Hurry Up And Wait!

So it seems that the length of modern day baseball games have resulted in a new set of rules by MLB. New rules for our oldest and most loved game. Read this, from the Courant, and my comments will follow. You can read the whole thing by post title clicking.....well written, by Jeff Goldberg, our Sox guy from the Hartford paper....

"It is the essence of baseball. The pitcher stares in at the batter, twirling the ball behind his back. The hitter returns the glare, his bat rocking back and forth as the anticipation of the next pitch builds.
It is that tension and drama, repeated over and over during the course of nine innings, that makes baseball unique among all professional sports. And Major League Baseball says that's all well and good ... but guys, could you maybe hurry it up a little?
For the first time since 1996, major rule changes have been enacted in baseball. They are designed, in part, to speed up games. Most notable is the reduction in time between pitches with no men on base, from 20 to 12 seconds. Violators will be charged with a ball."

Peter here. 12 seconds! Not fifteen? That sounds so much more reasonable. Enforcement of this one could cause mayhem and chaos in the upcoming season. Enforcable? Sure, just like the "no talking on cell phones while driving" law here in CT. and other states. It's up to the discretion and the mood of the officer. And the same thing goes for the umps. Having a good day, Ump? Yes, and OK, I'll let it go, for now. Bad day? BALL!!! The entire article also goes into the growing TV networks' "between innings" time needed for the networks to make their money. That's why I recommend reading the entire Courant article. So enjoy! And I'll be back later on this Hump Day of sun, but no fun (not yet).