Pace of Games: Spring Training games move along nice and quickly

Watching these Spring Training games – the game doesn’t drag the way the regular season games do.  Some thoughts:

  • guys just get up there and swing.  Game 162 of the regular season often gets played in two hours and one minute.  It’s all this work the count stuff that makes the game drag….and working counts leads to….
  • Pitcher changes.  In the spring, you don’t really see mid-inning pitching changes.  Not sure what we can do about this in-season.

Anyone got any ideas?

One idea I have is what I used to do with my younger Little Leaguers which was GIGANTIC STRIKE ZONE.  In practice I would try and break them of the habit of standing there for an hour waiting for the perfect pitch (I am the anti-Alderson).  I’m talking like fourth graders so don’t get on my case about teaching bad habits.  You don’t need to work the count against St. Mary’s Church 4th grade team that is gonna just steal two bases as soon as they walk.

I’m also increasingly into THREE SWINGS.  Yes that’s a major change, but so was having a fat guy bat for the pitcher every time.  Maybe this would speed up the game, lower pitch counts, increase Ks (you guys like Ks) and maybe even bring the CG back.  I kind of like this idea.

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