MLB Off-Topic

[reyes the roof]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

I'm watching some full games from 1990 someone put up on YouTube. I have two games up now, one is 2:26 and the other is 2:22. Just beautiful.

Yeah I was watching game 7 of the 86 World Series not long ago and it was mind blowing how much quicker the pace of the game was

[Jolly Roger]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

And, yeah, I forgot that the commercials between innings were cut out of the video.



Still quick by today's standards though. I love watching games on MLB TV the next day so I can skip right to the next inning. That's the good thing about going to games in person, the mid-innings seem to fly by.

[Majingir]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Regardless, the average game time nowadays is over 3 hours per game. This past season reached the record with them being 3hrs and 10 mins per 9 innings.

The mid 80s is when we started seeing the first spike in game times going up (from 1953 to 1985 the average was between 2hrs and 23 mins to 2hrs and 36 mins).

Since 1986 there hasn't been a season where the average was lower than 2hrs and 44 mins.

So how do you go from over 30 consecutive years of times being around 2.5hrs to instantly every season being over 2.75hrs and now over 3?

[Blzer]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Regardless, the average game time nowadays is over 3 hours per game. This past season reached the record with them being 3hrs and 10 mins per 9 innings.

The mid 80s is when we started seeing the first spike in game times going up (from 1953 to 1985 the average was between 2hrs and 23 mins to 2hrs and 36 mins).

Since 1986 there hasn't been a season where the average was lower than 2hrs and 44 mins.

So how do you go from over 30 consecutive years of times being around 2.5hrs to instantly every season being over 2.75hrs and now over 3?

I'll tell you what didn't do it:

Intentional walks

[TripleCrown9]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Derek Jeter is stepping down as CEO of the Marlins, effective immediately.

[bhurst99]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Regardless, the average game time nowadays is over 3 hours per game. This past season reached the record with them being 3hrs and 10 mins per 9 innings.

The mid 80s is when we started seeing the first spike in game times going up (from 1953 to 1985 the average was between 2hrs and 23 mins to 2hrs and 36 mins).

Since 1986 there hasn't been a season where the average was lower than 2hrs and 44 mins.

So how do you go from over 30 consecutive years of times being around 2.5hrs to instantly every season being over 2.75hrs and now over 3?

I'm guessing pitching changes

In 1980, games were an average of 2:38 hours long. Each team used an average of 2.56 pitchers per game or both teams used an average of just over 5 pitchers per game

Last year, games were an average of 3:11 hours long. Each team used an average of 4.44 pitchers per game or both teams used close to an average of 9 pitchers per game. It's continued to soar even with the three-batter rule.

That's a huge difference. All those slow trips to the mound to remove the pitcher (and sometimes just to buy time for the reliever to get ready), the pitcher coming in from the bullpen, then warming up on the mound. I'm guessing four more pitchers means more than another 20 minutes. (I realize there are often times when the relief pitcher starts the inning on the mound rather than a call to the bullpen midway through an inning.)

You add that to the fact batters are seeing/taking more pitches than ever and that explains the time increase.

No idea how you cut it back because the number of pitching changes isn't likely to go down.

[dubcity]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

You add that to the fact batters are seeing/taking more pitches than ever and that explains the time increase.

That's the main thing I look at. From the early 2000s onward in particular the number of pitches per plate appearance has gone up steadily. So, guys are taking more pitches, and yet the average OBP is way down.

[Majingir]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

I'm guessing pitching changes



In 1980, games were an average of 2:38 hours long. Each team used an average of 2.56 pitchers per game or both teams used an average of just over 5 pitchers per game



Last year, games were an average of 3:11 hours long. Each team used an average of 4.44 pitchers per game or both teams used close to an average of 9 pitchers per game. It's continued to soar even with the three-batter rule.



That's a huge difference. All those slow trips to the mound to remove the pitcher (and sometimes just to buy time for the reliever to get ready), the pitcher coming in from the bullpen, then warming up on the mound. I'm guessing four more pitchers means more than another 20 minutes. (I realize there are often times when the relief pitcher starts the inning on the mound rather than a call to the bullpen midway through an inning.)



You add that to the fact batters are seeing/taking more pitches than ever and that explains the time increase.



No idea how you cut it back because the number of pitching changes isn't likely to go down.

Mound visits needs to be reduced too. Use mound visits like timeouts. A team is allowed 1 per game.

Unless it's a timeout, any other mound visit must be for the pitcher coming out.

Batters take more pitches, but them stepping out of the batters box and pitchers taking forever to throw also adds up here.

[Blzer]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Replays hurt a bit as well, even if it's deciding whether to use a replay or not.

I do think time in between batters should be reduced (not by rule, just by nature). I'm fine with the time that pitchers take in between pitches, but yeah batters should really stay in the box unless receiving a sign or after a foul ball.

[zello144]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Derek Jeter is stepping down as CEO of the Marlins, effective immediately.

If I were one of the three Marlins fans in existence I'd be furious at what Jeter did. He traded away all their stars and that team has been terrible aside from 2020 when they made the playoffs. Didn't MLB also try to force them to sell to him and his group just because he's Jeter and a former player instead of other better qualified owners?

[kehlis]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

If I were one of the three Marlins fans in existence I'd be furious at what Jeter did. He traded away their stars and that team has been terrible. Didn't MLB also try to force them to sell to him and his group just because he's Jeter instead of other better qualified owners?

I think you missed the reason why he stepped away.

[jasontoddwhitt]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

In other non-lockout news, Trevor Bauer has filed a defamation lawsuit against Deadspin.

https://www.zuckerman.com/sites/default/files/2022-03/2022-03-03_Dkt.01_Complaint.pdf

[TheMatrix31]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

In other non-lockout news, Trevor Bauer has filed a defamation lawsuit against Deadspin.

https://www.zuckerman.com/sites/defa..._Complaint.pdf

Good. Deadspin needs to be rocked.

[Jolly Roger]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Eh, eff Trevor Bauer though. I hope nobody signs him, he needs to work on being a decent human being first.

[The Kid 24]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Eh, eff Trevor Bauer though. I hope nobody signs him, he needs to work on being a decent human being first.

I believe he's still under contract with the Dodgers... Im not aware they released him, I could be wrong.