Baseball today

My how things have changed in just a couple of short years, or has it been three. Baseball is a different game since March 16, 2020 when spring training was suspended and the Major and Minor Leagues were put on hold. We would go through a shortened 60 game schedule that started in July without fans and even the announcers didn’t go to the away games.

Major League baseball needed to make a few changes to shorten the game and one of those rule changes was for any extra inning game the last player that was at bat when the final out was made was now a runner at second base. Don’t be confused. If the last player struck out he was now at second base. If that player got a hit and a player was thrown out at third or home the last batter was still going to be at second base.

That did help teams score a bit easier and it saved a few extra innings of playing time so that was a positive and since it helped the game move along and the fans were okay with it the rule stayed in place.

The long utilized designated hitter rule that was used in the American League is now in place in the National League. It only makes sense since the Minor Leagues have also used the designated hitter and it didn’t matter what league the team was affiliated with.

There were two more changes made this year. During spring training games the last couple of years the Major League teams have been experimenting with a pitch clock in order to eliminate any pitcher to play games with the hitter and it also kept the batter from delaying action by constantly calling time and stepping out of the batter’s box. The changes have been a bit more difficult for the players that have more years in the Majors and have used those delay tactics to mess with the pitcher or hitter’s timing.

These changes along with the review option the game is changing for the positive. All reviews are done someplace other than by an umpire so there are no arguments about close calls on the bases or if a batter gets hit by a pitched ball that may have been missed by the guy behind the plate.

One change that may be difficult for some to adjust to is that each team will play a schedule that will include every team in both leagues. Why is that such a big thing? Well, in seasons past each team played teams in their own division about 12 times. If your team plays in a strong division the teams have a tendency to beat each other whereas teams that beat up on weak opponents in a division have a better chance to win more games and garner a wild card spot or two.

So the fans have returned and they have a chance to watch teams play that they normally only get a chance to see every three or four years. It might make for some regional rivalries and create a better fan base to get better attendance. Playing the same teams that many times is okay if they are good but if they aren’t even the best fans lose interest.

America’s pastime has been lagging behind other sports but speeding up the game may keep fans in their seats and bring some excitement back to the game. Watching a few games early in the season it is apparent that the game of baseball is doing its best to keep the fan base happy.

— Dale Anderson is a sports columnist from Ritzville. To contact him, email [email protected].