Now Chalk is Even Banned by MLB… Sort Of

People don’t like change. Hell to put it bluntly, people are terrified of change. I am terrified of change but I am learning more and more every day that change is not only necessary but it’s good as well. Change can be good but change just for change’s sake is borderline annoying and that is seemingly what Major League Baseball and Commissioner Rob Manfred are doing right now in the game. Again, some change is good. The additions to instant replay and the pace of play rules that don’t drastically change the game I think are good but some rules are just downright silly… and here is the perfect example of that.

We’ve already heard of the intentional walk rule that will see batters simply take their base rather than watching the pitcher soft toss four balls outside the zone but a few more rules were announced this week. Baseball now has just two minutes for instant replays and of all things teams cannot use chalk or markers to better position its fielders. Whatever that means. See below for the complete rule list.

MLB & the MLBPA today jointly announced a series of modifications that have been approved and will be in place in the 2017 regular season: pic.twitter.com/IjVboUSCGd

— MLB Communications (@MLB_PR) March 2, 2017

ICYMI: MLB Wants To Make Two Rules Changes

By Bryan Van Dusen SEEN HERE: 

During the owners' meetings, a competition committee agreed to a couple of adjustments to MLB rules.

The first change would be to the strike zone. The current strike zone calls for a strike to be called at the bottom of a hitter's kneecap, however the new rule would make it a strike at the top of a hitter's kneecap.

This change isn't exciting or life changing, but it certainly doesn't come without reason.

In 2015, on average, batters struck out 20.4% of the time. However, ten years ago, batters struck out 16.4% of the time. Furthermore, in 2015 20,647 were scored, while in 2005 a total of 22,326 runs were scored. So offense is definitely gone down in the league.

The second change would make it so pitchers would no longer have to throw four balls to intentionally walk a batter. The team could simply signal its intention to walk a batter.

I'm sure many will point out plays such as this...

But let's be honest... how often does something like that happen? More often than not, an intentional walk is the most boring thing that happens in a baseball game. You're just sitting there waiting for those four uneventful pitches before finally getting on with the game.

So while I don't believe either rule change is earth shattering, they are improvements.

NOTE: That while the competition committee has approved these rule changes, they will not be implemented until the rules committee does the same. Also, while rules changes do not need to be approved by them to be implemented, the MLB Players' Association and umpires' union will also get to review the proposed changes before they go into affect.

Quick Hit: Pace of Play Rules Tweaked Again

Commissioner of Major League Baseball Rob Manfred has been in the top position overlooking the league for a little over a year now and the amount of change he has brought the league is astounding. I’ve listed his accomplishments and changes many times on the blog and you all probably know them by heart by now but one I haven’t paid much attention to is the pace of play changes.  Manfred wants to shave some time off the games and he did just that in 2015 but the Commissioner is far from done. Manfred announced more changes to his pace of play rules for the 2016 season and I bring them here to you today as an FYI.

MLB and the MLB Players Association have not finalized these plans yet, keep that in mind, but the two sides are working towards an agreement. Since these have not been finalized we do not have the entire and complete list to bring to you but we can confirm, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post anyway, that the league is trying to eliminate the slow walk to the mound and/or all the stalling tactics many managers use to give their relief pitcher a few more throws in the bullpen. The possibility of a time limit for making a pitching change has also been discussed. Also MLB is going to shave off another 20 seconds of commercial time in-between innings. Last season the fans had to wait 2:25 seconds during commercials and this season it will go down to 2:05 at the end of every half inning. The idea would be that the batter would be in the box with 20 seconds left on the commercial break timer while the pitcher would be required to throw the pitch once the timer hits zero.

I think the most important thing here is that Manfred is shaving time off the game without noticeable changes to the sport and game itself. This is keeping the purist happy, the traditionalist, the hardcore fans, the casual fans and the new fans alike happy and content I think. The best sort of change is change for the better but, and maybe this is the ignorance is bliss in me talking, the second best change is the change that you don’t notice. Well done Manfred and well done MLB. 

