Baseball is a game of details. Of precision. Of patience.

Or, you could say it was a game of details.

For the 2023 Major League Baseball season, the league introduced new rules to the game to increase interest in the game by creating more excitement – more action. And this goal was accomplished, as the MLB recorded a 70.7-million-person total attendance in 2023, which is a 9.6% increase from 2022.

Is this something worth degrading aspects of baseball which have long stood as staples in the game?

For the new or average baseball fan, the answer is yes.

For a die-hard baseball fan who grew up playing the game, the answer is no.

The answer is no, solely because most of the new rules completely eliminated smaller parts of the game which left a major impact on the outcome.

For example – the new pitch clock. Starting in 2023, pitchers had to set-up and throw their next pitch within 15 seconds of the previous pitch with no runners on-base, and within 20 seconds with runners on (a time which was changed to 18 seconds for the 2024 season).

In 2023, the average length of a baseball game declined by 24 minutes: to 2 hours and 39 minutes.

Baseball has never been a sport decided on time. Never has, and I hoped that it never would. But now, if the pitcher takes too long to throw, they give an automatic ball to the batter. If the batter takes too long to set-up before the pitch, then the pitcher is awarded a strike.

Baseball is a game of innings. Not 5-minute periods.

A game of 27 outs. Not two-and-a-half hours.

These time constraints along with the new pick-off restrictions have forced out mental facets of defense. Now, pitchers can only disengage the mound twice during an at-bat.

Speedsters like Billy Hamilton and Dee Gordon were partly why – since every time they reached first base, pitchers would throw-over multiple times, sometimes up to 5 times every at-bat. But that is baseball. Baseball is taking your time and not giving up that extra base. Keeping that runner close to the bag.

Baseball is stepping out of the batters’ box to throw off the pitchers’ rhythm. Batters can now only call time once in an at-bat.

One of the greatest at-bats in World Series history occurred during Game 6 of the 2011 classic. With 2 outs, runners on first and second base, in the bottom of the ninth inning, and down two runs, David Freese stepped up to the plate against the Texas Rangers.

Before he stepped to the plate, the Rangers used a 25 second mound visit to strategize against Freese. Freese ultimately waited 49 seconds to receive his first pitch. The count moved to 1 ball and 1 strike, then Rangers catcher Mike Napoli took another mound visit – taking 30 seconds before the next pitch –and firing a fastball for a 1-2 count. Then, Freese teed-up on the next pitch for a two-run triple to tie the game.

That is baseball.

EVERY pitch matters. EVERY decision matters. Good decisions take time.

Now, teams can only visit the mound four times per game. They used to have unlimited mound visits, taking pressure off pitchers and catchers.

Putting constraints on these aspects takes away the beauty of baseball, the strategy of baseball.

Now, a few of the rule changes did make sense. Like, making the bases larger to decrease the distance between them, only by a little though. This could slightly increase steal attempts and allow more room for the runner on the bag to reduce injuries.

But the fourth major rule change limited where teams could shift their players in the field. With the new rule, teams are required to have two infielders on either side of second base, until the pitcher throws the ball. This was made to increase hits as predominately pull hitters’ batting averages started to decrease as the practice of shifting became popular.

This rule just bails out batters who don’t know how to truly hit. Being able to hit to both sides of the field is the mark of a good hitter. If you can’t spray the field – then you SHOULD have to deal with the shift. Instead of trying to pull a homer every time, learn how to “hit it where they ain’t.”

I understand that speeding up the game is good for ratings and sales, but it truly has ruined the “game within the game.”

A baseball matchup doesn’t need to have a fast pace to be able to enjoy it, fans just need to begin to really understand the intricacies of baseball, which can help develop a stronger love for the game.

A love which many fans have developed since baseball’s creation in 1839.

A love which traditional, long-standing fans feel is being lost in today’s game.