Yes, One Less is More. MLB Should Eliminate the 6th Inning - by Colin Gawel

MLB should eliminate the 6th inning. Yup, once the 5th inning is complete, two zeros go on the scoreboard in the 6th and the game moves immediately to the 7th inning. Honestly, except for die-hard fans and Pedro Strop, who needs the 6th inning anyway? I bet half the crowd wouldn’t even notice. Personally, I cannot recall of anything memorable that has ever happened in the 6th inning. MLB has been struggling with extended game times, less balls in play and a season that is way too long to hold our attention in the year 2020. So how do they inject some value back into the product? Shorten the games by one inning.

Okay, I can already feel the heat from the Facebook Baseball Discussion & Debate page, but hear me out..

If we can learn to live without the sixth inning the benefits are tangible.

- Let’s start with the most important factor. Revenue stays the same. The schedule remains at 162 games. Beer taps can run until the 8th inning. The owners will never agree to less revenue so this takes that problem off the table.

- Since I started watching the Big Red Machine in 1975, average game times have grown from 2:29 to 3:10 in the year 2019.  That increased length combined with decreased balls in play have made the game pace extremely boring to all but the most psychotic and/or unemployed  fan. This simple change will address the time problem directly.

- By eliminating one inning, the game gets to the drama zone quicker. Or as music fans say, “Don’t bore us, get to the chorus.“ This is especially important in the postseason when games routinely run 4 hours and end after midnight. Meaningless regular season games do not build your brand for the future. Tense 9th inning action in front of as many eyeballs as possible does. The NFL still plays playoff games in the afternoon and has the Super Bowl kick off at 6:40. I guess MLB just knows better despite what the ratings say. 

- And….. no other changes need to be made. Forget the new three batter rule or limited mound trips, both of which DO NOT SHORTEN game length. The game stays the same, we just take out the 6th inning. Even the scoreboards and verbiage stay the same. Nothing needs to change except our mindset. Elevators skip the 13th floor and daylight savings literally moves time. 5pm magically becomes 4pm the next day.  We can name the innings whatever we want. The important part is that the 9th inning is the LAST inning. 

On a personal note, AAA baseball games play seven inning games when a double header is scheduled. I can tell you from first hand experience, a seven inning game has much more excitement than a nine inning game. Pitches and at-bats have way more value. I am not proposing that solution, but I’m telling you, the game feels way better at that length than the current sloth-like pace of MLB games. 

Okay, I can hear you old-timer’s chomping cigars, looking like the banker from Monopoly hitting your fist against the table and sputtering, “BUT WE HAVE TRADITION!!!!”.

Ah yes, the grand old game. The way it used to be. White guys without batting helmets playing World Series games in the afternoon. Back when relief pitchers weren’t forced to face a minimum of three batters. Old school. Yes, we must at all costs protect the integrity and tradition of the game. 

As for it’s impact on the historical record books and statistics, that problem has already been solved thanks to Barry Bonds and the 2018 Houston Astros. At this point, the majority of the numbers are subjective anyway.

Yes, one less is more. Goodbye 6th inning. Don’t let the clubhouse door hit you in the ass on the way out. 

Colin Gawel founded Pencilstorm and wrote this at Colin’s Coffee. He plays in the band Watershed and his solo song “Dad Can’t Help You Now” is a damn fine baseball tune. 



NBA Look-In - by Ben Galli

One More All Star Saturday Night

For perhaps the first time since Magic Johnson’s farewell All Star game, the actual game on Sunday was more entertaining than the festivities leading up to it.  The popular vote was throttled again in the Slam Dunk contest but the NBA’s seemingly last minute changes to the format of the actual game, a bold move, Cotton, made for an optimal situation.  This year each quarter was its own mini-game with each team competing for children’s charities. Note to NBA: It is not a good look to have hundreds of thousands of dollars for freakin’ little kids’ futures teeter in the  balance over a usually lackluster basketball game. I see a change in that format next year. But that 4th quarter? Man, oh man.  

We watched the greatest basketball players in the world actually competing hard against each other and playing defense (Defense!?) in a game that really seemed to matter.  It was riveting stuff and reminded you how incredible basketball can be. This improvement in the game can be attributed to pride and the Elam Ending where the clock is taken out at a certain point of the 4th quarter and replaced with a target score.  My only gripe is how GM Giannis let GM LeBron pick so many of the best players. Almost vice-versa of when they’re playing GM for their own teams, at least in LBJ’s case.

The Road to Zion

Zion Williamson is dominating the NBA more than college.  I don’t know if that’s because he has better talent supporting him, that it’s just that much better (and faster) a brand of basketball, or his college coach was just really bad at his job.  Dude is 19 years old, averaging 29 ppg his last 5 games, and if he scores at least 20 his next game, will surpass Carmelo Anthony for having the most 20 point games in a row for a teenager. Pelicans are 8-6 in those games with 5 of those losses coming against the top 8 teams record-wise in the NBA.  They’re 3.5 games out of the 8th playoff spot currently held by the Grizzlies and the supposed shoe-in for Rookie of the Year, Ja Morant. The road to Zion was well worth the wait.

Cleveland Crocks

Well that was short-lived.  Newly hired coach John Beilein made a beeline for the exits, resigning his position over the all star break after just 9 months on the job and tied for the 3rd worst record in the league (hello Knicks!). That’s half the average life expectancy of slugs!  He’ll be replaced by former head coach candidate J.B. Bickerstaff. Old heads might remember his dad Bernie, the Seattle SuperSonics coach back in the day (‘85-’90). Maybe that was Beilein’s play all along. Pulling strings to get that cushy “special assistant to the president” gig.  The Cavs have some young talent like the blossoming Kevin Porter Jr. but they’re going to have to find someone or something to fix a culture that ails without LeBron.  

The Lakers and Clippers and Bucks, Oh My!

These teams have emerged as the strongest contenders for the chip.  The Clippers still have the most depth but.. the least amount of opportunities to build a team with their two superstars.  The Lakers have the best duo in the league and have surrounded them with an annoyingly lovable rag tag bunch of Mad TV characters that genuinely look like they love each other and never give up.  However, the best record in the league belongs to a team on pace to win 70 games with the frontrunner for MVP having another ridiculously, incredibly, fantastical, very good season.  

Still the question for the Milwaukee Bucks remains: Can one superstar beat two? Enter Khris Middleton. Middleton might “just” be averaging 21 points per game but he’s got 50-40-90 shooting splits (50% from the field, 40% from three, and 90% from the foul line or better).  He’d be the 9th player in NBA history (shoutout Mark Price!) to hit those marks for a season and if he can play even better in the playoffs, Milwaukee might be too much for anyone to behold. But winning in June will depend on Giannis taking the steps that have eluded him and defeating two of the other best players in the world who’ve all won it before multiple times.  We can only wait and see and I for one, can’t wait.

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