By: Jayann Kellogg
Editor’s Note: Jayann is a writer for the blog Think Blue LA.
It is that time of year when football is starting to wrap up, and baseball is about to take the stage again. It was reported to multiple sports media outlets that pitchers and catchers will report to camps in Arizona and Florida in mid-February. Two weeks later, exhibition games will begin, and the opening day for the 2023 season is slated to be on March 30th. Baseball fans have been very patient and have had to endure a lot of changes over time. Many changes have had to take place to keep the game safe for players and spectators.
Baseball is no stranger to rule changes due to safety concerns. In 2014 Major League Baseball set a rule so catchers could no longer block home plate. The change was made partially because San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey suffered a season-ending ankle injury during the 2011 season. Netting on the field was extended to at least the dugout in 2018, and later in 2020, some stadiums have the safety netting down to the foul poles. During the shortened 2020 season, multiple safety measures changed rapidly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many safety protocols were implemented to keep the players safe with the goal of having fans back in their seats at the stadiums.
Over time it is normal to witness changes in sports and how they are played. The upcoming 2023 season will not disappoint in baseball’s evolution, that is for sure. A few rule changes will come into play, making some fans upset and others happy to see better time management fall into place. A pitch clock will appear in the Major leagues during the 2023 season. When pitchers take the mound, they will have 15 seconds to deliver their first pitch. This time increases to 20 seconds once there is a runner on base. Pitchers can step off the rubber at most twice per plate appearance. If a third attempt is made, the runner automatically advances one base if the pickoff attempt is unsuccessful. If the pitcher delivers a pitch late, they are charged with an automatic ball. Not all of the pressure is on the pitcher. If the batter is late to the plate (they have 30 seconds to get set), they are charged with an automatic strike.
Rule changes are not just taking place behind home plate and on the bump. Fans all over will be surprised to see that there will be no shifting in the infield anymore. All four infielders must have both feet entirely on the infield dirt when the pitcher is on the rubber. A total of two infielders must be entirely on either side of the second base. Banning the shift has always been a rumored upcoming rule change. Well, now it is happening.
While game time management is being looked at to make the game experience quicker and shorter, bases on the field are being changed to a larger size. The change in base size brings the new bag measurements to 18-inch squares from the prior 15-inch squares. Increasing the size of the bases also shortens the distance between bases (by 4.5 inches) and gives runners a larger target to aim at as they try to avoid tags. Will the bag size change help decrease collisions and injuries? Hard to know what the outcome will be until we watch the new change play out in the 2023 season.
No matter what your stance might be on all the rule changes with our beloved baseball, one thing will never change: the love of the game.
Cheers to the upcoming 2023! Go Dodgers!