THE BOOK--Playing The Percentages In Baseball

"MLB really moves at a glacial pace in terms of game-changes, but is very fast in terms of business-changes.”

Is this surprising? A large component of what the MLB sells is tradition. Changing pace of game rules or replay rules (probably just for plays that would already require deliberation) doesn’t functionally change the game in any noticeable way. Further, they’re both things the fans are asking for. I don’t see anyone outside of our little circles asking for rule based disincentives to relief changes.

Mid-inning relief changes is a pace-of-game rule change.

I wish they’d do something about mid-inning changes, too. Penalizing the pitchers seems to intrusive. The idea I like--I think I saw it on Bill James’s site, though I’m not sure it was Bill who wrote it--was that any pitcher who comes in during an inning has to allow a run before he can be replaced.

Allowing the run would be an exemption.

But, you can’t FORCE someone to keep pitching, because of injury or potential for injury.

If you insist on that however, you can remove a pitcher, without in-game penalty, if the pitcher being replaced (starter or reliever) doesn’t pitch for 7 days.

You’re right. I forgot to note an injury exemption would be needed. The 7 day rule’s not bad in that example. There would still be a few ways around it--say, if a pitcher was about to go back to the minors the ext day--but it would cut down a lot of mid-inning changes.

Regarding mid-inning relief pitchers:

Forbid the mid-inning pitching replacement from taking any warmup pitches on the mound.  There, you just saved the time it takes to throw 8 warmup pitches or whatever they get.  Also start a 30 second timer when they arrive at the mound to get on the rubber - this to preclude the overly long mound conferences.

If someone trots out the old “relief pitcher needs to get used to the mound” saw, then you point out a) presumably the relief pitcher arrived at the park early enough to take some pitches there, b) prior to stepping on the rubber they can fiddle with the mound all they want, and c) if they really, truly don’t want to throw their first pitch without a bunch of warmup tosses off the mound (instead of the more likely reason, which is that they want to delay so the guy who just took their spot on bullpen mound #1 has time to get ready so he can replace the guy on bullpen mound #2, who will be coming in to replace them about three pitches from now), then come in at the beginning of an inning and take the warmup tosses then.

"Forbid the mid-inning pitching replacement from taking any warmup pitches on the mound. “

I don’t like that, because a pitcher is conditioned to do that.  You are increasing the chance for injury here.

Your suggestion about “start of inning” doesn’t help because of the time lag.

Really, starting the batter at 1-0 or 2-0 is very non-invasive in terms of the routine for the pitcher.

I disagree, the warmup pitches on the mound are mostly ritual.  If they truly aren’t warm yet and nee dthose pitches, then make them stay in the bullpen and throw another 8 pitches there until they are.  And if they run to the mound and start throwing, like I am suggesting they do, they won’t have time to get cold. 

Now, if you only half implement this (i.e. permit no warmups, but still allow one of those UN General Assembly-style meetings on the mound), then sure, the pitcher will probably need to warm up all over again.

I don’t like that, because a pitcher is conditioned to do that.  You are increasing the chance for injury here.

Tom, I am not understanding, either from a medical or practical standpoint, how 6 warmup pitches on the mound reduce the injury for a pitcher that just threw 20-40 warmup pitches in the bullpen.

As i explain to pitchers, “warm-up pitches count”, so don’t throw 60 of them. Warm up until you’re “game ready” and then stop.

If it’s a n injury issue, then I would come at it form the perspective of making sure that the pitcher is comfortable enough on the mound so that there is reduced injured for the BATTER via a wild pitcher who is not adjusted to a different mound.

From an effectiveness standpoint, it might be more beneficial for the relief pitcher to not throw any pitches, especially since the upcoming batter is standing there “timing him” and looking that break of any breaking pitches.

I still think the big issue is managers calling pitches. They don;t want to give the sign too early (to where it could be detected, decoded, and relayed to the batter), so everyone is finally ready to go and the catcher is looking to the dugout for which pitch to call.

What ump is going to call out Josh Beckett for this? None have so far and there were some stuff on the books about it already. I remember reading about it back over the summer. So, if an umpire doesn’t call a player on being a delay of game, then the rule isn’t worth a dime, let alone $10,000.

I think they would do better to create a pitch clock, similar to Basketball’s shot clock. Barring an injury delay (which would be legitimate delay), they should force a pitcher to throw a pitch X seconds after they get the ball back from the preceding play. The batter better be ready for it too. A “pitch clock violation” (no pitch within that X second time limit), would result in an automatic ball being called. That would moves games along quite nicely and add a little drama.

To reduce mid-inning relief changes why not change the rule so that a pitcher must face TWO batters rather than one (unless the inning ends) and change the rule so that a batter who is brought in as a substtitute must bat and cannot be substituted by another player in response to a pitching change. This would not change the fundamental rules of the game (which a 1-0 or 2-0 penalty would) and it would remove the kabuki theatre performance of bringing in a relief pitcher just to intentionally walk a player.

james

My solution is a time limit for the first 9 innings and time penalties for bringing in a new pitcher mid inning.

No one wants a clock.  That’s a serious constraint.  That’s as enforceable as going 3mph over in a 55mph zone… it’ll NEVER get called.

I don’t see why they allow the batter out of the box at will.  Almost like “icing the pitcher”.  If the batter wants to step out of the box, call a strike.  Suddenly, no batter will step out of the box.

You can allow 3 team-timeouts for stepping out (dirt in eye, etc) per game.  The umpire can suspend the rule for unusual circumstances (midges).

If you take away stepping out of the box, you change the dynamic around using signals to call offensive plays like bunts, hit & run, steals.  It’s tough to stare at the third base coach for 10 seconds while you’re in the box awaiting a pitch.

Not saying you couldn’t do it, but there’s one indirect consequence of that change…

I’m going to watch some old game, and count how many times, and for how long, a batter stepped out.  Because I can’t remember it happening much.