I mean I had an issue with it, but it's March. Oh, and WIP/Philly sports talk radio stinks. The beauty of the 2008 and 2017 championships are that this shit does not in any way stick with me like it used to. Though this past Super Bowl absolutely is atm lol
I mean I had an issue with it, but it's March. Oh, and WIP/Philly sports talk radio stinks. The beauty of the 2008 and 2017 championships are that this shit does not in any way stick with me like it used to. Though this past Super Bowl absolutely is atm lol
The World Series loss didn't really stick with me - the Astros were clearly the better team and they outlasted us. And the Bryce homer in Game 5 provided my favorite live sports memory ever - what else could you want? And the Eagles were sitting there at 8-0 so there was plenty to look forward to.
Re: WIP I started listening a little with all the Super Bowl hype but I'm exiting that train. Sometimes they are talking to an actual journalist which is useful, but that is the exception to the rule. Plenty of quality podcasts to keep me occupied. Along with, you know, music.
Post edited by Johnny Abruzzo on
Spectrum 10/27/09; New Orleans JazzFest 5/1/10; Made in America 9/2/12; Phila, PA 10/21/13; Phila, PA 10/22/13; Baltimore Arena 10/27/13; Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22; Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
Well Kurt Fucking Vile just showed up onstage at the Margo Price show.
I saw him show up with the opener at the Beach House show. How was Margo?
Spectrum 10/27/09; New Orleans JazzFest 5/1/10; Made in America 9/2/12; Phila, PA 10/21/13; Phila, PA 10/22/13; Baltimore Arena 10/27/13; Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22; Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
Well Kurt Fucking Vile just showed up onstage at the Margo Price show.
I saw him show up with the opener at the Beach House show. How was Margo?
Pretty great!
Nice. She rocks!
Spectrum 10/27/09; New Orleans JazzFest 5/1/10; Made in America 9/2/12; Phila, PA 10/21/13; Phila, PA 10/22/13; Baltimore Arena 10/27/13; Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22; Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
Well Kurt Fucking Vile just showed up onstage at the Margo Price show.
I saw him show up with the opener at the Beach House show. How was Margo?
Pretty great!
Nice. She rocks!
TLA? (Least that's what it looks like)
8/28/98- Camden, NJ
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
4/28/16- Philly, PA
4/29/16- Philly, PA
5/1/16- NYC
5/2/16- NYC
9/2/18- Boston, MA
9/4/18- Boston, MA
9/14/22- Camden, NJ
9/7/24- Philly, PA
9/9/24- Philly, PA
Tres Mts.- 3/23/11- Philly. PA
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
Well Kurt Fucking Vile just showed up onstage at the Margo Price show.
I saw him show up with the opener at the Beach House show. How was Margo?
Pretty great!
Nice. She rocks!
TLA? (Least that's what it looks like)
You are correct, sir. Big fan of the TLA.
yeah good venue. On;y been there a few times in the past five years or so (did go there twice last year though). Used to go there way more back in the day though.
8/28/98- Camden, NJ
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
4/28/16- Philly, PA
4/29/16- Philly, PA
5/1/16- NYC
5/2/16- NYC
9/2/18- Boston, MA
9/4/18- Boston, MA
9/14/22- Camden, NJ
9/7/24- Philly, PA
9/9/24- Philly, PA
Tres Mts.- 3/23/11- Philly. PA
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
Spectrum 10/27/09; New Orleans JazzFest 5/1/10; Made in America 9/2/12; Phila, PA 10/21/13; Phila, PA 10/22/13; Baltimore Arena 10/27/13; Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22; Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
Baseball’s hardline approach to the pitch clock is exactly what it needs to survive
Baseball's new pitch clock has been nothing short of revolutionary in spring training. Pitchers may suffer, but the sport will benefit.