Commissioner Manfred’s First Year on the Job a Success

The 2015 Major League Baseball season marked the first season under the new tenure of Commissioner Rob Manfred and with the season just about in the books you have to label this first season as a success. Manfred took over for former Commissioner of Major League Baseball Bud Selig with the promise to change the game, maybe not radically but change nonetheless, while improving the game and keeping the most progressive and old school fans happy at the same time. It seemed impossible at the time but it looks like Manfred may have pulled off the impossible.

Manfred’s first agenda was to speed up the game with his new pace of play rules in both the minor leagues and the Major Leagues. Pitching clocks were installed in the minor leagues and experimented with in the Arizona Fall League with varying degrees of success while television time outs, commercials and the annoying “stepping out of the batter’s box to adjust your batting gloves, read the signs from the third base coach and spit in your hands even though you took a ball a foot off the plate” were eliminated from the majors. Excluding the postseason and the month of September, due to rosters expanding to 40 players from 25 players leading to a slew of pitching changes night in and night out, Manfred and his pace of play rules shaved about 15 minutes off a game every single night.

Attendance is up across the board once again in MLB and television deals are fruitful and as plentiful as the oceans on Earth. Baseball is a business and the money is definitely here and definitely being spent. Manfred also introduced a domestic violence policy to train and potentially stop a domestic violence case before it happens and Manfred has enjoyed a spike in youth and exciting young players to hit the game this season. Manfred watched as Alex Rodriguez made his comeback tour, the Yankees (which love them or hate them you have to admit that it’s good for the game when they are relevant) return to the postseason and the return of the Chicago Cubs as a power house team in the league.

What Manfred did not deal with is any major steroid suspensions, Ervin Santana maybe being the biggest name to be suspended this season, or fall outs of any kind. Manfred wasn’t a part of discussions to contract a team or two in the league, instead he is spear-heading a movement to play games in Cuba and Mexico while potentially adding another team or two somewhere down the line. When a manager leads his team to the World Series, much like Ned Yost and Terry Collins have in 2015, you have to push the right buttons more time than not and the same can be said for a Commissioner. Manfred pushed the right buttons this season but his job is far from done. He has the second base collision rule to work on and the collective bargaining agreement ends when the 2016 season does, but if the past is any indication of the future than Manfred, and Major League Baseball, will be just fine. 

September Call Ups Ruining Rob Manfred’s Pace of Play Rules

The talk of the 2015 offseason was the new Commissioner of Major League Baseball Rob Manfred and his new pace of play rules that he wanted to implement into the game. Sure the talks between the United States and Cuba and how the new found diplomacy between the two countries and how they would impact the game came up more than once and the potential reinstatement for Pete Rose was a hot ticket item for a minute but pace of play dominated much of the offseason. Pace of play started out great cutting nearly 15 minutes off of every game with attendance steadily climbing across Major League Baseball until the calendar turned to September and September call ups put a big monkey wrench into the whole operation.

More players equal more pitchers, more pitching changes and subsequently longer games unfortunately. That’s where we’re at and no amount of pace of play rules, clocks in the ballpark or anything short of a radical change can stop. Prior to the month of September you could watch an average MLB game in 2:55 but ever since the calendar turned over to September you’re spending at least 3:03 of your life watching a game, and it’s only 9/15. There is always the option of having 40 active players and having to name, just to throw a number out there, 26 active players for the game but that may be something the MLB Players Association fights against tooth and nail.

If Manfred is truly serious about speeding up the process of these games we may see even more radical changes to the game this offseason. I’m neither for nor against these changes to be honest, I am completely indifferent to be frank, as long as I can still recognize this game that I know and love from season to season.

Game Preview: New York Yankees @ Kansas City Royals 5/27

This afternoon the New York Yankees and the Kansas City Royals play in the classic afternoon getaway game with the Yankees setting their sails to the west coast after the ballgame. In the finale of the three game series here inside Yankee Stadium the Yankees will send Michael Pineda to the mound looking to bounce back from a couple bad starts while Chris Young starts for the Royals. The game will be played at 1:05 pm ET and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB TV.

• Pineda is coming off a pair of bad starts against these Kansas City Royals and the Texas Rangers after striking out 16 Baltimore Orioles on Mother’s Day three starts ago. Last time out against the Royals Pineda allowed five earned runs on 10 hits, both season highs, in a Yankees series loss.

