Stumpf's Talking Point: Are games getting too long? taken at PNC Park (Pirates)

JUSTIN K. ALLER / GETTY

Richard Rodriguez.

Just to be clear, before we get started: I'm not here to complain. With the exception of the occasional outlier, like Tuesday, (or if I have a flight to catch) I really don’t notice long games or care about them. It's baseball, the one sport without a clock. Some games are going to be on the long side, and that's ok. I’m sure nobody would want to read about me, a baseball writer, complaining about watching baseball games, anyway. 

But this was brought up in my last Live Qs, and fresh off the heels of a four hour, seven minute contest, it seems like the perfect time to ask: Games are getting longer. Is that a dealbreaker for you?

Entering play Tuesday, Baseball-Reference had the average length of a nine inning game this year at three hours and nine minutes. If that holds, it would be the longest average yet, passing last year’s average of three hours and seven minutes.

But it’s only 15 minutes more than the average game 20 years ago. Is 15 extra minutes of baseball really going to keep people away? Yes, it’s potentially 15 minutes later into the night, but the Pirates moved their home start times from 7:05 p.m. to 6:35 this year to accommodate. Technically speaking, people can leave games or go to bed at an earlier hour still.

Why has the game slowed down? A lot of it has to do with how it is played. The ball flies more now than it did in the past. That means home runs, and pitchers are more cautious than ever to not give up contact. They’re going after strikeouts more. Both take up a considerable amount of time and slow the game down.

The league has instituted some pace of play initiatives to try to keep things moving. Limiting mound visits, cutting down on commercials between innings, a three-batter minimum rule. There are other ideas on the table, most notably a pitch clock.

But if the league wants to speed up games, they’re going to have to deaden the ball, and better than they attempted for this year. Less home runs means pitchers can rely less on strikeouts, and significantly shorter games.

YOUR TURN: Are games getting too long? Would you be in favor of deadening the ball to speed them up, or would you rather try another method?

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