The pitch clock, shown during a spring outing by Phillies pitcher Luis Ortiz, has done what MLB intended it to do so far this spring.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
by David Murphy | ColumnistUpdated on Mar 8, 2023, 5:00 a.m. ET
Gather ‘round, kids, and listen to a story about a year called 2011. It was a magical time. There was no TikTok. There was no inflation. There was barely even time itself. Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee were on the mound, and those two worked fast. The Phillies played 27 games in 2½ hours or less that season. For a baseball beat writer, it was like being granted a life-and-a-half. Nobody is more acutely aware of the length of a game than someone who does not have the freedom to turn it off.
It wasn’t until a few years later that I realized just how much of a slog baseball had become. After covering a few NBA games, I began to notice that I was walking out of the press box on the same day I walked in. I could take an actual train up Broad Street instead of a bus. I could get a drink if I wanted to. These were the Sixers, so I usually did.
Say what you will about regular-season basketball, but at least it’s over fast. Adam Silver and the gang know what works. Play some commercials, play some Drake, spend the rest of the time playing basketball.
It’s not exactly a novel concept, but baseball finally seems to be catching on. I was skeptical the sport would ever move beyond lip service in its quest to address its pace-of-play problems. Mound visits, three-batter rules, ghost runners — all suggested a hope that the issue could be solved simply by acknowledging it. The introduction of a pitch clock this season was just another gimmick. Except, after two weeks of spring training baseball, it looks like it could end up being a savior.
The early results are nothing short of staggering. On the opening weekend of spring training, the average game time was a mere 2 hours and 38 minutes, down from 3:01 a year earlier. That’s a difference of 23 minutes, a reduction of 12.7%. In the context of a regular-season night game, it’s going to bed at 9:45 versus 10:10.
The secret sauce is enforcement. Without consequences, there are no rules, and without rules there is no order. Two weeks of exhibition play suggest that Major League Baseball is doing what it needs to do to make this rule make a difference.
Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler is no fan of the new pitch clock.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
It probably isn’t fair. Baseball players are creatures of habit, of routine. Telling a pitcher to speed up his routine is like telling Punxsutawney Phil he’s going on a day early. At some point, nurture becomes nature. And things can go haywire when you mess with nature. Zack Wheeler has been among the more vocal pitchers in the Phillies clubhouse in expressing his uneasiness with the new time limit: 15 seconds with the bases empty, 20 seconds with men on, an automatic strike or ball for hitters or pitchers who do not abide.
“I think it messes with the game too much,” said Wheeler, one of several pitchers who have said they felt rushed.
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But Wheeler and his brethren are going to have to make do. As uncomfortable as they may be with their leading roles in baseball’s war against time, they are fighting the battle on their own behalf. They need this to work, or the sport itself will be on the clock. Television ratings are down. The last three World Series were the three least-watched in the last 50-plus years. During the 2022 regular season, attendance was down 6% from where it was pre-pandemic.
The problem isn’t the pace of play itself as much as it is its second-order effects. The most exciting part of a baseball game is its last few innings. The longer a game goes, the fewer people manage to stay up to watch those innings. It simply isn’t good business to condition your audience to catch up on what they missed the morning after.
There will be an adjustment period. Look at Aaron Nola, for instance. Last season, he was one of the slower pitchers in baseball, regardless of situation. But his tempo really dragged with runners on base. In those situations, he ranked 371st out of 399 qualified pitchers, at 26.6 seconds per pitch. Even when you factor in the roughly 6 seconds that will elapse between a pitcher’s release and the start of the next pitch clock, Nola still needs to shave about a second off that tempo.
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Is that significant? Maybe not. But it’s also not nothing. Anybody who thinks otherwise is drastically underestimating the muscle memory and biorhythms that professional athletes develop over their lifetimes. Since breaking into the majors in 2015, Nola has thrown 19,280 pitches. Roughly a third of those pitches have come with men on base. On each one of those pitches — the ones measured by Statcast, at least — he has worked at roughly the same tempo: 26.6 seconds with men on base. Now, suddenly, he has 5% less time before each one of his pitches. He’s like a 33-rpm record that needs to reprogram itself to a 45.
