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Thread: Do you loooooong for shorter games?

  1. #1
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    Do you loooooong for shorter games?

    I looked up the 1938 box scores for Johnny Vander Meer's no-hitters on baseball-reference.com. I couldn't believe how short all the game times were, so here's what I did (yes, I have no life -- and too much if it is wasted on between-pitch rituals by batters and pitchers). To get a small sampling, I looked at two-week stretches of Reds games (9-inning games only) from May 1-15 of 1938, 1975 and 2013. Here are the average game times:
    2013: 3:07
    1975: 2:38
    1938: 2:05
    For World Series, I did 7-game series (to get a better sampling; 9-inning games only) for 2011, 1975 and 1940. Average game times were:
    2011: 3:30
    1975: 2:38
    1940: 2:04 (Can you imagine a Game 7 of 1:47?)

    At this rate, those of you still around in 5-6 decades will be watching (or not) games that average 4 hours!

    What are your solutions?

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    RedlegJake (06-20-2013)


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    Re: Do you loooooong for shorter games?

    I think a big reason is longer commercial breaks in between innings

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    Beltway (06-20-2013)

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    Re: Do you loooooong for shorter games?

    I actually don't really mind it, especially at the ballpark. Pretty relaxing three hours is sometimes nicer than two. But yes, I think the blame is on TV and its commercials.

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    Re: Do you loooooong for shorter games?

    When I was younger, the longer the game the better. But now that I have grown up I love a quick 2 1/2 hour game, especially games that I attend.

    I have a two hour drive home after every game. A few years ago it wasn't much for me to make that drive and get up and go to work the next morning without a problem. Anymore, that long drive and getting up early for work isn't getting any easier.
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    CometKid24 (06-21-2013)

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    Re: Do you loooooong for shorter games?

    I have no qualms with the length of games. I enjoy the fact that baseball has no clock, and the leisurely pace allows me to multitask (food, drink, bathroom, conversation when at the game).

    Now, having the last 2 minutes of a basketball game take 20 minutes is irritating.
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    CometKid24 (06-21-2013)

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    Re: Do you loooooong for shorter games?

    I would like a shorter game. I hate to admit this but I get bored during a lot of these games. Today's game was 3:24 and there was not a ton of action. One pet peeve is when a batter has to step out of the box and adjust his gloves after each pitch. Really?

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    REDREAD (06-25-2013)

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    Re: Do you loooooong for shorter games?

    Football, too, is more irritating to me than baseball. Football has a clock - it just never seems to run...baseball otoh is driven by the mannerisms and nuances of the pitcher and batter with just its obligatory breaks for the media that pays the freight. Because there is no clock per se I guess I don't feel the same time pressure. It's much more of an elapsing opportunities in baseball without any particular timing attached. 6 outs to go...5...4...come dammit...down to our last three!
    Like Spirit I multi task baseball games which is nice too...
    Last edited by RedlegJake; 06-20-2013 at 06:23 PM.

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    Re: Do you loooooong for shorter games?

    Interesting topic for a thread btw Comet!

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    CometKid24 (06-21-2013)

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    Re: Do you loooooong for shorter games?

    I think managers who make multiple pitching changes really slow down the game, like bringing in one pitcher to face 1 batter then taking him out. It's mostly strategy though (leftie vs leftie, etc.) but it gets annoying sometimes.

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    Re: Do you loooooong for shorter games?

    Quote Originally Posted by Jmiller21kg View Post
    I think managers who make multiple pitching changes really slow down the game, like bringing in one pitcher to face 1 batter then taking him out. It's mostly strategy though (leftie vs leftie, etc.) but it gets annoying sometimes.
    Yep, commercial breaks and pitching changes are the biggest culprits for extending the game. Personally, I wish the games were in the 2-2.5 hrs time frame especially if I am watching the game in person.

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    Re: Do you loooooong for shorter games?

