MLB The Show 16 News Post

MLB, Just Like The Show, Concerned About Time It Takes to Finish A Game

04:31 PM - May 17, 2016 by RaychelSnr

Last year, the creators of MLB The Show went all in on making sure you could finish a game of The Show in a reasonable amount of time. The results since then have been a streamlined experience with the ability to play through games at a pretty fast pace.

The folks at Major League Baseball are similarly concerned with the pace of play, as games this year are taking about four minutes longer on average than they were last year.

Quote:


	"Baseball games are getting longer this season, though. According to ESPN, the length of average MLB game in 2016 has stretched three hours and 26 seconds. That doesn't sound like a huge increase, but when you add four minutes to 2,430 games a year in the regular season, *it adds up to an additional 6.83 days* worth of baseball**. If you watch all 162 games of a given team, a four-minute increase per game adds up to 10.8 hours over the course of a season."

The pace of play in baseball is something which is always an interesting debate. Pitch clocks have been instituted in the minor leagues with great results at shortening the game.

Another change the MLB may look at include limiting the amount of mound visits which can be made during the course of a game.

The latter two proposals both could have big impacts on how you play The Show in the future. What do you think? Does baseball need to change the rules to speed up to the pace of play?

Game: MLB The Show 16Reader Score: 8/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS3 / PS4Votes for game: 23 - View All

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Member Comments

# 41 Knight165 @ 05/20/16 06:26 PM

I want to see everything at all times in real time.

That's why God created the X button.

M.K.
Knight165

# 42 Smallville102001 @ 05/21/16 01:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TarHeelPhenom


	The issue for me in all 3 major sports are the tv timeouts. I understand that advertising helps to pay the bills...but i hate being at a college football game and the action having to be stopped due to tv timeouts...you add to that how long it takes for replays and such...and a game that used to last 2 hours is now a 3+ hour game. As for baseball, growing up baseball was my favorite sport. I couldnt get enough of it and it didnt matter how long it took. But now, at age 40, maybe my attention span is not as long anymore; but it just seems like games are way longer than it used to be. Playing The Show on broadcast w/o QC's and the game lasts 2 hours...and this is a video game!! I would love to play this game to its fulness...but with limited time as a family man and having a fulltime job, in order for me to maximize my playing time, i have to use QC's and skip some cutscenes. I appreciate Sony for considering that.

Yeah like I said its about TV and or time out breaks. A average NBA game is like 2 hours and 30 minutes and like a hour and 50 with out breaks. So that is an extra 40 minutes because of time outs and TV breaks. NHL is about the same only they have 2 like half time breaks with doing period breaks. So if you take that extra break the game would be shorter. NFL is about 3 hours and about 2 hours and 20 with out breaks. I always thought it was silly that in NFL they will come back from a break and do a kickoff something that takes like 5 seconds and then go to another break. Its like really? You cant just keep going in till the next punt happens or TD or turnover? That is about a extra 40 minutes. MLB is about 3 hours and about 2 hours and 30 with out breaks so like a extra 30 minutes because of breaks. I don't buy that the pitch clock really saves 16 minutes a game no way. Like I said most of the time pitchers don't take that long to make a pitch. I don't see less mound visits really making the game that much faster either. Its not like you see mound visits ever inning. For the most part you only see them when they are buying time for a pitcher to warm up or the pitcher is having a ruff inning. Even if they do save a minute or so they are not going to save as much time as you would save not having TV breaks.

When you have guys come in and pitch to one batter and then have a new pitcher come in that is a extra break. I also think just like how in NFL they go to break after a kick off in MLB I think they don't really need to go to break in between innings when a team goes back into the field after hitting. I think once a team is done batting they could just go into the field and things could start back up after like 1 minute in stead of like a 3 minute TV break. Also this is just how things on TV work. If you watch a TV show that is a hour long with out the TV breaks it is like 42 minutes. If you watch a 30 minute TV show it is like 21 with out the breaks. There are just to many breaks on TV. Last a average collage football game is like 3 and a half hours longer then NFL, MLB, NBA or NHL and I don't think I see people complaining about that as much as I do with the baseball thing.

# 43 dannibalcorpse @ 05/21/16 11:59 AM

The one thing that surprises me as never being brought up with pace of game stories in MLB, is relievers getting 8 warmup pitches once they're out on the field. The guy's just spent time in the bullpen, and theoretically the manager wouldn't be bringing him if he wasn't ready, so why does he get more time?

