the first new MLB rules since '96

anyone thrilled with Bud's "improve the on-field issues" committee? O BOY, GEORGE WILL

i wish they had invited some of the brighter young managers in the game. george will can burn, obv. i don't think any players should be in there because baseball players are really dumb.

low-hanging fruit?

http://mlb.sbnation.com/2012/5/10/3012029/mlb-fake-to-third-throw-to-first-move-balk

so the idea is that would speed up the game?

does it even happen once every 5 games?

maybe that?! of all the things dumb about baseball i never thought the fake to 3rd was one of them.

Granderson fell for the banana in the tailpipe?

RHPs will step off the rubber and do the same damn thing. It will probably happen with roughly the same frequency.

Neyer predicts that, SOMEDAY, MLB will have to reduce strikeouts and pitching changes to shorten games.

http://mlb.sbnation.com/2012/5/29/3048980/ernesto-frieri-angels-strikeouts

Neyer's been on that soapbox for a while. Anyway, the game goes in cycles so I wouldn't assume that strikeouts are some runaway phenomenon that's going to necessitate a significant rule change.

The fake-to-third/throw-to-first will now be ruled a balk:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/mlb/news/20130126/pickoff-rule-change.ap/

The hidden-ball-trick's days are surely numbered.

ha, i used to do this all the time when i played

will cut 30 seconds off the average game

I wonder if the LV sports books are offering an o/u on the number of balks that will come of this in 2013.

looking to ban collisions at home

http://www.baseballnation.com/2013/12/12/5201700/mlb-banning-collisions-home-plate-winter-meetings-rules

http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/2014/1/28/5353948/baseball-padded-caps-pitchers-safety

"Just reading through it, the main thing it does is eliminate the malicious collision," Posey told ESPN's "Baseball Tonight" on Tuesday morning. "If the catcher is not set up right on top of the plate, it doesn't allow the runner to run through him."

Posey said the tweak to the rule would not alter the way he prepares for the season as a catcher or as a baserunner.

"For the most part, I think it'll stay pretty much the same," Posey said. "We've never been taught to set up right on top of the plate; we've always been taught to give the runner a little bit of the plate.

"[As a baserunner], my mindset, when I'm coming around third, is to slide hard and late."

Texas Rangers catcher J.P. Arencibia said the new rule "takes away the malicious intent behind the play at the plate."

"It stops guys just going out of their way just to try to dislodge the baseball when [catchers] have the plate," Rangers manager Ron Washington said.

Hall of Famer George Brett, the Kansas City Royals' vice president of baseball operations, said he doesn't like the rule even though he understands that the objective is to reduce injuries.

"I'm not a big fan of it," Brett told ESPN.com. "Catchers are taught to put their foot right in front of home plate, and the plays are bang-bang. I like the collision.

"I don't sit around at home at night and think about it. This is the first time I've thought about it since two months ago when somebody told me, 'They can't run into catchers anymore.' I said, 'That sucks. I love that play.'"

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/10512206/mlb-bans-home-collisions-1-exception

so without amending the rulebook, MLB has redefined a legal catch

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article/mlb/transfer-rule-focus-of-cleveland-replay?ymd=20140409&content_id=71485458&vkey=news_mlb

I'm sure you've heard, they've fixed this idiotic transfer thing

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/mlb-makes-1st-major-adjustment-of-replay-era-tweaks-transfer-rule-042514

Rules quiz:

http://www.sbnation.com/2014/8/27/6075321/obscure-mlb-rules-quiz

I got 7/10.

In the Arizona Fall League this year:

http://deadspin.com/baseball-will-test-out-six-new-rules-to-speed-up-the-ga-1641283166

Hitters must keep at least one foot inside the batter's box at all times, barring exceptions like foul balls, wild pitches, or if the umpire grants him time out.

Pitchers must throw a pitch within 20 seconds of receiving the ball. Clocks posted in each dugout will count down the 20 seconds.

There will be a maximum break between innings of 2:05, with a clock keeping track. Hitters must be in the batter's box by 1:45. If the hitter's not ready, the umpire can call a strike. If the pitcher doesn't throw a pitch by 2:05, the umpire can call a ball.

Teams will have a maximum of 2:30 to change pitchers, with the clock starting as soon as the reliever enters the playing field.

Teams are limited to a maximum of three mound visits per game, not including pitching changes. This applies to trips to the mound by managers, coaches, and catchers.

