The 2023 baseball season has brought its fair share of surprising storylines and highlight-worthy plays, many of which have been a direct result of the various rule changes made by Major League Baseball.
Thanks to bigger bases, the pitch clock and limits on defensive shifts, the average game time is down by 26 minutes and runs per game are up. That has raised discussions about the pitching mound itself. Currently located 60 feet and six inches away from home plate, conversations are being held whether or not to move the mound back or lower it from its current 15-inch height.
MLB Network has explained and talked about the implications of the rule changes throughout the regular season. While it is widely viewed as a trusted source of information for baseball fans, a recent discussion on one of the network’s programs about injuries because of the rule changes caught the attention of Dave Wyman and Bob Stelton on Seattle Sports 710.
“I heard Al Leiter and the guy that talks a lot on MLB Network,” Wyman said, referring to MLB Now host Brian Kenny.
“I get that guys are throwing harder than ever,” Stelton replied, “but maybe they lower it; maybe they do something like that. Sixty feet, six inches – that’s where it’s at.”
The radio duo shifted the conversation to the legitimacy of the opinions from MLB Network personalities, especially since the broadcast outlet is owned by Major League Baseball itself. There will always be concerns about whether or not the personalities have the ability to convey how they truly feel about a manner. While many of them have surmised that they have the prerogative to dissertate how they feel, outsiders still have questions pertaining to the whole arrangement.
“We’re hearing from the people that cover the game,” Wyman said. “Of course you’re happy, J.P. [Morosi], that it’s a faster game.”
Wyman says it is a common sentiment among media members to want the games to progress quicker, as they can not usually leave the contests early. The opinions that truly matter, however, are those of the fans, and so far, the feedback has been relatively favorable towards the changes.
“I’ve not heard anyone complain about cutting the beer off or [not being able to] drink as much beer or [say], ‘It’s not such a monumental occasion when you go because it ends so quickly,’” Wyman expressed. “I have not heard any of that, so it seems to be going well.”
