About Time

MLB has decided to try to remove some of the wasted time from games by actually enforcing some existing rules. What a concept...what's next, making umpires observe the rule book strike zone, or eliminating the phantom double play?

Seriously, this a move that is very welcome. If you've ever sat through a Steve Trachsel start, you'd welcome it to. Or for that matter, watched the between pitch antics of Nomar Garciaparra (or many, many others). I know that hitting is timing, and pitching is upsetting timing, but it's not about timing plate appearances with a sundial.

In his New Historical Baseball Abstract, Bill James made an excellent point that many times the interests of one party in a game are at odds with the interests of the game itself. The interest of the game in this case is to provide an arresting and riveting entertainment and not the interest of Steve Trachsel trying to defeat the opposing batter not through great stuff or clever pitch selection but by boring him into giving up.

I'm glad to see that stadium "entertainment" personnel have also been put on notice. While they're at it, can you also require them to turn it down a few notches?