While owners are locking out major league players and negotiations are bogging down, there are discussions on improving the speed of play and making the game more fan-friendly.
I just finished watching the 2022 Winter Olympics. During a Curling match, each team has 38 minutes of thinking time. When a team is scheduled to throw a rock, their thinking time is reduced after the other team’s rock has stopped until they push off starting their throw.
This process keeps the game moving. Teams will take very little time in the early ends, banking their thinking time for later in the match.
I’ve watched Baseball games, where a starting pitcher is categorized as a “human rain delay,” taking over 45 seconds between pitches. In playoff games, pitchers tend to take more time between pitches.
Baseball games, especially playoff games, are longer than the typical spectator prefers. One option is a pitch clock, allowing only 20 seconds between pitches. When testing a 20-second pitch clock, most pitchers used the entire 20 seconds.
What if we had thinking time clocks in baseball?
How Thinking Time Limit is Increased
At the beginning of a game, each team would be given 100 seconds of thinking time per scheduled out. In a nine-inning game, that would be 45 minutes, and in a seven-inning game, that would be 35 minutes.
For each batter that reaches base without recording an out, the team in the field would be given an additional 50 seconds and the batting team an additional 25 seconds.
Each team would be given 300 additional thinking time seconds for each extra inning.
Sets of display clocks are mounted behind home plate and on the center field fence. Each set would have three clocks, one showing the remaining time for the home team, one for the visiting team, and a third countdown timer used between innings and during pitching changes.
Expired Clock Penalties
During an at-bat: If the fielding team’s clock expires, the batter will be awarded first base, thus giving the fielding team 50 more seconds and the batting team 25 more seconds. If the batting team’s clock expires, the batter will be declared out, giving the fielding team 20 more seconds and the batting team ten more seconds.
Clock Reductions
Only one thinking time clock may be running at a time. So, in my explanations, if I say the fielding team’s clock will start, the batting team’s clock will stop. If I say the batting team’s clock will stop, both clocks will be stopped.
Since the early 1970s, I’ve written software. So my explanation might be a little programish.
At the beginning of the game, as the home team takes the field, the countdown timer will be run for 2 minutes.
Inning Loop
The countdown timer will reach zero.
Batter Loop
The umpire will call for a batter, and the batting team’s clock will start. The batter will indicate when he is ready.
Pitch Loop
If the fielding team’s clock is not running, the umpire will signal the pitcher and start their clock.
The fielding team’s clock will run during a mound visit by a coach, manager, or teammate. There will be no rush from an umpire to stop the meeting. If the fielding team decides to replace the pitcher, the fielding team’s clock will stop, the countdown timer will be run for 2 minutes, and the procedure returns to the start of the Batter Loop. One minute will be added to their thinking time when a team makes a pitching change between innings as an incentive.
Their clock will start if the batting team requests and umpire grants time or the batter steps out of the box between pitches. Once the batter is ready, the procedure returns to the start of the Pitch Loop.
If the hitting team wants to watch a video in anticipation of requesting a replay review, their clock will start, and the umpire will grant a time-out. If they ask for a review, their clock will be stopped. In either case, the procedure returns to the start of the Batter Loop.
If the fielding team wants to watch a video in anticipation of requesting a replay review, their clock will start, and the umpire will grant a time-out. If they ask for a review, their clock will be stopped. In either case, the procedure returns to the start of the Batter Loop.
If a trainer requests a time out for injury, both clocks will be stopped. The trainer will be able to attend to the injured player, and once the issue is resolved, the procedure returns to the start of the Batter Loop.
If a manager requests a time out of substitution, both teams’ clocks will be stopped. The manager will communicate the substitution to the home plate umpire. If there is a hitting substitution, the procedure returns to the start of the Batter Loop. If there is a fielding substitution, the umpire will wait for the substitute to get to their fielding position before the procedure returns to the start of the Batter Loop.
If an intentional walk is awarded, runners will be advanced, and the procedure returns to the start of the Batter Loop.
If a balk is called, the fielding team’s clock will stop, runners will be advanced, and the procedure returns to the start of the Pitch Loop.
The fielding team’s clock will stop once the ball leaves the pitcher’s hand.
If the result of the throw is the third out of the inning, the countdown timer will be run for 2 minutes, and the procedure returns to the start of the Inning Loop.
If the pitch result is a strikeout, the procedure returns to the start of the Batter Loop.
If the pitcher throws to a base rather than delivering a pitch, once the ball is returned to the pitcher, the fielding team’s clock will start, and the procedure returns to the start of the Pitch Loop.
If the result of the pitcher’s throw is a hit batter, base on balls, or catcher interference, runners will be advanced, and the procedure returns to the start of the Batter Loop.
When a pitch hits the ground, the ball is usually taken out of play, and the umpire puts another ball in play. Once the pitcher has the new ball, the fielding team’s clock will start, and the procedure returns to the start of the Pitch Loop.
If the batter hits the pitch into fair territory and once play has completed, the procedure returns to the start of the Batter Loop.
If the batter hits the pitch into foul territory and once runners and the batter have returned to their bases, the procedure returns to the start of the Batter Loop.
When the catcher receives the pitch and there are no runners on base, the fielding team’s clock will start, and the procedure returns to the start of the Pitch Loop.
Once the ball is returned from the catcher to the picture, the fielding team’s clock will start, and the procedure returns to the start of the Pitch Loop.
End of Loops
I think I hit all of the possible outcomes. I’ve reduced the “human rain delays.” During actual rain delays, both thinking clocks will be stopped.
The amount of time allocated per out or successful runner reaching base may need to be adjusted. If two pitchers throw perfect games for nine innings, the maximum amount of time for nine innings would be 2 hours and 6 minutes.
Maybe not perfect; it’s a start.