SEPT 7 NO VIOLATIONS YET FOR MLB'S NEW 'MOUND VISIT' RULE

SEPT 7  NO VIOLATIONS YET FOR MLB'S NEW 'MOUND VISIT' RULE

If you've attend any Major League Baseball game this season, you might have noticed a new addition to the scoreboard. Every ballpark is now required to count the number of "mound visits" during a game. What is a "mound visit"? It's when the pitcher stops playing the game and instead talks to someone about it. He usually chats with the catcher, a coach, the third baseman...but sometimes it's the whole infield! Anyhow, in an attempt to speed-up the sport, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred set a limit on the number of mound visits: Six. It's the MVR (Mound Visits Remaining) on the scoreboard during a game.

With the regular season soon ending, it seems the measure so far has been a major success. Last season, teams averaged 7.4 mound visits each game. This year, the figure has been cut in half to 3.6. Overall, that means the games are shorter. They're three hours and one minute on the average, also down from last season. NOTE: Extra visits are allowed for extra innings. Punishment for a seventh mound visit is ejection of the pitcher.

While old timers are complaining about any altering of the sacred game, we here at the DUNER BLOG feels the change is long overdue. Let's face it: Baseball is the only major sport where...any time you like...a player can take a personal break. The other major sports, basketball, football, hockey...they all count timeouts. Could you imagine LeBron just stopping at half-court to talk with coach? Or Tom Brady suddenly strolling away from center to clarify with the O.C.?  Of course not!

Commissioner Manfred understands this and will continue to tinker with baseball's byzantine rules to make the sport better for fans. Last season, he abolished the dreaded four-pitch intentional walk. No longer do fans have to watch two men play catch...nowadays, the batter just trots directly to first base. He's also instituted a clock for pitchers who stand and stare at the plate for minutes before their windup. Don't fret, old timers, these measures are not changing baseball strategy!

While the new mound visit policy sounds positive, the enforcement of the rule by officials and teams has been spotty. See, the players' and umpire's unions both opposed the measure. The players only care about winning games and want to communicate as much as possible. The umps know baseball has no clock and want to be in charge of managing the game. So anytime the number of mound visits gets to five, the rule is not enforced. Believe it or not...in the 2,315 games played so far this season...a grand total of ZERO violations have been called!