• Young has pitched well since coming into the Royals rotation from the bullpen allowing just one run across all four victories he has secured this season. One of those victories included a win over the Yankees on May 15.

This is quite possibly the worst part of any MLB season, and I touched on this a bit in this morning’s TGP Daily Poll, as the Yankees head out west to start a long road trip. I hate the West Coast games because they don’t start until 10:00 pm ET meaning with me having to be up at 5:00 am ET by the time the game starts the most sleep I am going to get is seven hours. If I stay up for even a Rob Manfred Special, three hours or less, I’m down to four hours of sleep. Now I am a huge “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” kind of person but I also have to keep in mind my children will want me to play, talk to them and be a living and breathing human being.. So yeah. I’m going to miss a few games. Anyway as long as we’re winning those games that is all that matters to me, go Yankees!!

Manfred At Least Entertaining Idea of Shortening the MLB Season

Rob Manfred has come into the Commissioner of Major League Baseball’s job and has made many changes and improvement to the game of baseball in less than six months on the job but he’s not done yet. While Manfred is still working on getting exhibition games and possibly a team in Cuba and in other areas outside the continental United States there are many other agendas he is working on including, but not limited to, pace of play, Pete Rose, domestic violence in MLB, the designated hitter for the National League and even potentially shortening the MLB season from 162 games.

Manfred states that shortening the season has become a popular topic among players and owners as they prepare to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement and labor deal after the 2016 season. Manfred has made it his mission in the early part of the season to meet with players from all 30 franchises about many of the issues stated above and the idea of giving players more days off has been garnering the most attention. Manfred recognizes the financial ramifications that would come with a shorter season and compares it to when the American League transitioned from a 154 game schedule to 162 games in 1961 with the National League following suit in 1962. Whether this happens or not remains to be seen but it looks like Manfred is at least entertaining the idea and that may count for something with a new labor deal potentially hinging on the idea. 

The Daily Dozen (Plus): The Night The Lights Went Out in the Bronx Edition

The Daily Dozen: The Night the Lights Went Out in the Bronx Edition

Twelve (Nineteen)Takeaways from Tonight's Yesterday's This Morning's Game:

1. Yankees vs. Red Sox Eternal...as in the games last forever.  Extra innings seem to be made for this rivalry.  And once again, this one goes LATE into the night...and the next day.  I can't tell you how many times I fell asleep watching my ESPN App since I don't have The MLB Network.  Okay, I can...3 times...

2. Pace of Play.  MLB has begun to inform its players by way of snail mail as to their disdain for players taking too much time in the batter's box and that they are serious about penalizing players.  I wonder if David Ortiz will receive as many letters from MLB as supposed drug tests?

"So You're Saying We Are on Some List...?" (Photo Credit: NY Times)

3. The 2015 Red Sox Resemble the 2004 New York Yankees.  Remember when the Yankees organization began to OVERSPEND on talent that was past its prime (Giambi, Johnson, Rodriguez).  Well, it seems that Boston is now filling that role what with its lineup of All-Stars from 2012 in Ortiz, Hanley Ramirez, Pablo Sandoval, Mike Napoli, and Shane Victorino.  Heck Ramirez was traded BY the Red Sox in his prime to the Marlins in return for guys named Josh Beckett (still hate that guy) and Mike Lowell (former Yankee)...in 2005.  The Yankees are now trying to the be the Red Sox of old staying away from the big free agents past their prime.  Okay...so they still were doing it last year with...AHEM...Beltran and McCann...but they totally redeemed themselves with Ellsbury and re-signing Gardner along with getting cheaper alternatives such as Headley, Gregorius, and Garret Jones...all while allowing their prospects evolve.

4. Extra Innings Games Sap Your Stats.  Just a quick look at the stat lines for both teams through THIRTEEN innings reveals the following:  only 6 players total had over a .300 average for the night and only five guys had multiple hits.  Perennial consistent hitter Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 6, the Panda was 2 for 6, Nava was 2 for 3 before being replaced by Victorino.  Gardner was 2 for 6, Gregorius was 1 for 3 as a late replacement, and Alex Rodriguez...2 for 5.  The Binder probably wishes he would have left him in the game right about now (12:00 AM).  The remaining players for the Red Sox were 4 for 33.  The remaining players for the Yankees were 3 for 31.  Update: as the teams roll into the 18th, the stats keep on going down, but on a sidenote they are the only ones still playing as the West Coast games just ended (1:33 am EDT).

