The larger bases are intended to promote more base stealing, an exciting aspect of the game that has grown increasingly rare. With two infielders required on either side of second base, left-handed batters in particular may no longer see their best attempts absorbed by a wall of defenders, likely inflating batting averages. "The pitcher has complete control of the situation and dictates the pace now."Īnother major change - outlawing the shift - will allow for more hits, making games more exciting for fans. We knew it's coming," New York Mets' eight-time All-Star ace Max Scherzer said during a televised interview. "We've been game-planning this for basically a year now. Others have taken to the new rules that were extensively tested in the minor leagues with ease. Hitters must be in the batters box with no less than eight seconds left on the timer, and there is a 30-second limit between batters - all changes designed to quicken play. The new rule gives the pitcher 15 seconds in between pitches with the bases empty and 20 seconds with runners on base. "Get the ball, pitch the ball."įor some players, it hasn't been quite so simple.Ītlanta Braves shortstop Cal Conley was left in disbelief after a umpire called strike three on him for a clock violation last month, ending a spring training game against the Boston Red Sox in the bottom of the ninth inning with bases loaded. "This is the game we all want to see," he says. "It's the best game in the world - now, it's even better," declares "Breaking Bad" star Bryan Cranston in a new MLB ad campaign, part of the league's charm offensive to get baseball purists to embrace change. It marks the biggest collection of changes to America's "national pasttime" since Alexander Cartwright pioneered the sport in the 1800s and established a basic rubric that governs the game in ballparks across the country decades later. NEW YORK, March 28 (Reuters) - Larger bases, a pitch clock and the elimination of the infield shift await fans as Major League Baseball (MLB) kicks off its regular season on Thursday with new rules designed to speed up games and put more balls in play.
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