This sounds particularly dreadful:
Schiller also mentioned a rule change being considered in an effort to save time on games that go into extra innings.They can't be serious, can they? This has to be a sarcastic reaction to our implementation of countdown clocks, shootouts, and golden goals, right?
"When the game enters the 10th inning, the next players on the roster are placed on first and second base and each team starts with one out,'' he said. "We feel that this proposal will help bring the game to an end in a timely manner.''
Damn Europeans and their typical disdain for tradition.
7 comments:
This doesn't surprise me in the least. In fact, I can almost say "I called this one". Not quite, but close.
According to the run expectancy matrix, you increase the likelihood of a team scoring by 80% by putting runners on first and second with one out over having the bases empty with nobody out (.9 vs .5). Yes, I think it's awful, since extra innings baseball is a wonderful thing. But I suppose it could be worse. They could put a man on third with nobody out. Or they could go to a home run derby format.
The Dutch and the Italians play a little baseball and the Spanish at least have a very small niche of people who play.
They'd be better off limiting it to two innings, and then declaring the game a draw after that.
Baseball already has them so you don't even have to change the rules.
The IBAF has the basic problem in that (unlike FIFA) it's authority in the baseball world is non-existent. In soccer there's constant arguments and disputes breaking out but FIFA pretty much has the last say as they control the sport's biggest cash cow. In baseball the biggest cash cows are all controlled by Selig and company.
There's a rule in a lot of amateur leagues that is similar -- after one extra inning (or none, or two, depending on the league), the next inning begins with a runner on second (usually the last batter who made out).
I think if there are Europeans willing to sit 2 1/2 hours for a 9 inning game, they should be thankful and give those people a proper game without a phony ending.
I think this rule is ironic since it comes so close to Carlin's death. Craig, you posted the Carlin deal a few days ago, about how baseball and football are different. That's the joy of baseball -- no clocks, no sense of time as to when a game will end...
Carlin's rolling over in his grave.
Voros is correct, the Italians, Dutch and Spanish have leagues. Some of the Italian club teams have stadiums that are pretty nice and compareable to High A ball stadium.
There were also an existing club team championship and National regional championships. I competed as a member of the French team in Nettuno, Italy in 1999. And yes I said French team. http://www.ffbsc.org/
I was actually paid to play for a French club team and do some clinics for the local kids. It was a pretty nice way to wrap up a baseball career.
Maybe this is just an overreaction to the week-long games of cricket that get played over there.
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