(670 The Score) As pace of play continues to be a serious issue that MLB is looking to address, Cubs manager Joe Maddon is emphasizing that the focus remains on just that -- the pace.
Maddon dislikes arguments that reference the length of games as being a problem. The way he sees it, fans are content so long as it's an action-packed game.
"When it comes to the pace of the game, go ahead and play," Maddon said on the Bernstein & McKnight Show on Tuesday afternoon. "Go ahead and try to incorporate within our game items that people believe through trial that impact the pace of the game. In -- I'm totally in. When it comes to the length of the game, please stop talking about it. It doesn't matter. Length doesn't matter in a game. It does not. Everybody likes a well-played good baseball game if action is happening quickly.
"Teach different techniques. These relief pitchers are throwing 96 miles per hour belt and up and if you're teaching guys to hit the ball in the air, they're not. They're not going to do that. Since that inefficiency was located, everybody is incorporating the elevated fastball and guys are swinging up -- it ain't happening (for the batter)."
The average MLB game took 3 hour, 4 minutes in 2018, down from 3:08 in 2017. Those numbers matter not at all to Maddon, a traditionalist who also wants to take what he considers reasonable steps toward making the game more action-packed.
"I'm into pace," Maddon said. "Leave the length of the game alone.
"And do not mess with strategy, whether it's shifting, a reliever has got to face three hitters -- that pretty much eradicates a left-handed specialist bullpen guy for the rest of baseball history."