Aaron Nola's tempo really dragged with runners on base.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
That said, athletes also know how to adapt in order to survive. Wheeler and Nola are the generation responsible for getting the sport back to a sustainable pace. Compared to the 27 games they played within 2½ hours in 2011, last year they played six.
The bigger problem lies on the other end of the spectrum. In 2022, the Phillies played 16 games that lasted longer than 3:45, more than twice as many as in 2011. Granted, the pitching was especially good in 2011, but that was only part of the story. In 2008-10, they played a total of 17 games that lasted longer than 3:45.
Baseball is at a point where it need to develop some new habits. That’s true for its pitchers, but also for its audience. People need to be able to expect to watch a full game in the same block of time they’d devote to another form of entertainment. If you watched all 162 games in 2022, you would have spent 21 days, 12 hours and 17 minutes of your life watching baseball. That’s nearly two full days longer than it would have taken you in 2008. In the end, this is one small step for pitchers and hitters, and one giant step for the rest of our productivity.
I am 100% in favor of the pitch clock. I don't really mind the zombie runner either, in the regular season.
Spectrum 10/27/09; New Orleans JazzFest 5/1/10; Made in America 9/2/12; Phila, PA 10/21/13; Phila, PA 10/22/13; Baltimore Arena 10/27/13; Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22; Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
Nice. I enjoy rocking the t-shirt that nobody knows what it's talking about. "To be clear ma'am, this band is against drugs - they have in fact declared war on them."
Spectrum 10/27/09; New Orleans JazzFest 5/1/10; Made in America 9/2/12; Phila, PA 10/21/13; Phila, PA 10/22/13; Baltimore Arena 10/27/13; Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22; Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
My buddy lives in Center City and seems to be outsourcing his mayor vote research to me. Anyway. What’s up with this Cherelle Davis candidate?
Spectrum 10/27/09; New Orleans JazzFest 5/1/10; Made in America 9/2/12; Phila, PA 10/21/13; Phila, PA 10/22/13; Baltimore Arena 10/27/13; Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22; Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
My buddy lives in Center City and seems to be outsourcing his mayor vote research to me. Anyway. What’s up with this Cherelle Davis candidate?
I think you mean Parker? She's....fine. She had some quotes, which I can't find at the moment, re: housing/zoning & people who rent and I wasn't too enthused after that. Prior to that I was pretty open to her candidacy, but that was also before other candidates I preferred were in the race. But she's fine, and I know she just got the SEIU endorsement which is not nothing.
I think there's 7 legit candidates in this race: Rhynhart, Parker, Brown, Domb, Quinonez-Sanchez, Gym, Green. The rest are jokes. Of these ones I'm very anti-Brown/Domb/Green (less so on Green, though).
The amount of candidates for At-Large and Mayor is an absolute joke. If anything this should all mean there should be an outcry for Approval Voting or Rank Choice Voting (my preference).
At the point this is where I'm leaning, personally (Dem ticket for the primary):
Mayor: Rhynhart
City Council At-Large (vote for up to 5): Santamoor Almiron Itzkowitz Landau McIllmurray
City Council District 1(my district): No vote, kinda pissed Squilla's not being primaried.
Don't know where your buddy lives in CC but Council districts there would be either 1, 2, or 5. I would just say if he's in 2 to not vote for KJ. Fuck that guy.
Controller: Brady
Commissioner: No vote, do not like either candidate on the Dem ticket and cannot believe they're not being challenged.
Register of Wills: Tracey Gordon
Sheriff: No vote, fuck this office, it should be abolished. We have cops already, along with other admin offices to deal with property liens. We don't need this office that has been nothing more than a nepo & fraudulent office for "leaders" to line their pockets with sheriff sales and whatnot.
