The Bernstein Brief: MLB Gets Start Toward Speeding Up Game
By Dan Bernstein-
CBSChicago.com senior columnist
(CBS) Can't hurt, could help and good for MLB for trying to do something.
With game times dragging, baseball and the players' union agreed to implement changes designed to pick up the pace a bit. Ken Rosenthal of FOX reported late Thursday night that the new modifications include:
-- Hitters keeping one foot in the batter's box between pitches, unless there's an "established exception" such as a foul ball, wild pitch or time called.
-- Managers issuing challenges from the dugout, instead of walking onto the field for superfluous discussions.
-- Game play resuming "promptly" after TV commercials.
These are expected to be announced shortly and put into practice for this year. We'll see how it plays and how it's all umpired, but it's a first attempt to legislate some pace into a game that has become too languid.
The hard part, though, will be reconciling this with the concurrent desire to increase offense. The ideal result of the parallel efforts would be a tighter, sprightlier game -- more hits and more action on the bases, all checking in well under three hours for nine innings.
There will be fits and starts in figuring out what sticks, but it's worth it.
Dan Bernstein is a co-host of 670 The Score's "Boers and Bernstein Show" in afternoon drive. Follow him on Twitter @dan_bernstein and read more of his columns here.