PORTLAND (NEWS CENTER Maine) -- New rules coming to Minor League Baseball this season are expected to speed up the pace of play.
The new rules are aimed at reducing the length of extra innings games, as well as the number of mound visits during a game. The League is also adding a pitch timer.
The speed of a game is something fans and even former players notice.
"You've got to carve out three or four hours to watch a Red Sox game," said Anthony D'Alfonso, a former player at the University of Southern Maine, who now owns Triple Crown Baseball and Softball Academy in South Portland.
At all levels of Minor League Baseball, extra innings will begin with a runner on second base. For a full example of how this rule will be implemented, click here. If that runner scores, it will not count towards a pitcher's ERA.
"It's a change that doesn't need to be made right away. The baseball purists will absolutely dislike it because of that rare late-inning game, the one or two late summer nights," said D'Alfonso.
The League is also imposing a limit on mound visits. Triple-A clubs will be allowed six (6) visits per team, Double-A clubs will be allowed eight (8) visits per team, Single-A clubs will be allowed 10 visits per team and there will not be a limit on mound visits for Short Season and Rookie-level clubs. FULL EXPLANATION HERE.
In addition the League is adding a pitch timer. Pitchers at the Triple-A and Double-A levels will be allowed 15 seconds to begin their wind-up or the motion to come to the set position when no runners are on base. With runners on base, the pitch timer will go from 15 to 20 seconds. FULL EXPLANATION HERE.
D'Alfonso trains kids to play in college or beyond, and said a pitch timer affects how he coaches them.
"Now kids have to get in, brush the dirt off and go hit and the pitcher has to grab the ball and pitch," said D'Alfonso.
Minor League Baseball president Pat O'Conner said these changes aim to reduce the number of pitchers used in extra innings and the issues created by extra innings games, including, but not limited to, shortages of pitchers in the days to follow, the use of position players as pitchers and the transferring of players between affiliates due to pitching shortages caused by extra innings games.
"We believe these changes to extra innings will enhance the fans' enjoyment of the game and will become something that the fans will look forward to on nights where the game is tied late in the contest," said O'Conner. "Player safety has been an area of growing concern for our partners at the Major League Baseball level, and the impact that lengthy extra innings games has on pitchers, position players and an entire organization was something that needed to be addressed."
D'Alfonso said many kids are choosing faster-paced sports, and thinks some of these rules keep the future players interested.
"In the minor leagues, ultimately your fan base will be children, kids, and their parents going to make it a family event, so I think the shorter the production, the easier it is to keep a fan's attention."