Pitchers no longer have to deliver four balls for an intentional walk. The manager can simply signal to the umpire.

new pace rules for MLB this year

http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/2015/2/20/8075545/mlb-pace-of-play-changes-effective-2015

MLB, MLBPA ADOPT SLIDE RULE ON DOUBLE PLAYS, PACE OF GAME CHANGES
Interference Rule Governing Double Play Slides Clarified;
Mound Visits, Break Times Adjusted in Pace of Game Program

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/165429062/pace-of-game-changes-new-slide-rule-adopted

“People watch the UFC. But they get mad when a guy breaks his ankle at second base because of a hard slide. I don't get it." -- Ian Kinsler, future Fox analyst

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ce_iquoVAAELtrm.jpg:large

In the 9th last night vs the Mets, Jayson Werth was called out for interference making a late slide on a DP breakup attempt. I'm getting a little sick of Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling grousing about the new unmacho world (Keith sneered about "the geniuses" who effected the rule). Nats GM Rizzo also got into a shouting match with the umps after the game. Tough shit, dinosaurs.

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/watch-ninth-inning-slide-rule-call-plays-a-big-part-in-mets-win-over-nats/

https://www.sny.tv/mets/news/nats-gm-ump-argue-over-call-on-werth-slide/188622326

oh go fuck yourselves

"Major League Baseball plans on testing a rule change in the lowest levels of the minor leagues this season that automatically would place a runner on second base at the start of extra innings, a distinct break from the game’s orthodoxy that nonetheless has wide-ranging support at the highest levels of the league, sources familiar with the plan told Yahoo Sports."

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/mlb-plans-to-test-new-extra-innings-rules-in-rookie-ball-with-joe-torres-approval-224914115.html

What in the blue hell is that all about.

Honestly, I would prefer ties in baseball to a dumb rule change like that.

“It’s not fun to watch when you go through your whole pitching staff and wind up bringing a utility infielder in to pitch.

gotta disagree with you there, Joe.

i will give you each $1000 if this ever becomes a major league rule

twist: the free runner on second base is bartolo colon

Anthony Castrovince @castrovince
This idea has uncovered quite a number of rookie ball purists.

first they came for rookie league, and i said nothing

gonna need one for this, because c'mon

https://twitter.com/AJCassavell/status/831916548369510400

that's even worse than jordan walden

no one ever calls traveling anymore

that is a fucking weird delivery.

Cater Crapps

@JeffPassan
Rob Manfred: There will not be substantive rules changes in 2017 due to "lack of cooperation from the MLBPA."

@EricFisherSBJ
And Manfred then reveals a new chestnut in new labor deal: a unilateral ability by the league to impose rules changes as soon as next yr

@JeffPassan
Among the rules changes MLB could impose, per Manfred: a pitch clock, a smaller strike zone, fewer visits to the mound, auto-intentional BB.

yay lack of cooperation

As part of its initiative to improve pace-of-game play, Major League Baseball has approved a change to the intentional walk rule, going from the traditional four-pitch walk to a dugout signal, team and union sources told ESPN's Howard Bryant.

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/18737245/mlb-union-agree-get-rid-traditional-intentional-walkwill-use-signal-dugout

this will save nearly 12 seconds per game

i'm so pissed that the miggy cabrera intentional walk single will never happen again

ugh

what about the Johnny Bench WORLD SERIES fake-IBB strikeout?

(1972)

i was not alive but that sounds tremendous

two feet would just seem to radically alter a hitter's read on breaking pitches especially, if it's that much I would expect offensive numbers to go through the roof

yeah two feet would be nuts. maybe a couple of inches - I think the issue is that it's not really physically possible to identify and hit a 105 mph fastball, right?

fwiw, i watched jordan hicks throw quite a few 103, 104, 105 mph pitches last year, with very few strikeouts. even at 60'6", hitters seemed able to at least make contact.

New Atlantic League rules in some detail: http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/26190498/robot-umps-shift-ban-coming-atlantic-league

• Extending the distance between the pitching rubber from 60 feet, 6 inches to 62 feet, 6 inches in the second half of the season

^Again this seems so completely OTT! I think I could bunt my way close to with the Mendoza line at that distance

"we're experimenting with raising the height of the rim to 12 feet"

on the one hand moving the mound midseason seems like a jarring change for players
on the other hand it would provide much better data for people evaluating how moving the mound would affect the game, because you'd have two samples with roughly the same players in similar gameshape, rather than two separate sesaons
on the other hand it seems kinda rude to MLB teams with atlantic league teams, because they have to deal with both their pitchers/hitters making changes to their technique/timing

no MLB teams have atlantic league teams, it's an independent league

nice! that leaves me with two hands again

whoa, i didn't realize there were all these other new rules in the atlantic league, too (i should have read hadrian's link):

The slate of rule changes to be implemented in the Atlantic League are as follows:

Home plate umpire assisted in calling balls and strikes by a TrackMan radar tracking system.
No mound visits permitted by players or coaches other than for pitching changes or medical issues.
Pitchers must face a minimum of three batters, or reach the end of an inning before they exit the game, unless the pitcher becomes injured.
Increase the size of 1st, 2nd and 3rd base from 15 inches square to 18 inches square.
Require two infielders to be on each side of second base when a pitch is released (if not, the ball is dead and the umpire shall call a ball).
Time between innings and pitching changes reduced from 2:05 to 1:45.
Distance from pitching rubber to home plate extended 24 inches, in the second half of the season only; with no change to mound height or shape.

