With new rules, such as the pitch timer, added to Major League Baseball this year, it has already played a negative factor in spring training games. These rules have been added to shorten the games and make them “more interesting to watch”, but they are only ruining the game of baseball.

There has already been an incident with a spring training game this year. In the bottom of the ninth of a tie game, with two outs and the bases loaded, the batter had a full count while he took too long to get back into the batter’s box, and it cost him a strike. This caused him to strike out and sent the game into extra innings. Obviously, it was not the end of the game because it went into extra innings, which is contradicting everything they are trying to prevent. The rule that was added to make the games shorter just made the game longer!

I cannot comprehend the idea behind adding these rules. It seems like the rules committee made them to benefit people that do not enjoy watching baseball. If you pay for a ticket, which nowadays is pretty expensive, would you rather the game be longer or shorter? Personally, I would want it to be longer because it means I get to spend more time watching the sport I love. If you are the kind of person who complains about the game taking too long, then leave! If you do not want to watch the entire game because it has been going on for three hours, go do something else with your time. For those who are watching the game on TV, you can change the channel. People who actually enjoy the game of baseball love watching a full game and are more than happy to let it take hours out of their day.

Baseball is not a game that is meant to be rushed; it is important to the quality of play that players, such as pitchers, have enough time to set themselves. By rushing a pitcher, we do not get to see his full potential, and he can not play his best ball.

Do not even get me started on the shift rule! If you are a professional athlete in MLB, there is no reason why you can not hit the ball to multiple different areas of the field. If you are a batter and you can only pull the ball to the right side of the diamond, then I have no words for you.

These rules are changing the game for the worse. It is taking away from the classic, timeless, and elegant game of baseball. The only reason why these rules are in place is to improve “TV ratings” and to “increase the fanbase” of the league. If you were not a fan of baseball a year ago, a couple of new rules are not going to instantly change your interests. It is sad to think that the league is thinking about the money and ratings more than the players, especially when their logic is so stupid. Quit being selfish and quit ruining America’s game!