5. #NAPPYBEARD.  Since The Greedy Pinstripes adopted the hastag last season, Napoli hasn't been the same player.  We here at TGP are glad this has happened and take full credit.  As of this typed No. 5 in the Daily Dozen he was 0 for 6 through 14 innings with 3 strikeouts...although he did get a walk in the 6th and scored one of Boston's 3 runs.  His batting average for 2015 is a stellar .000.  Interestingly, I actually typed the 0 for 6 with 3 strikeouts before he actually struck out...Fear the #NAPPYBEARD  Update: 0 for 8 through 18 innings.

"....mabye I should shave...?"

6. Chase Friggin' Headley.  What more can be said about Chase?  I mean sure he's mired in a .188 batting average, but like I said a couple of days ago...he seems to be clutch when it matters most.  What a huge Home Run to tie the game back in the bottom of the 9th off of Mujica (who coincidentally is on my Fantasy Baseball team...arrgh).

This may never get old... (Photo Credit: Newsday)

7. Fantasy Baseball Hint.  Just a word to the wise...NEVER draft guys from the team you like onto your fantasy squad...right now after almost a week's worth of games I am firmly atop the leaderboard of my Rotisserie league with 3 Boston players on roster with only Brett Gardner from the Yankees (auto-draft).  Either way I win...if the Boston guys suck it up...GOOD...if for some reason they don't...STILL GOOD (for me).  Having Pedroia is also a good idea...the guy just flat out rakes, like WICKED HAAAD.  Update: Mujica is on my bench tonight...shoo!

8. How many buckets of balls could the Yankees get for Stephen Drew?  This is subject to change if he somehow miraculously wins the game in the Bottom of the 14th as I type this, but WHY did the Yankees not afford Refsnyder a shot at second base again?  Oh that's right, to make room for the .071 hitting juggernaut Stephen Drew.  At least he has company down there with Beltran (.071).  Update:  Drew flew out to right to lower that stellar average to .067.  Update 2:  I'll give him another chance as he gave the Yankees a chance in the bottom of the 16th to win it and he's now at a SCORCHING .125!!!

9. Who is leading the team in batting average you ask?  Why that would be everyone's favorite villain, Alex Rodriguez at .286.  I mean sure he had 3 strikeouts...but did you see the smash double he had in the bottom of the 11th...that should have netted the Yankees a win since he was on 2nd with only 1 out?  Yeah, I think Mr. A-Rod is welcome in that clubhouse right about now.

10. To play shortstop in this rivalry you have to have a crazy name.  Xander Bogaerts.  Didi Gregorius.  Nuf' Said.  Pretty much the only normal name at short has been Derek Jeter...I mean, come on...Nomar Garciaparra?  Nomar is Ramon spelled backwards for the kids playing at home.  And yes, I realize that Stephen Drew also played SS...but I don't care.  Update: Bogaerts, crazy name and all is 4 for 8 through 19 innings and  hitting a crisp .421 on the early season.

More Like Nomar Hamm! Fogedaboutit

11. Pitchers, Batters, and Strikeouts.  Through 14 innings the Yankees pitchers faced 60 Red Sox hitters.  The Red Sox pitchers faced 53 Yankees hitters.  The teams combined used 16 pitchers.  It's too bad the game devolved into such a bullpen affair as both Wade Miley and Nathan Eovaldi pitched decently; Eovaldi in his Yankees debut with a final line of 5-1/3 innings and only 3 earned runs against such a good hitting Red Sox squad (ESPN will tell you that...just wait).  Miley gave up 1 less earned run in the same timeframe.  So how many strikeouts in the game (as I type this..they are in the top of the 15th)...?  24 strikeouts total -- 12 for each team.  The Indians pitchers got 16 on Thursday in a regulation game, but still 24 is a lot.  Update: top of the 16th...now at 26 Ks, 13 each.  Update 2: 17 pitchers as Wright entered for the Red Sox in the bottom of the 15th.  Update 3: 28 Ks...15 for BOS, 13 for NYY in Top 19th

12. The Didi-Ells-Gardy Show.  I'm predicting the game will end in the 15th with a manufactured run by the speedsters.  The lineup was set in order to do just that...get Gregorius on base and turn over the lineup to Ellsbury and Gardner to wreak havoc on the basepaths.  If you can't beat 'em with power, beat 'em with SPEED!  Update: Didi struck out, Ellsbury lined out to short, and Gardner walked...1 for 3 ain't bad!  Update #2: Garrett Jones promptly lined out to center to send the game to the 16th.  Anyone wish that A-Rod was still in the game yet???