Not great! I don't want him pitching in the Majors this year unless it's absolutely, desperately needed.
I also forgot Harper had surgery during the off-season and won't be back until around the all star break
8/28/98- Camden, NJ
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
4/28/16- Philly, PA
4/29/16- Philly, PA
5/1/16- NYC
5/2/16- NYC
9/2/18- Boston, MA
9/4/18- Boston, MA
9/14/22- Camden, NJ
9/7/24- Philly, PA
9/9/24- Philly, PA
Tres Mts.- 3/23/11- Philly. PA
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
Good ol' Vanimal. The Brits put a whole lot of effort into those unis...
GR BRI EAT TAIN is what I read every time.
0
F Me In The Brain
this knows everybody from other commets Posts: 31,378
Did you see the pitcher from the Italian team celebrating a strikeout? That shit is awesome. Went to some games at petco and Doyers stadium the first few WBCs. Always fun. Saw Japan both times, in semis, if I recall correctly. Beat USA once and I wasn't sad. Saw some other game one of the years prior to the championship round. Can't recall that long ago....
2026 World Cup, that one of the 48 teams, has been changed to have 12 4-team groups rather than 16 3-team groups. What does that have to do with this thread? More games in PHILLY!!!
Spectrum 10/27/09; New Orleans JazzFest 5/1/10; Made in America 9/2/12; Phila, PA 10/21/13; Phila, PA 10/22/13; Baltimore Arena 10/27/13; Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22; Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
No MMJ show in Philly. :( They are playing at something called The Anthem in DC late July.
Spectrum 10/27/09; New Orleans JazzFest 5/1/10; Made in America 9/2/12; Phila, PA 10/21/13; Phila, PA 10/22/13; Baltimore Arena 10/27/13; Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22; Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
No MMJ show in Philly. :( They are playing at something called The Anthem in DC late July.
Kinda sucks, unless you want to go north for the Peach Festival in Scranton. Least the DC date is on a Saturday.
8/28/98- Camden, NJ
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
4/28/16- Philly, PA
4/29/16- Philly, PA
5/1/16- NYC
5/2/16- NYC
9/2/18- Boston, MA
9/4/18- Boston, MA
9/14/22- Camden, NJ
9/7/24- Philly, PA
9/9/24- Philly, PA
Tres Mts.- 3/23/11- Philly. PA
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
Comments
The World Series loss didn't really stick with me - the Astros were clearly the better team and they outlasted us. And the Bryce homer in Game 5 provided my favorite live sports memory ever - what else could you want? And the Eagles were sitting there at 8-0 so there was plenty to look forward to.
Re: WIP
I started listening a little with all the Super Bowl hype but I'm exiting that train. Sometimes they are talking to an actual journalist which is useful, but that is the exception to the rule. Plenty of quality podcasts to keep me occupied. Along with, you know, music.
Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22;
Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22;
Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22;
Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
TLA? (Least that's what it looks like)
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
4/28/16- Philly, PA
4/29/16- Philly, PA
5/1/16- NYC
5/2/16- NYC
9/2/18- Boston, MA
9/4/18- Boston, MA
9/14/22- Camden, NJ
9/7/24- Philly, PA
9/9/24- Philly, PA
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
yeah good venue. On;y been there a few times in the past five years or so (did go there twice last year though). Used to go there way more back in the day though.
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
4/28/16- Philly, PA
4/29/16- Philly, PA
5/1/16- NYC
5/2/16- NYC
9/2/18- Boston, MA
9/4/18- Boston, MA
9/14/22- Camden, NJ
9/7/24- Philly, PA
9/9/24- Philly, PA
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22;
Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
https://www.inquirer.com/phillies/baseball-pitch-clock-spring-training-results-20230308.html#loaded
Baseball’s hardline approach to the pitch clock is exactly what it needs to survive
Baseball's new pitch clock has been nothing short of revolutionary in spring training. Pitchers may suffer, but the sport will benefit.
by David Murphy | ColumnistUpdated on Mar 8, 2023, 5:00 a.m. ET
Gather ‘round, kids, and listen to a story about a year called 2011. It was a magical time. There was no TikTok. There was no inflation. There was barely even time itself. Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee were on the mound, and those two worked fast. The Phillies played 27 games in 2½ hours or less that season. For a baseball beat writer, it was like being granted a life-and-a-half. Nobody is more acutely aware of the length of a game than someone who does not have the freedom to turn it off.