Time between innings and pitching changes reduced from 2:05 to 1:45.

^ this would be great but seems highly unlikely

Wouldn't moving the mound back shorten leads and discourage base stealing? Pick-off attempts will come at a shallower angle, seems like that would cut down on runners going first-to-third, taking an extra base, etc.

I just can't believe they are even considering monkeying with the geometry of the game like this! I mean just lower the mound again if you want more contact/action.

Lots of @mlb rule changes for 2019 and 2020: pic.twitter.com/Bn89KReec0

— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) March 14, 2019

ok pitching to a minimum of three hitters or until the end of a half inning makes this more palatable

Only five mound visits now instead of six--they're getting serious about speeding things up.

"Position players will be prohibited from pitching in games that don’t go into extra innings, unless a team is ahead or behind by at least eight runs." - i mean, fine, but i don't really get why this has to be a rule

I think it has something to do w/ preventing teams from manipulating the new pitcher/position player designations?

Elimination of 40 player roster, too!

Interesting changes! I'm really excited to see how the relief pitcher / opener rules pan out (in 2020).

No more waiver trades too! The trade deadline just got even more exciting.

The fact that the 40-man Sept. roster expansion doesn't reduce to 28 until 2020 increases Tim Tebow's chances of being a big leaguer.

— JJ Cooper (@jjcoop36) March 14, 2019

I call this "overmanaging"

playing Seymour Skinner re position players pitching particularly

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/mlb-announces-major-rule-changes-for-2019-and-2020/

A commenter asks:

"Not that this will be [a frequent] occurrence but I’m still waiting to see how it will be handled if a team makes two mound visits before a pitcher faces three batters. We would have one rule requiring the pitcher be removed from the game and another stating that he is not allowed to be removed. Is baseball just broken at that point?"

Oof.

What about a pitcher feigning injury? We know it doesn't count as a mound visit. But will it also allow managers to skirt 3-hitter rule? Will said pitcher be obliged to do a DL stint? So much unnecessary dumbness.

dl il stint

supposedly the three-batter rule will be implemented in the (affiliated) minors this season. i don't think it will come up too much, though -- there aren't really minor league LOOGYs or convoluted platoon matches because the games don't mean anything

RIP pitch clock?

yeah :/

seems like overkill

MLB is at Nationals’ camp today workshopping a new communication device for pitchers and catchers. It would allow catchers to type a pitch call (with location) into a watch that is connected to a watch the pitcher is wearing on the mound. An effort to eliminate sign-stealing.

— Jesse Dougherty (@dougherty_jesse) March 18, 2019

ugh

real galaxy brain shit right there

sign stealing is the best

a good way to speed up the game is to have the catcher text the pitcher on his apple watch before every pitch

yeah wtf

a century from now MLB will have "evolved" into 162 home run derbies + a midseason "old school" classic w base running, fielding, etc

classy

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D2wy5U4WkAAuvkb.jpg

the shark has pearly teeth

apparently the mound will *not* be moved back in the atlantic league this season after all

good news for new long island duck jon niese

that did seem the most harebrained

thought this was a joke; apparently it is not

Atlantic League announce 4 new rules:
Pitcher required to step off the rubber in order to attempt a pickoff.
1 foul bunt is permitted with 2 strikes before strikeout is called.
Check swing rule made more batter friendly.
Batters may steal 1st on any pitch not caught by catcher.

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) July 11, 2019

why WHY

is the foul bunt rule meant to encourage more bunting? seems odd

also, embarrassed to not know for sure, but i thought a pitcher was already required to step off the rubber before a pickoff?

If on the rubber, the motion has to be directed entirely toward a single base. i.e. home, first, etc

i think i was confused my the rules in my childhood league - i was always required to step off the rubber. i remember vividly because i got several balks called on me and had no idea wtf was going on

i will never pay to see a "stealing first" league game

i guess some of this might somehow yield more ~action on the bases~

insofar as it does, it would also make the games longer

Yeah Karl I remember something similar. the MLB rules allow for that classic leftie pick-off move where they lift their right leg up but you don't know yet which way they're going.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/27405556/yanks-boone-worth-exploring-mlb-mercy-rule

I might be in favour of a mercy rule of some sort, mainly because of the risk of someone getting hurt.

i wouldn't necessarily be against a mercy rule, but have we actually seen position players get hurt pitching? (and if so, that's on the managers -- no one's forcing them not to use real pitchers)

I guess it's more the risk of any player getting hurt in a game where the score is lopsided and the guys just want to get the hell out of there (on both sides). Much like the Buster Posey and Chase Utley rules, one serious injury could be enough to get the rules changed, e.g. Mike Trout getting injured by an errant pitch in a 15-1 game. You can't sit everybody even once the score gets out of hand.