Atlantic League will experiment with three-pitch walks, two-strike foul outs
If you like your baseball short and to the point, the independent Atlantic League has a forthcoming experiment you might find very appealing.
When the Long Island Ducks host the Bridgeport Bluefish on April 18, the most basic of baseball’s rules will be rewritten with three-pitch walks and two-strike foul balls counting as outs.
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Basically, we’re taking about the implementation of slow pitch softball rules — or something close to them — at the professional baseball level, with the intention to speed up the game by limiting each plate appearance to a maximum of five pitches.
According to the Associated Press, the experimental rules were proposed to the league by Paul Auster, a 68-year-old baseball fan who’s also an award-winning author. The league was receptive to the concept as a one-game exhibition, but president Rick White made it clear this week that they are not considering adopting such rules on a regular basis.
”While these rules are not under consideration by the Atlantic League, we continue to serve as an experimental laboratory for ways to improve the pace of games,” White said. ”The changes should spice things up for fans as the 2015 season approaches.”
Last season, the Atlantic League experimented with other potential rules changes designed to the speed up the game. Among them, a rule that limited each team to three 45-second defensive “timeouts” per game, which encompassed mound visits and other on-field conferences, but did not include pitching changes. One additional timeout was added for extra innings.
The league also utilized pinch runners for catchers as soon as they reached base, which allowed for greater speed on the bases, but more importantly allowed catchers to suit up quicker for the next half-inning quicker.
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This year’s experiment or “promotion,” if you prefer, does not represent a realistic option in terms of pace of play measures. Major League Baseball is willing to go outside the box marked tradition, but certainly not to this extent. Still, it will be very interesting to hear reports on how those differing rules impact not only pace, but every phase of the game, including how batters and pitchers approach each plate appearance.
For one night anyway, the players involved will have to relearn the game from the bottom up, which should lead to a more aggressive approach from both sides and a most unique experience for everybody in attendance.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
