Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Thoughts on some rules tweaks

Kendall Rogers of Rivals.com gives a report on last week's American Baseball Coaches Association Convention in San Diego.

Among the notes:

* Most coaches favor keeping the schedule at 56 games rather than reducing it.

* Coaches would like to see the season extended from 13 weeks to 14 weeks.

He also mentions some rules tweaks approved by the baseball committee. After each change is my comment in italics.

* The committee voted to eliminate all walk-up music during all rounds of the NCAA Championships, stating that music sometimes has been played as a batter steps in the box
Hallelujah. Now, if they would just extend it to regular-season games, too.

* The NCAA has outlawed any orchestrated cheers or chants from the dugout.
Is this really a problem? I've heard it in high school softball, but not much anywhere else.


* A team may now only go out on the field if it's after an out that ends an inning. In a case such as a home run, a team no longer can crowd home plate during a live or dead ball.
I don't know when running to home plate from the dugout grew from happening just after a game-winning homer to any homer, but this is probably a good move. Less chance for some kind of exchange between opposing players in the heat of the moment.

  • Rivals' ABCA Convention report
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