The biggest complaint about baseball is that it can go very, very long, and is more-or-less getting longer as batters are encouraged to work the count. But what can be done? You can’t just tell players they can’t try to work the count, for example. And to try to put a type of “shot-clock” on hitters or pitchers would never be able to get past the rules committee.

Oh, wait, in a way, they already have. The problem is that they never are enforced.

Rule 6.02 deals with hitters and states, essentially, that a batter must take their position at the plate in a prompt manner. Subrule C says that if they don’t, then… well…

(c) If the batter refuses to take his position in the batter’s box during his time at bat, the umpire shall call a strike on the batter. The ball is dead, and no runners may advance. After the penalty, the batter may take his proper position and the regular ball and strike count shall continue. If the batter does not take his proper position before three strikes have been called, the batter shall be declared out.

So, in theory, if a batter is taking too long to go into the box, he should be getting strikes called against him.

To the best of my knowledge, I have never, ever seen this called. Ever. On any level. No matter how much of a human rain delay is up.

If enforced, it would certainly make the game move faster, but the hitter is but one part of the equation. What of the pitchers? That’s where rule 8.04 comes in.

Rule 8.04 reads:

When the bases are unoccupied, the pitcher shall deliver the ball to the batter within 12 seconds after he receives the ball. Each time the pitcher delays the game by violating this rule, the umpire shall call “Ball.” The 12-second timing starts when the pitcher is in possession of the ball and the batter is in the box, alert to the pitcher. The timing stops when the pitcher releases the ball.
The intent of this rule is to avoid unnecessary delays. The umpire shall insist that the catcher return the ball promptly to the pitcher, and that the pitcher take his position on the rubber promptly. Obvious delay by the pitcher should instantly be penalized by the umpire.

In other words, by rule, if there are no men on, the pitcher has 12 seconds from getting the ball and the batter entering the box to throw a pitch. Otherwise, it’s a ball. Like Rule 6.02 section C, I don’t think I’ve ever seen this enforced. If I have, it must have only been once or twice.

So, why aren’t these rules ever enforced, especially since their enforcement would probably shorten the game at least a little?

The answer, more than likely, is a mix of tradition and habit. For one thing, for years baseball games moved along fine without these rules being enforced. It was only once required television breaks, working the count, and more pitching changes came around that they started to become longer and longer. For another, the fact that these haven’t been enforced means that the players don’t expect them to be- and to suddenly start enforcing them, it may be thought, could be more annoying than it is worth for the umpires.

But that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t try. Test out having those rules heavily enforced in a place like the Arizona Fall League or one of the rookie-level leagues. See if they make a difference. Because, if they could be put into force, baseball could speed itself up without having to change anything in the rules.