13. Oh you thought this would end at Twelve?  I mean a dozen is twelve, but since the Yanks and Sawx can go extra innings, so shall I!  How many times have you watched a Yankees game when the stadium lights went out?  That was the title of this edition of the Daily Dozen and you read all the way to this point, so I'll tell you...I can't remember a time that the game was delayed due to the lights going out at Yankee Stadium.  This game was delayed 16 minutes in the bottom of the 12th as fans attempted to illuminate the field with their mobile devices.

Is this a baseball game or a Bon Jovi Concert?

14. Of course Ortiz would homer off of Rogers in the 16th.  What kind of name is Esmil anyways...arrghhh.  Rogers' first hit given up this season is a big one as in David Ortiz' first home run of the season.  I hope I didn't stay up until 1 am just to see (by see I mean watch the game via ESPN Gamecast probably 30 seconds after it actually happened) Big Papi win another game at the Stadium with a big home run.  Update:  Esmil Rogers gave up another run in the 18th...and has given up 3 ERs in 6.1 innings while the rest of the bullpen has surrendered only 1 ER in 18.1.  Update 2: Make it 4 ERs in 7.1...arrgh!

"Man...the guy at GNC told me it was just Orange Juice..."

15. The Panda Express.  Any time you give Pablo Sandoval eight at-bats, he'll probably find a way to hurt you.  Through 16 innings he was 3 for 8 raising his season average to .250.  While he isn't likely the player he was with San Francisco, he can still hurt you if you give him enough chances.

16. Steven Wright! You're So Wrong!  I imagine that was the call by John Sterling when Mark "Teix-Message" Teixeira launched the game-tying home run to start the bottom of the 16th.  If it's not, then he should have said it.  And by the way...Mr. Marky Mark waited until his birthday (April 11th) to do the damage.  Happy Birthday Teixeira!  You're on the MARK!  Update:  A colleague of mine has just informed us all via the Twitterverse that Mark is 35...which makes him the same age as me (he's hitting home runs in Yankee Stadium while I am blogging in my basement watching a "live" feed on the intranet  internet).

You gotta love A-Rod's reaction to the home run by the way: See A-Rod React Like a Little Leaguer

17. Mark Teixeira came up to the plate once again in the bottom of the 17th against Steven Wright.  He is now .500 against him with 1 HR in his career.

18. Baseball is a fickle game.  Teams can go SIX whole innings without scoring...and then boom they both score on solo home runs in the 16th.  Gotta love it...or hate it??  No runs in the 17th as both teams threatened.  Then in the 18th...the Red Sox score 1 and the Yankees promptly score again tying it 5-5.  And they did it with McCann and Beltran doubles no less...guys that were a combined 1 for 10 previously.

19. It's the small things.  Caught stealing, a pick off, allowing a stolen base, a passed ball...all of these were instrumental in the Red Sox scoring runs and ultimately led to their demise.  Well...that's it folks...hopefully you stuck with this post as long as I did with the game!

So Far So Good on Pace of Play Rules

The 2015 season has only just begun and still has that new car smell but if the first couple of opening series are any indication of how the entire season will go it looks like Commissioner Rob Manfred and company succeeded in speeding up the game without really a noticeable difference in the game itself.

Through just the first 35 games of the season the average time of a MLB game is 2:51 which is down from the 3:02 average from the 2014 season. While many won’t notice a difference or see what the big deal is in just 11 minutes but to a casual fan, which MLB is trying to attract more and more of, that could be an ice breaker.

The shorter times may coincide with the lack of offense that is running rampant around the league and may be counterproductive as 13 of those first 35 games ended in shutouts while the Yankees narrowly missed being shut out on Opening Day by a Brett Gardner home run.

