First, thanks for standing down on Alex Rodriguez. It's a refreshing change. Clearly, A-Rod has his flaws, but it's time for MLB to stop hanging former stars in the town square, especially when they weren't the only wrongdoers, just the only ones caught.
Also, thanks for trying to speed up the game. Good luck on that. For the 55 years I've followed baseball, folks have been trying to speed up the game, without dropping commercials between innings. Oh, well...
But let's get to the meat here. MLB's current 25-man roster system is a joke. Right now, every team in baseball uses its Triple A franchise as a bullpen taxi squad, and we're going through pitchers like I go through potato chips on Friday night.
This month, the Yankees have used 21 pitchers in 22 days - a franchise record for months (not counting September, with the call-ups.) On Wednesday, we will unveil the new and improved Ivan Nova - number 22. By July 1, they might go through an entire 25-man pitching roster. That's nuts.
So what can you do? Here's a suggestion: Reduce the number of regular season games to 154, like it was, back in the day. Lop eight games off the schedule, and you'll give every pitching staff one extra day of rest every two weeks. Arms can heal. You might even save somebody from elbow surgery. I would think the players union would seriously consider taking a little less money for a few free days.
Not only would this help pitching staffs, but MLB will get an added bonus: It can revert to its old system of records. The big slugger totals of the steroids era will be encased in glass, and from now on, hitters will chase the greatest single-season record in sports: Babe Ruth's 60 home runs.
Worried about losing money? Convert the one game Wild Card into three games. Or make the first round of the playoffs seven games, rather than five. You'll have extra time.
Frankly, it's a no-brainer. The pennant race will run just as hot in August and September. The difference: We just might recognize the pitchers.
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Also, thanks for trying to speed up the game. Good luck on that. For the 55 years I've followed baseball, folks have been trying to speed up the game, without dropping commercials between innings. Oh, well...
I went to a AAA game last night in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. It's our tradition to go to a game on or close to the longest day of the year because there's a pretty nice sunset over the left field wall at McCoy Stadium.
The game was my first exposure to a 20-second pitch clock. I had misunderstood what was being done to speed up the game and was only aware of the rules focusing on the batter (e.g., not leaving the box during the at bat). In this league, the clock starts once the ball hits the pitcher's glove on the throwback from the catcher. The pitcher then has 20 seconds to come to the set position, i.e., not to deliver the ball, just come to a set.
I found that, after tossing the ball back, the time it takes for the catcher to get into a squat position and flash his signals takes about 10 seconds. If there's a man on base, add another five seconds for the pitcher to look over at the runner. 20 seconds is just about right.
It was a pleasure to watch the game. It was as though the entire stadium was on the same rhythm as the pitcher. The game ended in about 3 hours, and only because there were a half-dozen pitching changes in the final 3 innings.
Oh, and by the way: The away team was the Rochester Red Barons, Detroit's AAA club. Their starting pitcher was a guy named Tyler Duffy and he had the Boston AAA club bamboozled. At one point, he had a no-hitter going, but was losing 2-0 due to his teammates' errors. We will see him some day in Comerica or the Bronx facing our guys.
Sorry, that should be Red Wings, not Red Barons...
I like the sound of the Rochester Red Barons...
LBJ not that it makes much difference but Rochester is Minnesota's AAA affiliate and that may be a good thing.
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