Opening Day - MLB games on average, 26 minutes shorter

progen · 03-31-2023, 11:18 AM

Some good news from opening day! I watched the Phillies of course, and certainly enjoyed the pace of the game. Watched some of the Yankees/Giants game earlier, and things seemed to go smoothly.

Late game between the Padres and Rockies where you had Blake Snell moving at his usual turtle pace, throwing 70 pitches through three innings, eventually a 7-2 win by the Rockies, game took 2 hours, 56 minutes, still 10 minutes shorter than the average game last year.

Quickest game was Mariners beating the Guardians, 3-0, game took 2 hours, 14 minutes.

Markus Heinsohn · 03-31-2023, 11:29 AM

I like this trend. Watching a few games, I feel they could speed it up even more. Like 3 seconds less per pitch.

Matt Arnold · 03-31-2023, 11:38 AM

The Jays/Cards game certainly didn't help the average either.

doubles · 03-31-2023, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt Arnold

The Jays/Cards game certainly didn't help the average either.

The announcers touched on this on the broadcast but could you imagine how long a game with 19 runs and 34 hits would have taken with the old rules? You'd be looking at a four hour game at the very least.

I wish I still had Stathead so I could look up comparable game lengths to compare apples to apples and not apples to oranges like the SEA-CLE game.

r0nster · 03-31-2023, 12:09 PM

watch in the next few years the commercials will be 30 seconds longer and we be back AGAIN to complaining about game length... this isnt the first time

Rain King · 03-31-2023, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by r0nster

watch in the next few years the commercials will be 30 seconds longer and we be back AGAIN to complaining about game length... this isnt the first time

Even if that is the case, this has eliminated a bunch of dead time within the innings.

Also, there is currently a clock for between innings...so adding commercial time would require an adjustment to that rule to extend it (unless the broadcasts plan on missing action).

BaseballMan · 03-31-2023, 12:15 PM

Why would I want a baseball game to go by faster?

David Watts · 03-31-2023, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BaseballMan

Why would I want a baseball game to go by faster?

So Rick Sutcliffe has less time to talk and therefore less time to make each and everyone of us a little dumber for having heard it.

zappa1 · 03-31-2023, 12:27 PM

Pure propaganda. That's the big thing today. First off no mention of the 5 games that went over 3 hours. That's how propaganda works you only mention certain parts. Learn to read a box score. That would help plenty. 15 games played yesterday for a total of 2,664 minutes. Do the math not that fuzzy one but the real one. Comes to 177.6 minutes a game. That's 2 hours 57.6 minutes a game. Last year's average was 3:05 a game. Just like I said in an earlier post that you would be lucky to save ten minutes a game. Common sense people. Check every box score and do the math yourself. I stand by what I say that this is not necessary.

MikeG719 · 03-31-2023, 12:40 PM

Most necessary change baseball has made in a long time. The game had become unwatchable. People saying they're changing the game haven't realized how out of hand and bad the pace has gotten. Go watch a game from the early/mid 90's and tell me its the same as a game last year.

Love all the rule changes.

Matt Arnold · 03-31-2023, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doubles

The announcers touched on this on the broadcast but could you imagine how long a game with 19 runs and 34 hits would have taken with the old rules? You'd be looking at a four hour game at the very least.

I wish I still had Stathead so I could look up comparable game lengths to compare apples to apples and not apples to oranges like the SEA-CLE game.

Yeah. That's always the discussion "Length of Game" is mostly just a proxy for "Length of time between action". That Jays game was basically all action all the time. It was still almost 4 hours if my math is right, but yeah, it would have easily been 4.5 under the old rules.

Dr Naysay · 03-31-2023, 01:00 PM

Watching Karinchuk in the Ms game yesterday not get to touzle his hair for half a minute between pitches made me feel warm inside. The same goes for Alonso looking totally dumbfounded whilst he slowly strolled back to 1st base trying to game the clock and being put in his place.

LansdowneSt · 03-31-2023, 01:02 PM

I watched the Orioles run wild against my Sox. Once the league stabilizes, I look forward to threads about where the Stolen Base base modifiers can be found! Have not checked the other games but I felt for Reese McGuire.

Syd Thrift · 03-31-2023, 01:24 PM

There were a few times on the M's broadcast where they took a little break between at-bats to try and talk up buying tickets or what have you and they came back too late for the first pitch. Obviously the announcers are going to have to learn how to deal with the new time constraints but that's part of the charm to me: one of the upsides of pitching duels in the past was that they were in and out very quickly and it's nice to see that that is now once again the case.

Whatever else happens with the new rules, I really really hope they continue to enforce this because it's a great new addition.

MikeG719 · 03-31-2023, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt Arnold

Yeah. That's always the discussion "Length of Game" is mostly just a proxy for "Length of time between action". That Jays game was basically all action all the time. It was still almost 4 hours if my math is right, but yeah, it would have easily been 4.5 under the old rules.

3:38

But your point is the correct one. I watched that game and it never lagged. The pace is great now. No time to look down at your phone or get caught up in something else. Really brought my love back for the sport.

percolaten · 03-31-2023, 02:01 PM

Everyone seems to enjoy it so I'm doing my best to keep an open mind. Just blows me away that the days of the great build up to the crescendo of the moment when a pitch is thrown, i.e. Bob Welch k'ing Reggie Jackson to end Game 2 of the '78 series, are gone.

