MLB adds pace-of-play rules for '15
Updated: February 20, 2015, 11:33 AM ET
ESPN.com news services



Major League Baseball has implemented significant pace-of-play rule changes for the 2015 season in an effort to speed up the game, it was announced Friday.

The rules include mandating that managers stay in the dugout during replay challenges, that hitters keep at least one foot in the batter's box during at-bats, a prompt return to play after TV commercial breaks and timed pitching changes.

New mandates will require managers such as Mike Scioscia to stay in the dugout during replay challenges, hitters to keep one foot in the box and a prompt return to play after TV breaks.

"These changes represent a step forward in our efforts to streamline the pace of play," MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. "The most fundamental starting point for improving the pace of the average game involves getting into and out of breaks seamlessly. In addition, the batter's box rule will help speed up a basic action of the game."

The league, which announced the changes with the MLB Players Association, established a pace-of-game committee in September aimed at making recommendations to speed up games, which grew to a record average of 3 hours, 2 minutes in 2014, up from 2:33 in 1981.

Players who violate the rules will receive a warning, with "flagrant violators" subject to a series of fines up to $500, sources familiar with the changes told ESPN.com's Jayson Stark. The intention is not to impose penalties but rather to help change the habits of current players in an effort to speed up the game, sources told Stark.

The new rules begin in spring training, but the warnings and fines will not be imposed until May, as spring training and the first month of the regular season will be a phase-in period.

Speed-up rules in the major leagues required the OK of the players' union, and baseball officials had said a pitch clock was ruled out for this season. However, sources told Stark that Major League Baseball will begin to compile data and inform all pitchers how long they take between pitches.

Several new mandates, including the batter's box rule, were tried out during the Arizona Fall League in October and November.

Tick-Tock: New MLB Countdown Timers

Timers will be used to govern the length of breaks between each half-inning, counting down from 2:45 for nationally televised games and 2:25 for local broadcasts. A system of warnings and fines will be used to enforce these pace-of-play rules.
Time left Activity
40 secs. Walk-up music begins
30 secs. Warm-up pitches end
25 secs. Walk-up music ends
20-5 secs. Batter enters batter's box
20-0 secs. Motion to deliver pitch

The batter's box rule remains in place unless an established exception occurs. Those exceptions include swinging at a pitch, foul balls, foul tips, if the hitter is brushed back by a pitch, time granted by the umpire and wild pitches.

Also, two timers -- on or near the scoreboard and another on the facade behind home plate near the press box -- will be used in every major league ballpark to help quicken the pace. For each half-inning break, teams will have either 2 minutes, 25 seconds (for local telecasts) or 2 minutes, 45 seconds (national telecasts) from the time the commercial break begins until the first pitch should be thrown to the next batter, who should be in the batter's box with no fewer than 20 seconds remaining on that timer.

If a pitcher fails to complete the traditional eight warm-up pitches before the timer reaches 30 seconds, he forfeits the right to do so.

"The players believe that enforcing the rules that currently exist regarding between inning breaks and plate appearances is the best way to address the issue of pace of play," MLBPA executive director Tony Clark said in a statement. "We're confident that today's announcements will have a positive impact on the pace of the game without jeopardizing the integrity of the competition."

The new replay rules intend to reduce the time managers spend chatting with umps while awaiting recommendations from video coordinators or their own coaches.

Among the changes, managers now can review whether a runner left a base early or properly touched a base. However, managers must now use a challenge for a review of the collision rule, which was decided by umpires in 2014.

Managers are encouraged to request a replay -- either verbally or with a hand signal -- from the dugout instead of walking out on the field to challenge a call. This should take place within 20 to 30 seconds of the original call being made, sources told Stark.

Managers, who used to retain their challenges after the first overturned call, now will retain their challenges after every call that is overturned. In addition, they will get a new second challenge to use during during regular-season tiebreaker games, the All-Star Game and postseason games.

"The Pace of Game Committee wants to take measured steps as we address this industry goal to quicken the pace of our great game," said Atlanta Braves president John Schuerholz, who was the chairman of the Pace of Game and Replay Committee. "It is not an objective of ours to achieve a dramatic time reduction right away; it is more important to develop a culture of better habits and a structure with more exact timings for non-game action."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

More and more of the media is getting on the band wagon I have been telling you guys for years. MLB is all about how good and how deap is your starting pitching. The Indians finally have it and it's young and currently very affordable. I hope we start locking these guys up with three year deals with two option years!

Tribe should be positioned for several good years of playoff potential baseball!

Big question is....do the other teams have enough bad pitching that even the Tribe popcorn hitters can score some runs.

fkreutz wrote:More and more of the media is getting on the band wagon I have been telling you guys for years. MLB is all about how good and how deap is your starting pitching. The Indians finally have it and it's young and currently very affordable. I hope we start locking these guys up with three year deals with two option years!

Tribe should be positioned for several good years of playoff potential baseball!

Season over. Frank's kiss of death !

