With MLB games taking longer than ever, and owners "eager to quicken the pace for a generation that hates to wait for anything," pace of play is a "serious concern in an industry of relative calm," according to Tyler Kepner of the N.Y. TIMES. MLB has "labor peace, rising revenue, a strong drug-testing program and stable attendance." But games in '14 "lasted, on average, a record 3 hours 2 minutes -- 27 minutes more than the average length" in '84. The arrival of expanded replay "had an impact last season, and while replay can be streamlined, the innovation was widely accepted and long overdue." The "tedious dawdling between pitches, by batters and by pitchers, can perhaps be addressed by a clock." But former MLBer Todd Hollandsworth said that he "would be stunned if the union agreed to institute a pitch clock" in MLB. Kepner noted the independent Atlantic League "offered a helpful lesson plan last season with several initiatives in the second half, when its average game time fell by seven minutes, to 2:54." The league "lacked money for pitch clocks last season, but that might not be a problem anymore." Atlantic League President Rick White said, “We’re finding a keen amount of sponsor interest in a countdown clock" (N.Y. TIMES, 1/18). Cubs P Jon Lester said of instituting a pitch clock, "There's such a cat-and-mouse game as far as messing up hitters' timing, messing up pitchers' timing. Different things that fans and people that have never played this game don't understand. I feel like if you do add a clock it just takes all the beauty away from the game. I think you're going down a path you don't want to go down" (ESPNCHICAGO.com, 1/16). SPORTSNET.ca’s Jeff Blair wrote the notion of a pitching clock to speed up the game is "such an NFL thing to do; make things so convoluted that you’ll end up needing umpires to be part of the broadcast crew." Cutting down the time between innings and the length of pitching changes "is a good thing." Blair: "I don’t think sticking a clock on the game is going to bring in a generation of new fans" (SPORTSNET.ca, 1/16).
CARDS-CARRYING MEMBER: In N.Y., Bill Madden noted MLB Commissioner-elect Rob Manfred is "replacing seven of the eight members of the powerful executive council," with Cardinals Chair & CEO Bill DeWitt Jr., "not coincidentally his biggest supporter in last summer’s contentious election process the lone holdover." Among those coming off the council are White Sox Chair Jerry Reinsdorf, Red Sox Owner John Henry and Reds Owner Bob Castellini, "all of whom -- perhaps also not coincidentally -- opposed Manfred last summer" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 1/18).
