about money, they should do the obvious: get rid of the umpires. They are no longer needed and will cut league costs by far more than they will gain with these useless rule changes