Big question is whether these talented impressive young starters can pitch for a whole season as well as they did in August and September 2014. I think Carrasco and Bauer and probably Salazar could be that good, but none of them has yet to prove himself over a full six months.

Big question is....do the other teams have enough bad pitching that even the Tribe popcorn hitters can score some runs.

Well! In my opinion, the sox made a lot of good things happen over the winter. If Rodon can pull off a Sale this spring, Chicago's staff will be very good. They already made positive strides to improve their bullpen.

You have to win games in this division. The Twins scored the fifth most runs in the AL last year with 715 and gave up an AL low of 77. They made some improvements to their staff but by how much is the question? KC's staff is still very good with or without Shields. Same goes for Detroit with or without Scherzer.

If the Indians are planning to make the playoffs, the road goes through the central division.

According to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Indians remain interested in Dayan Viciedo but only if he accepts a minor league deal.
Viciedo was designated for assignment by the White Sox at the end of January and then given his outright release in early February. Multiple teams have come knocking since, but the 25-year-old is probably holding out for a guaranteed major league roster spot. He is a bad defensive outfielder and posted a rough .686 OPS in 2014 with the White Sox, though his power should eventually land him a spot in some team's camp.


Related: Indians
Source: Paul Hoynes on Twitter
Feb 25 - 4:07 PM

Will Swisher be this years Giambi?

Which year's Giambi?

RIP Minnie Minoso

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/ba ... tml#page=1

Minnie was one of the star's of the only competitive Indians team of my first 40+ years, in 1959.

Like to check out on how prospects fared from time to time. At random picked up the 2008 Prospect Handbook from my bookpile. That was a really stinky year for the Indians.

Top 10 Prospects have been a true bust:
No. 1 Adam Miller, still trucking in AA, someone else picked him up this winter
No. 2 Chuck Lofgren, I think someone took him in Rule 5 and he may never have reached AAA
No. 3 Beau Mills, did he ever make to Columbus?
No. 4 Wes Hodges, an ever bigger dud 3B
No. 5 Aaron Laffey, did some starting for the Tribe, still kicking around as a AAAA Lefty
No. 6 Nick Weglarz, lots of injuries, Canadian slugger is another who I don't think reached above Akron
No. 7 Jordan Brown, despite his "professional hitter" from Forumite A.G., Brown had merely a big league cup of coffee
No. 8 David Huff, lefty has worked around the edges of the minors, did some relief work with Yankees last season
No. 9 Ben Francisco, maybe the most successful of a unsuccessful cohort
No. 10 Jensen Lewis, helped the Tribe for a couple summers
Others in the Top 30 who have appeared in the majors:
No. 12 Tony Sipp, had two or three very nice years in the bullpen
N0. 14 Trevor Crowe, after the 2nd experiment he never did much, still playing AAA as are a number of these guys
No. 15 Chris Jones, lefty reliever, was dealt while in the mid-level minors, I think he's been in the majors a bit
No. 16 Scott Lewis, had brief success with the Tribe and then arm did him in for good
No. 18 Carlos Rivero has had a handful of at bats in the majors, I think with the Red Sox
No. 24 Wyatt Toregas, am I mistaken or did I show up in Cleveland very very briefly?
No. 25 Brad Snyder, 2nd round pick, got a few at bats with some team
No. 26 Frank Herrmann did more in the majors than most of these guys
No. 28 Hector Rondon, the best of all these guys, we stupidly let him go in Rule 5 and he's become Cubs closer

Current Indians on other team's list in 2008:

Phillies No. 1 prospect Carlos Carrasco "He could debut in the majors in 2009" It's been slow, but maybe he's finally reached his potential?
Michael Bourn was just moving into the majors, Houston's No. 4 prospect just arrived in deal from Phillies
No. 8 Red Sox prospect: Nick Hagadone [No. 4 was Justin Masterson]
Toronto's No. 21: Marc Rzepcynski
No. 22 Texas prospect: David Murphy
No. 24 Brewer prospect Michael Brantley
Dodgers No. 25 prospect Carlos Santana "could develop average power" "he shows some feel for the strike zone"
No. 29 prospect for the Royals: Mike Aviles
No. 29 prospect at San Diego: Corey Kluber "could develop into a No. 4 starter in time"
No. 30 Yankee prospect Zach McAllister

Floyd season-ruining injury is hardly a surprise and I imagine the only reason Tito awarded him No. 3 spot in rotation was a way to seal his bargain contract. I'm happy with last year's season-ending rotation returning. If he'll accept a AAA assignment Marcum could be a good backup No. 6 starter and McAllister will be around in the bullpen so could be pulled in as emergency starter from time to time.

Starting to hear more and more that when Lindor is ready Kipness will be traded or change position to 3B or LF. Tribe loves Rameriz!!!

Of course LF means Brantley move to CF and it all probably goes down when Bourne goes to the DL....

Have I mentioned that I love the pitching staff....

Francona, a couple of good trades and Dolan's subsequent agreement to increase the payroll has really put the Tribe in a nice spot....

Raburn and Walters both left yesterday's game with injuries. RH OF backups getting thin.