Does anyone have any ideas for reducing the game times? I figure we can come up with plenty of ideas (most of which would be ridiculous). This is what forums are for right?

I think an expanded strike zone wouldn't hurt. Have we seen any Umps who call the low strike and the high strike this season. Some will favor one or the other, but rarely do we see an ump favor both. Could the strikezone included any pitch within about two inches of the plate horizontally? And for the vertical portion of the strikezone, maybe it should be from the knees to the nips while the player is in a relaxed standing position (not crouched). If the zone is larger, it would probably end the NYY/BOS style that drags on and on.

This would also tip things in favor of the pitcher again. However, I think this so called "year of the pitcher 2.0" is more about people actually tuning in for good pitching and growing a little tired of HR after HR.

Dave H, you're kidding, right? Longer games = more baseball. More baseball = happier life. Happier life = healthier life. Healthier life = longer life. Therefore longer games = longer life. Do you want us to die young? I didn't think so.

I agree with Hank, a baseball game is never too long....well except that 18 inning game in KC I went to several years ago that the Rangers lost. Of course if they had won it would have been the right length.

We could always stop at 9 and call it the Selig rule. Or spice it up with a shoot out, maybe a HR hitting contest at the end to determine the winner!

I don't think that expanding the strike zone is the best way to shorten a game because this would invite mediocrity back into pitching. Pitchers should be talented enough to be able to adjust to a given umpires strike zone, not be able to just hurl the ball near the plate and rest assured in the fact that even though it's not a great pitch, it will probably be called a strike.

Furthermore, an umpire's strike zone is one of the things that makes us love the game of baseball. The human errors and imperfections, while incredibly annoying and potentially devestating for a team, are what make this game one that can't be replicated by machines and such a great teacher of one of life's most important lessons: when shit doesn't go your way, you have to accept it and make the best of your next opportunity.

First of all, you guys (excluding Joey) have to be kidding me. Shorting games = holding the attention of more viewers. This brings higher ratings which brings higher revenue streams. Even if it's only the Yankees that actually make more money, everybody wins (revenue sharing). I love a long baseball game, but I don't love watching freaking Youk fidget with everything and call a timeout after every pitch or watching Rich Harden take 12 pitches and ten minutes to get one batter out. Speeding up the game is a good thing.

Michael M: An expanded strike zone isn't necessarily an expansion at all. It could just be an enforcement of what the zone is already supposed to be. The low and high strikes are increasingly hard to get. If the zone is called by the book (doesn't have to be perfect, just better), we're not inviting mediocrity.