Skeeters News

[Nate Colbert]

From today's press release...

Major League Baseball (MLB) announced today that it has reached a three-year agreement with the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) that will permit MLB to test experimental playing rules and equipment during the Atlantic League’s Championship Season.  In addition to rules governing the transfer of players from the Atlantic League to Major League Baseball, the new agreement includes rights for MLB to implement changes to Atlantic League playing rules in order to observe the effects of potential future rule changes and equipment.  MLB will work with ALPB to modify the experimental playing rules and equipment each season during the agreement.

MLB also will enhance its scouting coverage of the Atlantic League, installing radar tracking technology in the eight Atlantic League ballparks and providing statistical services to ALPB clubs.

The new agreement continues Major League Baseball’s longstanding practice of testing potential new approaches under game conditions.  In recent years, MLB has utilized and evaluated experimental rules in its Arizona Fall League, the game’s top off-season developmental platform.

Major League Baseball and the Atlantic League will announce the experimental playing rule and equipment changes for the 2019 ALPB Championship Season in the coming weeks.

[Nate Colbert]

Major League Baseball and the Atlantic League will announce the experimental playing rule and equipment changes for the 2019 ALPB Championship Season in the coming weeks.

And in the wake of that press release Baseball America is now reporting that among the changes will be:

(1) moving back the mound

(2) calling balls and strikes using that Trackman technology

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/atlantic-league-expected-to-add-robo-umps-other-changes-from-new-mlb-agreement/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=email

[BUWebguy]

Who here has been to a Skeeters game? Is it fun?

[GreatBagwellsBeard]

Who here has been to a Skeeters game? Is it fun?

It's great for kids.  There's tons for them to do (if they're not watching the game), the tickets are cheap ($12/person 3 rows from the field, just past the dugout) and parking is free.

Sadly, Gary Gaetti's balding mullet will no longer bless you.  That thing was magnificent.

[Nate Colbert]

The complete list of experimental rules that will be implemented this season were announced today:

1. Computer assisted strike zone
2. No mound visits by players other than pitching changes/injury
3. Pitchers face minimum of 3 batters or end of inning.
4. Increase bases by 3 inches (to 18 inches)
5. Two fielders in infield on each side of 2B
6. Time between innings cut from 2:05 to 1:45
7. Mound moved back two feet in second half of season

[jaklewein]

7. Mound moved back two feet in second half of season

Two feet?  That seems like a pretty big change, doesn't it?  When I heard they were moving the mound back I was thinking inches, not feet.

[doyce7]

Two feet?  That seems like a pretty big change, doesn't it?  When I heard they were moving the mound back I was thinking inches, not feet.

My thought was going to 61 feet. 62 6 seems pretty extreme.

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[austro]

I'm really against the "two fielders on either side of second base" thing. Let the offenses evolve to counter the change.