    It's not really length that is the problem, it's pace of the game. It can go on all night if it keeps moving along. I love baseball as much as anybody, but nothing irritates me more than a really slow and deliberate pitcher out there on the mound or hitters who constantly are fooling around out of the box instead of getting in there and hitting. Commercial Breaks and pitching changes don't bother me much, but dead time during a plate appearance because the pitcher and hitter don't get down to business is what is slowing the pace and lengthening the games in a bad way. IMO, when they are talking about shortening the game, this is where the focus needs to be. Shortening it in other ways may make the game shorter, but it doesn't really make it more appealing to the casual fan. Speeding the pace of the game is what gets the short attention span types involved IMO.
    Last edited by mth123; 06-21-2013 at 06:44 AM.
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    CometKid24 (06-21-2013),Number_Fourteen (06-22-2013),REDREAD (06-25-2013)

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    Re: Do you loooooong for shorter games?

    I've read that before the 1920's games that if a game went more than two hours it was considered very long. If you look at games in the dead ball era most were played in under two hours. Some doubleheaders would be played in 2 1/2 hours or less. I really don't think TV has had that much effect. Maybe added 10 minutes a game. I think most of it is the batters stepping out on every pitch. I don't think that happened much in days gone by. Now every hitter steps out,waves his bat around,adjust something or another,spits and then climbs back in. The only reason I can think of is to get more airtime. So in that sense TV has had and effect on length of games.
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    REDREAD (06-25-2013)

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    Re: Do you loooooong for shorter games?

    Quote Originally Posted by RedlegJake View Post
    Football, too, is more irritating to me than baseball. Football has a clock - it just never seems to run...baseball otoh is driven by the mannerisms and nuances of the pitcher and batter with just its obligatory breaks for the media that pays the freight. Because there is no clock per se I guess I don't feel the same time pressure. It's much more of an elapsing opportunities in baseball without any particular timing attached. 6 outs to go...5...4...come dammit...down to our last three!
    Like Spirit I multi task baseball games which is nice too...
    I agree with you about football. Way too many stoppages in play now. I think the NFL is nearly unwatchable with all the TV breaks they have now. They kickoff,TV break. Three plays and out another TV break. Team scores,TV break. They kickoff another TV break. SHeeeesh can you play 10 minutes without a TV break. When I watch NFL now I DVR it and skip through the commercial. I had the NFL Redzone one year when I was still with DISH. I enjoyed that. No TV breaks at all. Of course you don't stay with any one game so if you want to watch one specific team that's no good for you.
    Basketball is almost as bad now. In Colleges they have TV breaks at the under 16,12,8 and 4 minutes marks of each half. Plus each team has five timeouts to take. The end of games can get really long and boring considering all of the fouling that can go on too.
    Reds Fan Since 1971

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    Re: Do you loooooong for shorter games?

    Quote Originally Posted by mth123 View Post
    It's not really length that is the problem, it's pace of the game. It can go on all night if it keeps moving along. I love baseball as much as anybody, but nothing irritates me more than a really slow and deliberate pitcher out there on the mound or hitters who constantly are fooling around out of the box instead of getting in there and hitting. Commercial Breaks and pitching changes don't bother me much, but dead time during a plate appearance because the pitcher and hitter don't get down to business is what is slowing the pace and lengthening the games in a bad way. IMO, when they are talking about shortening the game, this is where the focus needs to be. Shortening it in other ways may make the game shorter, but it doesn't really make it more appealing to the casual fan. Speeding the pace of the game is what gets the short attention span types involved IMO.
    I think all pitchers should be required to watch a video of Tom Browning. Get the ball, get the sign, pitch, repeat, and if the batter wasn't ready, they watched a called strike. Or if they stepped out, they got buzzed inside. And batters shouldn't be allowed to step out unless there's a really good reason.

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    Re: Do you loooooong for shorter games?

    Quote Originally Posted by mth123 View Post
    It's not really length that is the problem, it's pace of the game. It can go on all night if it keeps moving along. I love baseball as much as anybody, but nothing irritates me more than a really slow and deliberate pitcher out there on the mound or hitters who constantly are fooling around out of the box instead of getting in there and hitting.
    Bingo. Usually when this topic comes up somebody will chime in about how the games aren't too long for them because, see, they really love baseball more than you do.

    I think Citizen Kane's a great movie. But as much as I love it, I don't think it would benefit by having a bunch of meaningless scenes added.

    Bill James had the right phrase for it: "draining the inaction".


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