Baseball’s quest for a shorter–and more action-packed–game knows no bounds.
The latest idea from Major League Baseball as spring training gets underway for the 2017 season: Speed up the time it takes for managers to make replay challenge decisions.
According to Jason Stark of ESPN, baseball is thinking about a strict time limit for managers to decide whether or not to challenge a particular play.
Sources told ESPN that MLB wants a 30-second time limit for managers to decide whether or not to challenge an umpire’s call and is currently discussing that limit, along with other possible changes to replay, with both the players’ and umpires’ unions.
The current rules say that, in most cases, managers must “immediately” inform umpires if they want to challenge a call. But in reality, there are often long delays as managers often wait for advice from their internal replay assistants before challenging.
Because negotiations are ongoing, it isn’t clear whether MLB will end up instituting a firm time limit or just a “guideline.” However, one source said he believes a limit is “likely,” unless there is unforeseen opposition.
Stark points out that the time for replay decisions fell last year (from 1:51 to 1:36 on average), but that simply takes into account how long the replay official in New York needs to correct the call–not the total time from decision to challenge to the next pitch in the game.
Radical rule change?
Recently, spurred by MLB commissioner Rob Manfred’s hope to speed up the pace of play, the sport has floated radical changes to the game. From pitch clocks to banning infield shifts to limiting mound visits to starting runners on base in extra innings, baseball is open to big change in the near future.
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Joe Giglio may be reached at jgiglio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoeGiglioSports. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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