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Tuesday 4 april 2023

MLB game times cut 30 minutes, steals double under new rules

By RONALD BLUM action and a lot more ap-
AP Baseball Writer pealing product for the
NEW YORK (AP) — Major fans,” Milwaukee Brewers
League Baseball’s new owner Mark Attanasio said.
rules are working as hoped The clock has had a notice-
through the first four days of able impact, with Colora-
the season. do-San Diego taking 2:03
The average game time on Sunday, Cleveland-Se-
has dropped by 30 minutes, attle 2:04 on Saturday and
stolen bases have doubled the New York Mets-Miami
and batting average has 2:09 on Friday.
increased by 16 percent- “I don’t think it’s wrong to
age points compared to take a semi-victory lap right
last year’s opening week- now,” Mets manager Buck
end. Showalter said, “but we’ll
Games averaged 2 hours, see how it evolves.”
38 minutes through Sunday There were 41 pitch-clock
with the new pitch clock, violations in the first 50
down from 3:08 for the first games, an average of 0.82.
four days of the 2022 sea- Of those, 29 were on pitch-
son and a 3:04 final aver- ers, 11 on batters and one
age. on a catcher.
In the first year of restric- San Francisco and Cleve-
tions on defensive shifts, the Houston Astros’ Chas McCormick flies under Chicago White Sox second baseman Elvis Andrus land tied for the high with
.246 batting average for (1) for a stolen base as umpire Rob Drake looks on during the second inning of a baseball game, four violations each, and
nine-inning games was up Sunday, April 2, 2023, in Houston. Associated Press Colorado, Detroit, Houston,
from .230 over the first four the Los Angeles Dodgers,
days last year, when many bases rose to an average MLB felt it was about time fielders to be within the out- Milwaukee, Minnesota and
games were played in cold of 1.4 per game from 0.6. for drastic change after er boundary of the infield Washington had none.
and wet weather. Left- “I think it’s in everybody’s the average time of nine- when the pitcher is on the Sample size is small, with 50
handed batting average mind, like, whoa, I can run inning games rose from rubber. Players supported games played of a sched-
increased to .232 from .229 more. And the more you 2:33 in 1981 to 2:46 in 2005 increasing bases to 18-inch uled 2,430, or just 2%. And
in last year’s first four days run and you’re success- and a record 3:10 in 2021. squares from 15-by-15, pro- early season offense tends
and right-handed average ful with it, the more you’re With the introduction of the posed as a safety measure. to be depressed because
went up to .254 from .230. going to run,” Los Angeles PitchCom electronic de- These were the most sig- of weather in the northwest
“We are extremely pleased Angels manager Phil Nevin vice to signal pitches, the nificant rules changes since and midwest the ball trav-
with the early returns,” said. average dropped to 3:04 the pitcher’s mound was els better as temperature
Commissioner Rob Man- Success rate on steal at- for the full 2022 season. lowered from 15 inches to rises. Stolen bases reached
fred said Monday. “Fan re- tempts rose to 85% from Over objections from play- 10 for the 1969 season and a live ball-era high of a 0.85
action has been positive to 67.4%. ers, the 11-man competi- the American League ad- per game in 1987, when
the brisker pace with more “If teams are going to be tion committee adopted a opted the designated hit- Vince Coleman swiped
action. And players have successful at it, then you’re pitch clock of 15 seconds ter in 1973, a rule that was 109. No one has reached
made a great adjustment going to continue to see a with no runners on base extended to the National 70 since Jacoby Ellsbury in
to the changes.” high volume of teams push- and 20 seconds with run- League in 2022 following its 2009, and the 0.46 average
Larger bases have cut the ing the envelope,” New ners. It also required two in- temporary use during the in 2021 was the lowest in a
distance between bags York Yankees manager fielders to be on either side 2020 pandemic-shortened half-century before an up-
by 4 1/2 inches, and stolen Aaron Boone said. of second base and all in- season. “There’s a lot more tick to 0.51 last year.q

Olympian Sunisa Lee says kidney issue ended Auburn season

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Olym- day in a post on social me- en’s all-around gymnas-
pic gymnastics champion dia that it was related to tics champion in Tokyo.
Sunisa Lee said a kidney kidney problems. She then became the first
issue cut short her college “It’s been challenging to reigning Olympic cham-
career, but she still has end my Auburn career ear- pion to compete at the
her sights set on the Paris ly, but I am thankful for all NCAA level, taking advan-
Games next year. the love and support,” Lee tage of new name, image
Lee, who already had an- wrote. “I will not stop pur- and likeness rules that allow
nounced plans to leave suing my dreams for a bid college athletes to make
college and resume train- to Paris in 2024. In fact, this money while competing.
ing at the elite level this experience has sharpened Lee said in November that
spring, missed the end of my vision for the future. I this would be her final sea-
the regular season, the appreciate all the love and son at Auburn before fo-
Southeastern Conference support, and I want to es- cusing on preparations for
championships and the pecially thank my doctors, her second Games.
NCAA regional because of coaches, and the Auburn As a freshman, she won the
Auburn’s Sunisa Lee competes on the floor exercise during an what Auburn described as medical staff for their care NCAA title on the balance
NCAA gymnastics meet Jan. 7, 2023, in Las Vegas. a “non-gymnastics health during this time.” beam and was runner-up
Associated Press issue.” She revealed Mon- Lee was the 2020 wom- in the all around. q