So let's say an average game features 3 relievers on each team, let's say it takes each of them about 2 minutes to throw the warmups, and you've knocked 12 minutes off the average game. You can even still have it in place that if it's an obvious injury situation, the guy coming in still gets to throw a few warmup pitches, but when Jeurys Familia has spent the entire bottom of the 8th warming up, does he really need those extra 8 pitches when he goes out there top 9?

# 44 parsons45243 @ 05/23/16 01:20 AM

Enforce the pitch clock, shorten the time between innings, you can visit the pitchers mound just twice per game, batter stays in the box or the pitcher can throw the next pitch, pitcher stays on the mound and can only step off if a runners on, eliminate every unwritten rule especially quick pitching, and make it 3 balls for a walk. 3 and you're out, 3 and you walk.

# 45 RLB @ 05/23/16 08:03 AM

I would leave the game be as it is, it is a great game. I have yet to see armed guards making anyone have to sit thru an entire game, those that need to leave have clearly marked exit signs to use. Everyone else has an off button on their remote control.

# 46 Culture Rot @ 05/23/16 10:45 AM

Two words

Corporate Interests

# 47 RhodeIslandRebel @ 05/25/16 09:38 AM

One of the great things about baseball is that it does not have a time limit. It is a game to be enjoyed not placed under rules designed to quicken the game. Personally I think it is the broadcast companies that want the game to end quicker so they can put on another show and increase revenue. By trying to rush the game you are changing the game and destroying the ageless beauty of the game. If we continue in the direction we are going baseball will need to change its name to "Speed Ball".

# 48 Bunselpower32 @ 05/28/16 08:47 AM

Love all of the awesome baseball comments here! I'm fine with them making the pitchers hurry up, someone like Edwin Jackson was unbearable to watch. The ump is well within his right to do that without the new rules.

But what gets me is they want to complain about time. Then they want mroe offense, one way being to take away the low strike. They do understand that there's a direct correlation between time and offense right? I can't believe I'm saying it, but the new commissioner is so much worse than Selig it isn't even funny. That guy is a knee jerk reactor who's first instinct is to change rules and change the game when a "problem" arises.

# 49 Ghost Of The Year @ 05/28/16 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RhodeIslandRebel


	If we continue in the direction we are going baseball will need to change its name to "Speed Ball".

Maybe 'Fastball' would be better, Speed Ball didn't work out well for Ken Caminiti & Eric Show.

# 50 Shadymamba @ 05/28/16 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bcruise


	Maybe don't spend 10 minutes trying to figure out multiple replay challenges? Call it inconclusive, call stands after 3 or so if there's no clear resolution.

Thank you!

# 51 baseballsim @ 06/06/16 10:28 PM

For Online Head to Head games the pause timer was reduced from 6 minutes to 5 minutes in patch 1.0.4. Did someone complain 6 minutes was too long or something?

That extra minute was fair, IMHO, especially when you have a lot of bunt defense changes to make and also to supplement shortcomings that come with defensive shifting, etc.

# 52 sirwoodz @ 06/16/16 10:39 PM

i don't see a problem with adding the pitch clock. I remember in the 90's players would step out and adjust their gloves and walk so far from the batters box. it use to kill me - baseball needs to actually enforce some of their game delaying rules. also do away with instant replay.

# 53 Ghost Of The Year @ 06/17/16 09:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sirwoodz


	i don't see a problem with adding the pitch clock. I remember in the 90's players would step out and adjust their gloves and walk so far from the batters box. it use to kill me - baseball needs to actually enforce some of their game delaying rules. also do away with instant replay.

I'd feel better about having to make a pitch within 20 seconds of getting the ball back from the catcher if the clock wasn't a traditional, visible one. Maybe when it got down to the last 3 seconds, there could be a set of 3 lights behind the backstop that clicked off one by one. And the ump would have like a special watch that buzzed or vibrated to let him know the 20 seconds were up. I just don't want an obtrusive clock in baseball. And I would hope TV would refrain from showing one as well.