It wasn’t until a few years later that I realized just how much of a slog baseball had become. After covering a few NBA games, I began to notice that I was walking out of the press box on the same day I walked in. I could take an actual train up Broad Street instead of a bus. I could get a drink if I wanted to. These were the Sixers, so I usually did.
Say what you will about regular-season basketball, but at least it’s over fast. Adam Silver and the gang know what works. Play some commercials, play some Drake, spend the rest of the time playing basketball.
» READ MORE: Baseball’s attempt to speed up the game has some Phillies feeling rushed: ‘It’s advantage pitchers’
It’s not exactly a novel concept, but baseball finally seems to be catching on. I was skeptical the sport would ever move beyond lip service in its quest to address its pace-of-play problems. Mound visits, three-batter rules, ghost runners — all suggested a hope that the issue could be solved simply by acknowledging it. The introduction of a pitch clock this season was just another gimmick. Except, after two weeks of spring training baseball, it looks like it could end up being a savior.
The early results are nothing short of staggering. On the opening weekend of spring training, the average game time was a mere 2 hours and 38 minutes, down from 3:01 a year earlier. That’s a difference of 23 minutes, a reduction of 12.7%. In the context of a regular-season night game, it’s going to bed at 9:45 versus 10:10.
The secret sauce is enforcement. Without consequences, there are no rules, and without rules there is no order. Two weeks of exhibition play suggest that Major League Baseball is doing what it needs to do to make this rule make a difference.
» READ MORE: Small thoughts about big things: Tender elbows, quarterback contracts, and the Sixers
It probably isn’t fair. Baseball players are creatures of habit, of routine. Telling a pitcher to speed up his routine is like telling Punxsutawney Phil he’s going on a day early. At some point, nurture becomes nature. And things can go haywire when you mess with nature. Zack Wheeler has been among the more vocal pitchers in the Phillies clubhouse in expressing his uneasiness with the new time limit: 15 seconds with the bases empty, 20 seconds with men on, an automatic strike or ball for hitters or pitchers who do not abide.
“I think it messes with the game too much,” said Wheeler, one of several pitchers who have said they felt rushed.
But Wheeler and his brethren are going to have to make do. As uncomfortable as they may be with their leading roles in baseball’s war against time, they are fighting the battle on their own behalf. They need this to work, or the sport itself will be on the clock. Television ratings are down. The last three World Series were the three least-watched in the last 50-plus years. During the 2022 regular season, attendance was down 6% from where it was pre-pandemic.
» READ MORE: Three new MLB rules, and three Phillies who likely will be impacted
The problem isn’t the pace of play itself as much as it is its second-order effects. The most exciting part of a baseball game is its last few innings. The longer a game goes, the fewer people manage to stay up to watch those innings. It simply isn’t good business to condition your audience to catch up on what they missed the morning after.
There will be an adjustment period. Look at Aaron Nola, for instance. Last season, he was one of the slower pitchers in baseball, regardless of situation. But his tempo really dragged with runners on base. In those situations, he ranked 371st out of 399 qualified pitchers, at 26.6 seconds per pitch. Even when you factor in the roughly 6 seconds that will elapse between a pitcher’s release and the start of the next pitch clock, Nola still needs to shave about a second off that tempo.