Brad K · 03-31-2023, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BaseballMan

Why would I want a baseball game to go by faster?

Considering what happens in the extra time, why do you want it? Would you watch a half hour video of one guy walking in circles around the mound and another guy adjusting his helmet, glove, and crotch?

MikeG719 · 03-31-2023, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by percolaten

Everyone seems to enjoy it so I'm doing my best to keep an open mind. Just blows me away that the days of the great build up to the crescendo of the moment when a pitch is thrown, i.e. Bob Welch k'ing Reggie Jackson to end Game 2 of the '78 series, are gone.

Year by Year Avg Game Time
https://www.baseball-reference.com/l...ors/misc.shtml

Games in the 70's moved at a much faster pace than these games even with a pitch clock. The players got way out of control with the adjustments between each pitch and stepping out of the box. You'll still have those moments.

MikeG719 · 03-31-2023, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brad K

Considering what happens in the extra time, why do you want it? Would you watch a half hour video of one guy walking in circles around the mound and another guy adjusting his helmet, glove, and crotch?

Who doesn't want to watch Juan Soto adjust his junk 12 times every at bat lol?

Westheim · 03-31-2023, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zappa1

Learn to read a box score. That would help plenty. 15 games played yesterday for a total of 2,664 minutes.

Yeah, maybe you should.

Games yesterday took an official 2,476 minutes in total, which 41 hours, 16 minutes in total, or just over 2:45 per game.

I know you're staunchly opposed and feel robbed of staring into the night sky along with Pedro Baez, but at least get your data straight.

Games below in the order in which they are listed on the daily scores page on bb-ref.

03-31-2023, 11:18 AM	#1
progen All Star Starter Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 1,526 Infractions: 0/1 (1)	Opening Day - MLB games on average, 26 minutes shorter Some good news from opening day! I watched the Phillies of course, and certainly enjoyed the pace of the game. Watched some of the Yankees/Giants game earlier, and things seemed to go smoothly. Late game between the Padres and Rockies where you had Blake Snell moving at his usual turtle pace, throwing 70 pitches through three innings, eventually a 7-2 win by the Rockies, game took 2 hours, 56 minutes, still 10 minutes shorter than the average game last year. Quickest game was Mariners beating the Guardians, 3-0, game took 2 hours, 14 minutes.

03-31-2023, 11:29 AM	#2
Markus Heinsohn Developer OOTP Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Germany Posts: 24,739	I like this trend. Watching a few games, I feel they could speed it up even more. Like 3 seconds less per pitch. __________________ Buy Out of the Park Baseball 25 now! Download OOTP Go 25 for iOS Download OOTP Go 25 for Android

03-31-2023, 01:02 PM	#13
LansdowneSt Hall Of Famer Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: From Duxbury, Mass residing Baltimore Posts: 5,175	I watched the Orioles run wild against my Sox. Once the league stabilizes, I look forward to threads about where the Stolen Base base modifiers can be found! Have not checked the other games but I felt for Reese McGuire. __________________ Complete Universe Facegen Pack 2.0 (mine included): https://www.mediafire.com/file_premi...k_2.0.zip/file Just my Facegen Pack: https://www.mediafire.com/file_premi..._Pack.zip/file

03-31-2023, 11:38 AM	#3
Matt Arnold OOTP Developer Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Here and there Posts: 14,158	The Jays/Cards game certainly didn't help the average either.

03-31-2023, 12:09 PM	#5
r0nster Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2006 Location: Michigan Posts: 3,002	watch in the next few years the commercials will be 30 seconds longer and we be back AGAIN to complaining about game length... this isnt the first time

03-31-2023, 12:15 PM	#7
BaseballMan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 6,273	Why would I want a baseball game to go by faster?

03-31-2023, 12:27 PM	#9
zappa1 All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 1,876	Pure propaganda. That's the big thing today. First off no mention of the 5 games that went over 3 hours. That's how propaganda works you only mention certain parts. Learn to read a box score. That would help plenty. 15 games played yesterday for a total of 2,664 minutes. Do the math not that fuzzy one but the real one. Comes to 177.6 minutes a game. That's 2 hours 57.6 minutes a game. Last year's average was 3:05 a game. Just like I said in an earlier post that you would be lucky to save ten minutes a game. Common sense people. Check every box score and do the math yourself. I stand by what I say that this is not necessary.

03-31-2023, 12:40 PM	#10
MikeG719 Minors (Double A) Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 167	Most necessary change baseball has made in a long time. The game had become unwatchable. People saying they're changing the game haven't realized how out of hand and bad the pace has gotten. Go watch a game from the early/mid 90's and tell me its the same as a game last year. Love all the rule changes.

03-31-2023, 01:00 PM	#12
Dr Naysay Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: Jul 2018 Posts: 49	Watching Karinchuk in the Ms game yesterday not get to touzle his hair for half a minute between pitches made me feel warm inside. The same goes for Alonso looking totally dumbfounded whilst he slowly strolled back to 1st base trying to game the clock and being put in his place.

03-31-2023, 02:01 PM	#16
percolaten All Star Reserve Join Date: Oct 2021 Posts: 599	Everyone seems to enjoy it so I'm doing my best to keep an open mind. Just blows me away that the days of the great build up to the crescendo of the moment when a pitch is thrown, i.e. Bob Welch k'ing Reggie Jackson to end Game 2 of the '78 series, are gone.