# 54 tinpanalley @ 08/01/16 05:20 PM

There are two reasons the game feels like it takes too long (in my opinion) and it has very little to do with the duration of individual games.
1. Part of it has to do with the season being about 50-60 games too long. (Personally, I think the game could easily run from May to August with the playoffs in September). If the season was shorter people wouldn't have as big of a problem with individual game duration because more games would actually MEAN something. As it stands, if you're not in a playoff push, your season is done in July. And even for teams that are in a race, losing an entire series doesn't REALLY kill you until September. Not to mention the fact that the four game is ridiculous when it can (and often does) end in a tie. Season's just too long. And if it was shorter people would get more into it. The most exciting NHL season of the last 10-15 years was the shortened season after the strike because most teams were in it until very late.
2. Culturally, Americans are not the same audience neither in person or on TV anymore. And a game like this isn't built for North American viewing styles. In the rest of the world people have no problem watching cricket and other sports that are lengthy, non-clock games because I think they quite simply have more appreciation. There are several factors for this which are too many go into but North American sports audiences are quite simply not as into sports GENERALLY as people in other countries who have less sports to distract them.

# 55 Ghost Of The Year @ 08/01/16 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tinpanalley


	There are two reasons the game feels like it takes too long (in my opinion) and it has very little to do with the duration of inividual games. 1. Part of it has to do with the season being about 50-60 games too long. (Personally, I think the game could easily run from May to August with the playoffs in September). If the season was shorter people wouldn't have as big of a problem with indivisual game duration because more games would actually MEAN something. As it stands, if you're not in a playoff push, your season is done in July. And even for teams that are in a race, losing an entire series doesn't REALLY kill you until September. Not to mention the fact that the four game is ridiculous when it can (and often does) end in a tie. Season's just too long. And if it was shorter people would get more into it. The most exciting NHL season of the last 10-15 years was the shortened season after the strike because most teams were in it until very late.

Spot on.
The amount of games is probably the single biggest factor. If MLB teams played a 20 game season, every one would be must-see TV. And if the NFL played a 40 game season, the NFL would be no more releveant or compelling than the NBA.

# 56 Jm0ney2001 @ 08/02/16 10:51 AM

i love baseball. Don't change a damn thing. If they don't like it the game isn't really for them then.
This game was built to have a variety of lengths
And built to be a marathon season with games almost everyday.
The teams wouldn't make any money with shortened seasons. Unless you want ticket prices at 500$ or maybe the players will just accept they can't make 25 million a season anymore.

# 57 hitman23 @ 10/10/16 02:07 PM

Games back in the 70's were good because we had less commercials back then. It's all about the money and always will be folks.

# 58 kehlis @ 10/10/16 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hitman23


	Games back in the 70's were good because we had less commercials back then. It's all about the money and always will be folks.

Commercials have nothing to do with it in baseball. Commercials happen when there is already no play going on (in between innings when the pitcher is warming up).

You will never go to a baseball game and see an umpire holding up play because they are waiting for a commercial to end like you will see with football and hockey.

# 59 Armor and Sword @ 10/10/16 02:19 PM

It is society. Impatient, instant gratification society.

The MLB season is a journey. The game of baseball is a litany of ups and downs, streaks, slumps, injuires, kids breaking out, being called up, sent down, guys hanging on for dear life to the game they played as kid and have been playing practically their entire natural life.

Don't change a thing. Baseball is doing fine. I love this game to death. Every pitch, you never know what will happen next. You can be in a 5-0 game going to the bottom of the 9th. A dribbler is hit, fielder makes a throwing error. Next guy get's a base hit, then a walk, then a single....it's 5-1. Closer enters the game, then the kid who was called three nights ago as an inujury replacement comes up and pinch hits for the pitcher and getting his first major league at bat.....bombs a grand slam to tie the game.

Just like that....we go to extra innings. What a story.

Only in baseball folks.

Leave the game alone.

# 60 hitman23 @ 10/10/16 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kehlis


	Commercials have nothing to do with it in baseball. Commercials happen when there is already no play going on (in between innings when the pitcher is warming up). You will never go to a baseball game and see an umpire holding up play because they are waiting for a commercial to end like you will see with football and hockey.

You want to bet? Their is a clock at Yankee Stadium behind the left field bleachers that counts down the minutes or seconds for a commercial break. This way the home plate umpire knows when to resume play. Their are way more commercials now then their used to be 40 years ago.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

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