Is that significant? Maybe not. But it’s also not nothing. Anybody who thinks otherwise is drastically underestimating the muscle memory and biorhythms that professional athletes develop over their lifetimes. Since breaking into the majors in 2015, Nola has thrown 19,280 pitches. Roughly a third of those pitches have come with men on base. On each one of those pitches — the ones measured by Statcast, at least — he has worked at roughly the same tempo: 26.6 seconds with men on base. Now, suddenly, he has 5% less time before each one of his pitches. He’s like a 33-rpm record that needs to reprogram itself to a 45.
That said, athletes also know how to adapt in order to survive. Wheeler and Nola are the generation responsible for getting the sport back to a sustainable pace. Compared to the 27 games they played within 2½ hours in 2011, last year they played six.
The bigger problem lies on the other end of the spectrum. In 2022, the Phillies played 16 games that lasted longer than 3:45, more than twice as many as in 2011. Granted, the pitching was especially good in 2011, but that was only part of the story. In 2008-10, they played a total of 17 games that lasted longer than 3:45.
Baseball is at a point where it need to develop some new habits. That’s true for its pitchers, but also for its audience. People need to be able to expect to watch a full game in the same block of time they’d devote to another form of entertainment. If you watched all 162 games in 2022, you would have spent 21 days, 12 hours and 17 minutes of your life watching baseball. That’s nearly two full days longer than it would have taken you in 2008. In the end, this is one small step for pitchers and hitters, and one giant step for the rest of our productivity.
Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22;
Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22;
Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22;
Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
I think there's 7 legit candidates in this race: Rhynhart, Parker, Brown, Domb, Quinonez-Sanchez, Gym, Green. The rest are jokes. Of these ones I'm very anti-Brown/Domb/Green (less so on Green, though).
This is so far who is on the ballot in May:
https://vote.phila.gov/news/2023/03/06/2023-primary-list-of-candidates-who-filed-nomination-petitions/
The amount of candidates for At-Large and Mayor is an absolute joke. If anything this should all mean there should be an outcry for Approval Voting or Rank Choice Voting (my preference).
At the point this is where I'm leaning, personally (Dem ticket for the primary):
Mayor: Rhynhart
City Council At-Large (vote for up to 5):
Santamoor
Almiron
Itzkowitz
Landau
McIllmurray
City Council District 1(my district): No vote, kinda pissed Squilla's not being primaried.
Don't know where your buddy lives in CC but Council districts there would be either 1, 2, or 5. I would just say if he's in 2 to not vote for KJ. Fuck that guy.
Controller: Brady
Commissioner: No vote, do not like either candidate on the Dem ticket and cannot believe they're not being challenged.
Register of Wills: Tracey Gordon
Sheriff: No vote, fuck this office, it should be abolished. We have cops already, along with other admin offices to deal with property liens. We don't need this office that has been nothing more than a nepo & fraudulent office for "leaders" to line their pockets with sheriff sales and whatnot.
I also forgot Harper had surgery during the off-season and won't be back until around the all star break
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
4/28/16- Philly, PA
4/29/16- Philly, PA
5/1/16- NYC
5/2/16- NYC
9/2/18- Boston, MA
9/4/18- Boston, MA
9/14/22- Camden, NJ
9/7/24- Philly, PA
9/9/24- Philly, PA
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
It always seems like an obligation/vacation for the US, while fun as hell to watch literally any other team.
GR BRI EAT TAIN is what I read every time.
That shit is awesome.
Went to some games at petco and Doyers stadium the first few WBCs. Always fun.
Saw Japan both times, in semis, if I recall correctly. Beat USA once and I wasn't sad.
Saw some other game one of the years prior to the championship round. Can't recall that long ago....
Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22;
Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22;
Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
4/28/16- Philly, PA
4/29/16- Philly, PA
5/1/16- NYC
5/2/16- NYC
9/2/18- Boston, MA
9/4/18- Boston, MA
9/14/22- Camden, NJ
9/7/24- Philly, PA
9/9/24- Philly, PA
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA