Late show far from big hit
Series games have slowed to crawl, taking almost 4 hours
WASHINGTON — Snacking on chicken at a picnic table near section 402, decked out in his curly W cap and pullover, Bob Batwinis hoped to see a lot at Game 4 of the World Series. Exciting plays. A Nationals win. And maybe, just maybe, on this evening at Nationals Park, the final out sometime before midnight.
“It’s an embarrassment that baseball has turned into a marathon that kids can’t watch,” the retired school teacher said Saturday. Not just kids, either. Baseball is a sport of stats, and here’s one that nobody enjoys seeing: So far, games in this Fall Classic are averaging 3 hours, 54 minutes. The Late, Late Show, indeed. “When you get to the World Series, every pitch and every decision is going to be more magnified,” former manager Jim Leyland WASHINGTON — During his pregame said as the Astros took batting practice news conference Saturday, Houston Saturday. Astros manager A.J. Hinch clarified his
“They’re more important now, so they’re approach to his pitching staff in Game 4 of going to take a little more time. But there’s the World Series. no question about it, they’re dragging on a The plan had been categorized as a little too long.” bullpen game, with rookie Jose Urquidy There are reasons, sure. believed to be the first of a series of The break between half-innings is now 2 Houston pitchers as the Astros strived to minutes, 55 seconds, up from the 2:05 for even their series with the Washington most regular-season games. Nationals after losing the first two games
Alex Bregman, Juan Soto and the hitters at home. But that wasn’t how Hinch saw want more time outside the batter’s box to it. get steady. Josh James, Fernando Rodney als manager Dave Martinez said. “So it is “I don’t even know if I want to call this a and the relievers need an extra moment or what it is.” bullpen game,” Hinch said, “because two to compose themselves. Plus, those This season, Major League Baseball said Urquidy is a starter.” nonstop pitching changes. the average time of a nine-inning game Hinch then recalled how the previous
Looming is the possibility of record-low reached a record 3 hours, 5 minutes, 35 game in which Urquirdy had pitched, television ratings as fans either tune away or seconds. That exceeded the 3:05:11 in 2017. doing so as a reliever in Game 6 of the nod off. The average was cut to 3:00:44 in 2018, American League Championship Series
Even at Nationals Park and Minute Maid aided by new rules that trimmed mound against the New York Yankees, was also a Park, there have been plenty of empty seats visits without pitching changes. It was 2:46 bullpen game, and how after the Yankees at the end. in 2005. had tied it in the ninth, Houston was left
It wasn’t always like this. Not even Baseball tried a speedup at spring with two available pitchers. He had no recently. training, experimenting with a 20-second interest in running the risk of one of his
In 2017, nine-inning World Series games pitch clock. Nationals ace Max Scherzer position players taking the mound in a between the Dodgers and Astros averaged was among many players who didn’t like it. postseason game.
3:16. Last year, the matchups between the MLB is allowed to implement a pitch “I would love for Urquidy to go five, six Red Sox and Dodgers took 3:30 (and didn’t clock next season — the minor leagues innings,” Hinch said. “Whatever he can do.”includethe18-inningaffairatDodgeralreadyhavethem—butCommissioner
Stadium that lasted 7:20). Rob Manfred is reluctant to do that without He indeed did. Urquidy pitched five
On Friday night, the Astros beat the support from all sides. Manfred plans to shutout innings to guide the Astros to an Nationals 4-1 in a pretty straightforward discuss the issue at an owners’ meeting next 8-1 victory to even the World Series at two game. Yet it still took 4:03 and ended a few month. games apiece and return home-field minutes past midnight. Meanwhile, Game 4 slowed to a crawl in advantage to the Astros.
“I know a lot of it has to do with TV, the late innings as the Astros pulled away With those five scoreless frames comcommercials and things of that nature. for an 8-1 win. ing as a visitor in a World Series game, he We’ve got a 3-minute in between,” Nation- Tough night for the Nats, and for the fans. became only the second pitcher with such
Series tied 2-2 Game 1: Game 2: Game 3: Game 4: Game 5: Game 6:
Game 7: