Baseball
My Way
It'd be like baseball as currently known, except:
equipment
- ball: a Spaldeen
- bats of any material and internal construction
- playing surface: dirt/grass only
- round shoe cleats only
- no helmets or masks
preliminaries
At the same time as batting orders are exchanged, so will be a
declaration for each team as to whether it will run the bases
clockwise or c.c.w. -- i.e. whether, when that side bats, first
base will be down the right or left foul line. The cleats being
round (see above), there'll be no need for different ones
depending which way that team's runners turn the bases.
order of play
The home team will bat second in odd-numbered innings, first in
even-numbered innings. Not only will that reduce the home
advantage, it'll also reduce delays.
duration of play
All games 9 innings. If score is even, it's a tie. Every effort
would be made to suspend games instead of shortening them after
they've become official.
strike zone
This will be the same size for all batters. That will be
achieved by a device in the opposite batter's box consisting of a
vertical mast with a slidable sleeve with small posts sticking
out to indicate the top and bottom of the strike zone. The top
and bottom are a fixed distance apart. At the start of the
at-bat (or when the batter enters as a substitute in the middle
of an at-bat), the batter will adjust it as desired, within
certain allowed limits, for overall height. The whole apparatus
will be removable from the box so as not to interfere when
different-handed batters are up.
pitching
There'll be no mound or rubber. Pitchers will have all the
options of baseball, 16-inch softball (mushball), and cricket
bowlers, and then some. Any delivery of a ball not in play by
any player of the team in the field in the general direction of
home plate will be a pitch provided it's done within 20 seconds
from directly behind a point within 5 feet of the center of the
line between 1st & 3rd base. That means, for instance:
- running starts allowed
- quick pitches -- no need to pause
- any elbow, wrist, etc. movement OK
- can hide ball between 2 ostensible pitchers who both go thru
the motions, simultaneous or staggered
- pump fakes allowed
strikes
In addition to the usual rules, a pitch will also be a strike
if:
- it bounces thru the strike zone
- it's batted directly out of bounds -- no over-fence home runs
- it's batted foul, even for strike 3, regardless of whether
tipped or fielded -- no foul fly-outs
However, a swinging or called strike will be called a ball unless
the catcher catches the pitched ball in the catcher's box before
it (again) hits the ground. (No swinging strike will be allowed
on a rolling pitch, although the batter can golf it.)
balls
In addition to the usual (and above) rules, an extra
ball will be recorded if:
- the catcher fails to catch it, as above
- the batter is hit by the pitch
- note -- only 1 extra ball in case of both
of the above
If the batter is hit in the head, 2 extra balls will be given.
Hit batsmen will not automatically get 1st base.
walks
A batter will be allowed a base for each 4 balls during
an at-bat. The batter may continue to bat after the 4th ball.
At any time afterward, except while the ball is in play or a
pitch is coming, the batter may take the walk, announcing his/her
intention first. If the batter gets 16 balls, the at-bat must
end and the batter round the bases. When a batter walks, each
runner also will advance that many bases. If the count of balls
exceeds goes from 3 to 5 or 6, from 7 to 9 or 10, or from 11 to
13 or 14 due to the batter's being hit by a pitch (see above),
the batter taking a walk at that time (only) may credit the
excess ball(s) to the next batter.
stealing 1st base
During an at-bat, the batter may attempt to steal 1st base. The
batter will be considered a runner between bases as soon as s/he
steps on home plate and then off it in the direction of first
base. The batter is not forced to go to 1st, and may return home
safely and resume the at-bat. The at-bat ends the instant a 3rd
strike is made, so a batter can't steal then. Also, regardless of how a
batter reached first, running past the base down the line after touching
it would not keep the runner safe; the runner would have to stay on
base.
base running
A runner off base will be out if touched by the ball anywhere
below the neck; the ball need not be held by a fielder. Runners
anticipating a fly out will be allowed to start their runs behind
their bases, to get a running start when they tag on the
sacrifice fly.
time out
This would be allowed only for emergencies.
Comment
The ball's being hollow rubber (lighter than a regulation
handball) changes a lot. Batters won't be concerned with being
beaned, and penalties for hitting them can be reduced. The
absence of laces on the ball, however, doesn't rule out curve
balls; quite a bit of action can be put on a Spaldeen. The ball
will bounce high even though Astro Turf won't be used. There not
being much point in using a heavy bat, bats will be lighter and
batters will be able to check their swings more easily -- and
they'll need to, with these pitching rules! The long ball will
be taken out of the game mostly by the ball itself, but also by
the fact that hitting it out of the park will be just a foul ball
(note: no foul outs) and a strike, not a homer.
With a Spaldeen, we might as well return to the practice of
putting runners out by throwing the ball at them. That being
allowed, there'd not be much point in requiring the fielder to
hold onto the ball after a tag. And catchers' and batter's
helmets and masks can be dispensed with. Notice that I gave the
catcher something to do even with no runners on base, by making
strikes good.
The only way to balk by these rules would be by failing to
pitch in the required time. But pitching would involve lots of
options. One possibility I see is taking out a fielder in favor
of a second pitcher. The pitchers (maybe a left- and a right-
hander) huddle with the ball hidden, both run forward and
deliver, and the batter has to figure out where the ball's coming
from. The pitchers might release simultaneously, or staggered
slightly, the better to catch the batter off balance. However,
the intentional walk is a no-go, there being no point to it.
The emphasis overall would be on speed of play, with fewer
changes in the field and less time out. Batters could not
prolong their time at bat by fouling off balls with 2
strikes.
Comments?