Players are now subject to fines for intentionally slowing down the game and may even be dealt a strike from the umpire if they are intentionally delaying the game. It tough and it’s going to take some getting used to but the rules are there and they seem to be working, albeit in an extremely small sample size, and it’s hard to argue with that. 

MLB Intorduces Plan to Speed up Games

Major League Baseball has discussed all offseason long ways to improve the speed of play in their games in 2015 and going forward. In 2014 MLB games eclipsed the three hour mark on average per game and new Commissioner Rob Manfred wants to make speeding up the game priority number one.

Manfred's first plan includes not allowing batters to take their feet out of the batter's box throughout their at bats. Also time limits will be added to the breaks in between innings while managers will be able to challenge their replay calls from the dugout rather than stalling on the mound for five minutes.

Will the rules be enforced? That much remains to be seen but if they are warnings and fines on players and clubs will be handed down from the league. I like these ideas because they meet in the middle. You're not radically changing the game and you may shave 10-15 minutes off every game, which is never a bad thing.

Fixing the Pace of Play Issue

Nine days ago Major League Baseball formed the "Pace of Game Committee" to study the pace of play, with the goal of decreasing the time of the game and increasing the pace of it.

"It's only the 2nd inning?!?!"

For the first time in the history of MLB, the average game time got above three hours this season. At the same time, scoring was at its lowest point since 1976. Those two things by themselves are bad for the game's popularity, but put them together and the game has a big problem.

One problem with the pace of play has to do with instant replay. You've seen it plenty of times this season... A manager will slowly walk out of his dugout to speak with an umpire about a play, while one of the assistant coaches looks at the play to decide whether to challenge it. Eventually, the play is challenged, and the replay is looked at for a minute or so and then decided on. Some feel that a replay official should challenge the play sooner, thus eliminating the previous scenario from playing out... wasting time.

Well, unfortunately the committee, nor MLB, has put anything in place to fix the instant replay thing. However, they have come up with a few new rules to speed up play, and those rules will be tested out during the Arizona Fall League.

Those rules are...

1. Batter's Box Rule: The batter shall keep at least one foot in the batter's box throughout his at-bat, unless one of a series of established exceptions occurs, in which case the batter may leave the batter's box but not the dirt area surrounding home plate. (Exceptions include a foul ball or a foul tip; a pitch forcing the batter out of the batter's box; “time” being requested and granted; a wild pitch or a passed ball; and several others.)
2. No-Pitch Intentional Walks: In the event a team decides to intentionally walk a batter, no pitches shall be thrown. Instead, the manager shall signal to the home plate umpire with four fingers, and the batter should proceed to first base to become a runner.
3. 20-Second Rule [AT 17 SALT RIVER FIELDS HOME GAMES ONLY]: A modified version of Rule 8.04, which discourages unnecessary delays by the pitcher, shall apply. Rule 8.04 requires the pitcher to deliver the ball to the batter within 12 seconds after he receives the ball with the bases unoccupied. The penalty prescribed by Rule 8.04 for a pitcher's violation of the Rule is that the umpire shall call “Ball.”

I don't see #1 as a big problem, and feel it will only have a slight affect on the game, but I don't find any problem with it. Sure, there are times when a batter will step out of the box between pitches to rub dirt on his gloves or the bat, or something like that, but it isn't so often that I feel it's a real problem.

While #3 sounds good, Major League Baseball already had something like it in place, but it wasn't enforced by umpires. Therefore, a different rule seems unnecessary. I'm a varsity basketball official, and every year there are certain rules that are made into points of emphasis, and we have to enforce them more stringently. The same needs to be done with this rule for MLB umps. 

Now, as for #2, I'm all for it. While you see passed balls/wild pitches every once in a while during intentional walks, they are not often enough that fans should have to watch the pitcher and catcher play catch for a couple minutes. Just put the batter on first and get on with the game.

Normally, when I see a group make decisions like this so quickly I cringe. Especially when it comes to rules decisions. Oftentimes they are just knee-jerk reactions, and are not thoroughly thought about first. But these three changes either don't mean much (#1), aren't much different than a rule already in place (#3), or make plenty of sense (#2). Plus, being able to try them out in glorified scrimmages, means they can be tweaked more before the 2015 season begins.