Expand the strike zone?

[BaseballCoach (Rev A)]

It seems that Adam Wainwright would like to expand the strike zone a little just to speed up the game. Yeah right, like that wouldn't make him an extra few million dollars per year. Ha. "All of the talk for everybody, all the critics, is about the speed of play,” Wainwright told Derrick Goold and Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “Speed of play this and speed of play that. But really the only way to do that, to speed things up, is to expand the strike zone. … There are millions of dollars being made on the commercials. Millions. And yet they want to talk about the speed of play. If you want to keep the commercials, open the strike zone up.” He grinned, “It would also help me a whole lot.”

[BarryBobPosthole]

I don't know about that but there's two things I do to speed it up. First....ban walk up music. And if a batter steps out of the box between pitches more than twice, he'd need to call time out and see the trainer. All this posing shit takes up a bunch of the time.

BKB

[BaseballCoach (Rev A)]

HS baseball, at least here, once you step into the batters box, you cannot step out unless you are forced out. Pitch thrown at you head, runner coming home, etc. I love that rule. You are allowed to step one foot out to get the signs from your coach, that is it. If you step both feet out, 1st offense is a warning, 2nd the ump calls a strike. It really helps the flow of the game. I get so tired of big league hitters taking a pitch that is two feet outside and having to step out, retighten both batting gloves, adjust their nuts, then have to step back in and go through their elaborate routine. Once the hitter has both feet planted, pitch. Don't give them time for all the BS they do. If they aren't ready, shame on them.

[Big Muddy]

Awww, man, please don't take away a guy's freedom to ""adjust his nuts"", occasionally. ;)

Heck, even Rosie O'Donnell adjusted her nuts, after blubbering her rendition of the National Anthem at a baseball game, a few years ago. ;)

[quercus alba]

I like the idea of a bigger strike zone. Hitters get paid to swing the bat, not bitch every time a pitcher paints the corner

[Buckrub]

My opinion of a 'bigger strike zone' is this.......to make the umpires CALL A FLIPPING STRIKE!! They won't enforce the existing strike zone. If they enforced the existing strike zone, I assure you, they'd have to "make it bigger"!!!!!

You can't get a strike called on an 0-2 pitch in MLB. Period.

Umps not calling strikes is the PRIME reason the games are too long. Stepping out is 2nd. Pitchers taking too long is 3rd. And letting a 10th man bat is 4th!!!

[airbud7]

bigger strike zone? well OK...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-S-eeInJVk

[Captain]

See! I told y'all there was a bunch of cryin' in Baseball...

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[BaseballCoach (Rev A)]

Something else that extends the game is every batter taking the first pitch of every at bat. I understand the theory of running up a starters pitch count to get him out of the game quicker. That is a Little League stratagey, grow up and play a man's game. Most teams have really good relievers now, I'm not sure I would be in such a hurry to face them.
Muddy, feel free to adjust whatever you want after a big swing and miss, just don't waste time adjusting after you stood there and watched a pitch go by.

[Big Muddy]

Talk about pitchers, wasting time....I used to love, watching Mark "The Bird" Fidrych, at Detroit, go thru his antics on the mound, before making a pitch. ;)

Seemed like a really cool guy....died too early, however.

[Thumper]

Umps not calling strikes is the PRIME reason the games are too long.

Huh? The game should be considered "too long" right after the National Anthem! ;)

[Captain]

Bingo!

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[Niner]

Strike??!!!!
They're going on strike again?
SWEET!!!!!
Are they gonna be on strike for the whole season?
That's gonna open up a lot of programming time on TV that would otherwise be totally wasted.

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[BaseballCoach (Rev A)]

That wouldn't free up much TV time here. They only show a game or two each week. I would actually rather they put more college ball on. Or girls fast pitch, they have some exciting games and they are better at the fundamentals than the boys.

[hotshot]

I like watching baseball. I do agree the strike zone in the pros is pretty small. Although I am not a Sox fan, "Big Pappy" does tend to grab a bat and swing at anything he can reach..... I like the way he hits. Ball Hit ball. That being said a larger strike zone would make hitters more aggressive. Maybe a strike across the chest once in awhile would be nice. Our local little league umpire is known to have a huge strike zone the hotter the day and especially if a NASCAR race in on in the evening.
Minor League ball is a joy to watch. Guys hustle every play because if they don't they may not have a contract tomorrow. The cost to see a game is also nice.
Been a Reds fan since childhood, and respect their rivals: the Cards... tradition of doing it right.
I am hoping Chapman gets to start a few games this year. Dusty Baker held the reigns on him a little too tight. Now, if this white crap on the ground would go away.... we could have a baseball game or 2.