A baseball game can come down to the last inning, out, batter, or strike. It should never come down to the last second.
I will admit - I have been accused of being an "old-school" baseball fan and I do not dispute it. I like bunts and situational hitting. A runner should not poof onto second base under any circumstance, even for "health and safety."
The alphabet soup of new-age metrics does not appeal to me very much (sorry wRC+ and SIERA....). I understand the analytical value but will always prefer the stats you find on the back of a baseball card.
Like many, I do not easily accept change in America's pastime. With that being said, I know that the game needs to evolve, as it has done since its creation. Nobody misses underhand pitching or walks being counted as hits. I am fine with sensible instant replay. Offense from pitchers deteriorated to a point that the universal DH became a no-brainer.
However, a recent shift in MLB rules (no pun intended) has propelled the game of baseball from subjective and qualitative to rigid and quantitative, and that is the problem.
Numbers, Numbers Everywhere
Baseball is meant to be a loosely regulated, gentlemanly game of mutual understanding. Its general mystery and ambiguity have created appeal that has stood the test of time. Any rule that infringes on those qualities does significant damage to baseball's DNA. The most inflammatory rules are ones that place strict, numerical limitations with penalties for violations.
As if the massive push toward advanced analytics has not flooded baseball with enough new numbers to consider, baseball's recent rule changes have created a new breed of components to track within the game itself.
The recent, extreme change is best highlighted by considering the numerical game elements that an umpire would track before 2018:
Outs
Balls
Strikes
Inning
Lineup Substitutions
9 players in fair territory
1 mound visit from the dugout per inning before a pitching change in an inning
That is it. Since the 2018 season, the list of items that umpiring crews must track has grown to the following in 2023:
Outs
Balls
Strikes
Inning
Lineup Substitutions
9 players in fair territory
1 mound visit from the dugout before a pitching change in an inning
5 total mound visits from the dugout or catcher per team per 9 innings, not including pitching changes (2019, reduced from 6 in 2018)
At least 3 batters faced by each pitcher (2020)
Only 2 infielders on each side of second base*
2 feet in the infield for every infielder*
2 disengagements for each pitcher per at-bat**
1 timeout per batter per at-bat**
Pitcher delivery must start before 15 seconds have expired with bases empty**
Pitcher delivery must start before 20 seconds have expired with bases empty**
Batters must be ready with at least 8 seconds remaining**
*Defensive Shift Limits rule (2023)
**Pitch Timer rule (2023)
The list of countable, in-game factors has over doubled in the past 5 years. This is not to say that any rule change is inherently bad - this type is just very foreign to the subjective nature of baseball and can seriously jeopardize what makes it such a beautiful game - especially when implemented in such a short amount of time.
Writing the Unwritten
You have heard of baseball's unwritten rules. Don't show up the umpires. Don't pimp a home run when you are already way ahead. Don't look down and try to see the catcher's signs while hitting. If a team starts throwing at your guys, there will probably be retaliation. If a batter fouls one off his shin or off the umpire, a catcher should go out and talk to the pitcher to let him recover - oops! Minus 1 mound visit, never mind.
This highlights the problem when you write the unwritten. The game has a way of working itself out. Pickoff attempts used to be unlimited - now they are contained to 2. In the "old" days, if a pitcher threw over more than 2-3 times, the fans and dugout would start heckling to get things back on track. Those days are gone.
A manager used to be able to put his players anywhere on the field. Nothing in the rules stated where each defensive player (other than pitcher and catcher) had to stand. He could choose to arrange his players in a circle in the outfield if he wanted, adding to the ambiguity that makes baseball great. Now that infield restrictions have been codified, part of that mystery has been dissolved. It is now strictly regulated.
As part of the mutual, gentlemanly understanding that baseball is built on, both pitchers and hitters used to have the opportunity to prepare themselves for every pitch. Hitters could get themselves ready and pitchers could work with their catcher to agree on what the pitch should be.
While I do agree that some hitters and pitchers took too long to get ready, I also believe that a pitch timer is a knee-jerking overcorrection. The game can drastically change with any single pitch and both sides know that at all times.
In a playoff setting, games will come down to loud, impossibly tense moments, with a ton of suspense. Bottom of the 9th, up by 2, bases loaded, 2 outs: the pitcher has to get on the same page with the catcher. Maybe a pinch hitter has just come up to bat and they want to talk over how to pitch the guy. A beautiful moment in baseball dreamed of by fans worldwide - only to be spoiled by a ticking clock, rules, and penalties.
It should never come down to whether any "mound visits remain" or if seconds are left on a clock. Each man should have his best chance.
Perhaps Hall of Fame manager Earl Weaver said it best:
While teams still can't run the clock down, the addition of a clock raises a ton of questions and case-by-case situations that could adversely impact the pace of play - which is the driving reason for these new rules in the first place.
What if a hitter throws their bat during a swing? Do they have to chase it down and rush to be back in the box with 8 seconds left? Can they apply more pine tar?
What if a pitch does not hit a batter but knocks them to the ground? Do they get extra time to collect themselves?
What if a manager wants to argue a call with the umpires in between pitches? Will the batter or pitcher from their team be penalized?
What if a batter fouls a ball off himself? Does he receive extra time? Will batters start exaggerating injuries to receive more time?
The only answer to these questions is umpire discretion - which will get very messy and cause some on-field delays, defeating the purpose of "pace of play" rules. These hypothetical situations are of little concern - they are only meant to highlight how unpredictable the game can be.
I am sure many of these situations occurred during testing in the Minor Leagues - but now that they have been mandated at baseball's highest level, managers are going to require explanations. I am also sure these issues will be internalized with time, while wishfully hoping that there will be growing pains so drastic that the clock disappears before that happens.
Placing numerical limitations on such a qualitative game is going to be a difficult, unwelcome change for many. Yes, fans are still going to watch. Baseball lovers that I know are not upset by a faster pace of play, which the timer will surely bring. There are still 9 innings and 27 outs. Instead, they are bothered by the potential change to baseball's integrity and history - the fact that little leaguers are no longer playing the same game that the pros are.
Baseball is not meant to be a clock-driven battle. It is an imperfect, unpredictable, 9-inning war with the mathematical possibility to last forever. A game should not be decided by an umpire's decision that a batter's eyes were attentive to the pitcher with 7 seconds remaining instead of 8. A baseball game can come down to the last inning, out, batter, or strike. It should never come down to the last second.
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