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Post by chinmusic on Sept 26, 2021 16:40:48 GMT -8
The AFL (Arizona Fall League) will put in place some experimental rules changes that will be watched carefully and studied by MLB for the purpose of improving the game. Translated, that means seeking more offense. Some of these changes have been implimented and studied previously at the Low-A level. Studying the results from the AFL will provide MLB with a new set of data for further evaluation. Here are the propsed new rules:
1. A 15 second pitch clock. Purpose is to speed up the game. Previous trials indicate about a 11% decrease in game length. The average game length of 3.02 was reduced to 2.41. Not a significant reduction but a forward step.
2. Increasing the size of the bases. By enlarging the bases 16%, from 15" square to 18" square there was a reduction of player collisions and contact injuries with the bigger bags. Purpose is purely player safety.
3. Pitchers will be allowed only 2 pick-of moves (or throwing over to hold a runner) per plate appearance. Purpose is to speed up the game. The rule resulted in some slight time reduction and interestingly, an increase of stolen base attempts by 25%. Maury Wills and Ricky Henderson are reconsidering their decision to retire.
4. Limiting the "shift" by ruling that all infielders must be on the skin (Dirt) of the diamond and not on the outfield grass. There must be two infielders on the left side of 2nd base and two infielders on the right side of 2nd base. You can position to play the hitter, but you can't have three defenders on either side of 2B. Purpose is to eliminate the harm "shifting" does to offenses.
5. In AFL games played at Salt Field, the automatic balls-strikes apparatus will be used. No plate umpire calling balls and strikes. Purpose is to get them all right.
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Post by osuft3 on Sept 26, 2021 18:14:41 GMT -8
Why don't we just change to T ball? That'll speed it up, and think of all the pitching arms that would be saved.
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Post by Henry Skrimshander on Sept 26, 2021 19:21:45 GMT -8
Excellent changes. They don't make major changes to the game, they just speed it up.
Anyone who saw Joe West tonight can attest that umpires have no idea what the strike zone is.
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Post by ag87 on Sept 26, 2021 22:14:26 GMT -8
They say baseball is a game of inches. By making the bases bigger, the distance from edge of base to edge of base goes from 88-9 to 88-6. Along with the pickoff throw limitation there will be more stolen base attempts. Good thing the Orioles are keeping their best catcher in Norfolk.
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Post by orangeblood on Sept 27, 2021 6:30:20 GMT -8
That is not a 16% increase in base size. It is a 53% increase!
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Post by ag87 on Sept 27, 2021 7:59:19 GMT -8
They say baseball is a game of inches. By making the bases bigger, the distance from edge of base to edge of base goes from 88-9 to 88-6. Along with the pickoff throw limitation there will be more stolen base attempts. Good thing the Orioles are keeping their best catcher in Norfolk. My poor brain. I was thinking about this last night. 2nd base is expanded from the center point. But 1st and 3rd base would be expanded from the foul (fair) line. So 2nd base is closer by 1.5-inches and 1st base expands a full 3-inches towards 2nd. So the final distance is 88-4.5, not 88-6. The bases would be 4.5-inches closer together than with the historic size bases.
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Post by Henry Skrimshander on Sept 27, 2021 10:06:49 GMT -8
That is not a 16% increase in base size. It is a 53% increase! It's a 20% increase. Divide the increase (3 SF) by the size of the former base (15 sf). That's .20, or 20%.
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Post by orangeblood on Sept 27, 2021 11:39:04 GMT -8
I was off by a little, but closer than you. A 15-inch square base is 225 square inches in area. An 18-inch square base is 324 square inches in area, an increase of 99 square inches. 99 divided by 225 equals a 44 percent increase in area.
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Post by Henry Skrimshander on Sept 27, 2021 11:56:04 GMT -8
I was off by a little, but closer than you. A 15-inch square base is 225 square inches in area. An 18-inch square base is 324 square inches in area, an increase of 99 square inches. 99 divided by 225 equals a 44 percent increase in area. I misread your post, read inches and thought SF. Obviously the bases aren't 15 sf. But going from 15 to 18 sf is a 20% increase. There are 144 square inches in a square foot. So the bases are going from 1.5625 sf to 2.25 sf. So yes, 44%.
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Post by kersting13 on Sept 28, 2021 12:22:44 GMT -8
The AFL (Arizona Fall League) will put in place some experimental rules changes that will be watched carefully and studied by MLB for the purpose of improving the game. Translated, that means seeking more offense. Some of these changes have been implimented and studied previously at the Low-A level. Studying the results from the AFL will provide MLB with a new set of data for further evaluation. Here are the propsed new rules: 1. A 15 second pitch clock. Purpose is to speed up the game. Previous trials indicate about a 11% decrease in game length. The average game length of 3.02 was reduced to 2.41. Not a significant reduction but a forward step. 2. Increasing the size of the bases. By enlarging the bases 16%, from 15" square to 18" square there was a reduction of player collisions and contact injuries with the bigger bags. Purpose is purely player safety. 3. Pitchers will be allowed only 2 pick-of moves (or throwing over to hold a runner) per plate appearance. Purpose is to speed up the game. The rule resulted in some slight time reduction and interestingly, an increase of stolen base attempts by 25%. Maury Wills and Ricky Henderson are reconsidering their decision to retire. 4. Limiting the "shift" by ruling that all infielders must be on the skin (Dirt) of the diamond and not on the outfield grass. There must be two infielders on the left side of 2nd base and two infielders on the right side of 2nd base. You can position to play the hitter, but you can't have three defenders on either side of 2B. Purpose is to eliminate the harm "shifting" does to offenses. 5. In AFL games played at Salt Field, the automatic balls-strikes apparatus will be used. No plate umpire calling balls and strikes. Purpose is to get them all right. 1. NBD - I do dislike pitches relayed from dugout to catcher to pitcher when it takes 20 seconds 2. This is dumb 3. This is REALLY dumb 4. This is dumb - the part of the game that has made it 'boring' is everyone swinging for the fences. The shift is a natural reaction to everyone swinging for the fences. Hitters working more on bat control and using the whole field is the answer to not being able to hit into the shift. 5. This is GREAT!
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Post by beavoracity on Sept 28, 2021 16:05:13 GMT -8
No one has calculated the volume difference of the base yet?
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Post by Henry Skrimshander on Sept 28, 2021 19:24:07 GMT -8
No one has calculated the volume difference of the base yet? The increase in the sides of the bases is 20% (15 inches to 18). That results in a 44% increase in the square footage of the bases. Not sure how high a base is, so can't figure the volume.
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Post by beaver55to7 on Oct 10, 2021 15:52:54 GMT -8
They say baseball is a game of inches. By making the bases bigger, the distance from edge of base to edge of base goes from 88-9 to 88-6. Along with the pickoff throw limitation there will be more stolen base attempts. Good thing the Orioles are keeping their best catcher in Norfolk.
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