How would you shorten MLB games???

[Uncle Fester]

A nice Friday topic---

These 4+ hour baseball games are killing me!

I'd like to see games shortened to 7 innings.

How about you- What would you do to bring the games back to a more reasonable 3 hours?

[MikeAurelius]

Get rid of the forced TV commercial breaks.

[TEdFitz]

Ditch the TV, watch the highlights on sportcenter. Too much energy, both visually and auditory, spent in front of the tube. Listen to full games on the radio...goes by faster and less filling.

[Uncle Fester]

Get rid of the forced TV commercial breaks.

Then announcers would be forced to read advertisements between pitches....umm nevermind!!!

[nicksims]

Try this- watch the game but turn the volume off. Then turn on the radio broadcast. It's strange at first, especially when the camera is focused on the announcers. But the announcing is usually a little better on the radio. As for time? How about reigning in all the meetings and between batter conversations?

[scriptfiller]

The uniqueness of MLB, no time clock. I do agree with the TV "times out" makes the games a drag when seeing them in person.

[Steve Machol]

I used to watch Baseball when I wanted to take a nap. It was as good as any sleep aid.

[vcom]

When I lived in Mass, the local sports station, NESN would replay the previous nights Red Sox game in a condensed version form 8am to 10am. Called it 'Sox in 2' I think. Eliminating all the nonsense between pitches took at least one hour off the game time. I remember hearing about the Umpires being responsible for maintaining the pace of the game, and pitchers actually getting fines for taking too long to deliver the ball to the plate. Fines must not be very much, because I haven't noticed any change. - side note- Red Sox vs Yankees games have routinely been some of the longest games played. Almost always going past 3 hours, and quite often longer than 4.

[Prentice Pro 9000]

"How would you shorten MLB games?" Leave early.

lol, but seriously, I think your idea of 7 innings is good, and then for champion games they could extend it to 9.

[waynegilpin]

OK, I know all the baseball junkies will tell me why these are bad ideas but,

If you're going to walk a batter, just wave him to first base instead of four balls thrown to the catcher standing 5 feet outside of the plate.

If the manager is going to go to the bull pen............JUST DO IT. Don't wander out and talk with the pitcher three times for five minutes each after three consecutive home runs and then call in the reliever. Pull the guy, it's not his day. "Better luck next time buddy. Ya still get a check this week. Go get a beer"

[Uncle Fester]

I like'm Wayne!

I'd also like to see relief pitchers who must pitch to at least 3 successive batters or a minimum (25?) pick a number of pitches.

[anthonyf1509]

As a former ballplayer, it's easy to just say "that's the beauty of the game..." But that's nonsense.
The major league level is out of control.

2 strikes, 3 balls would cut a game in 1/2

[rbaker]

A seven inning game would bring great confusion to the statistical underpining of MLB. Can you just imagin sitting around a gin mill comparing statistics between seven inning games and nine inning games, ie. the designated hitter rule.

MLB has been doing just fine all these years - dont screw around with success.

The problem is not four hour games; it is individuals with three hour attention spans!

[Uncle Fester]

So Dick is the national pastime still baseball?

I don't think so!

And if we pushed the reset button with a seven inning game wouldn't it produce a new set of statistics post steroid era?
(Not that they changed some players stats.)

[scriptfiller]

Pandora's box shortening the game. How many perfect games/no hitters have there been going into the 8th and 9th innings? The luster of the no hitter and perfect game would be tarnished. Offensive stats. would fall.

[vcom]

If they did change to 7 innings, what would that do to the bullpen? Would you even need one anymore? Would they save on that payroll and get more position players? Would they just end up babying the Starters and pull them after 4 or 5 innings or 75 pitches instead of 100+? Would ticket prices come down? More importantly, would beer prices come down??

If 5 innings is 'technically' a complete game, what about playing double headers, two 5 inning games every day? Day game, and a night game! You could take your wife and kids to the day game, and then go out with your pals-n-gals to the night game!! I'm a genius!!

[Uncle Fester]

If they did change to 7 innings, what would that do to the bullpen? Would you even need one anymore? Would they save on that payroll and get more position players?

The owners would bargain for a smaller roster.

I'm sure the ticket prices would be lowered to reflect the savings. NOT!!!

[SeaU2020]

My husband records them and then fast forwards through the commercials...

[MasterCrafter]

Without question it is the pitching that has really extended the length of the games.

How many pitchers do they need to pitch 1 game? I mean really....4, 5, 6??

Anyways GO TIGERS... Miguel Cabrera best player in baseball ATM