What Curling can Teach Baseball

American Family Field 9/21/2021 dwm photo

I've been a baseball fan, and specifically a fan of the Milwaukee Brewers for more than 50 years.

Over those five decades games have gotten longer.  I recall most games as a kid only taking 2, 2-1/2 hours, which became 3 hours, which has become 4 hours the last few years.

There's been a lot of hand-wringing on this issue because long games can be tedious, especially if you are watching on television.  There are a lot of ideas on how to shorten the game, but so far nothing has clicked.

We're less than a week from what should be pitchers and catchers reporting to training camp knowing it's not going to be on time this year, it's time to introduce a game-saving idea.

I suggest baseball follow the sport of curling.  Yes, curling.

Curling uses 'thinking time' to regulate the length of its games. Thinking time comes off the clock while a team deliberates about its next shot.

The curling match I watched gave each team 20 minutes plus two time-outs.  Thinking time does not include the time between 'ends' in curling, which is similar to baseball innings.

It seems perfect for baseball.  Let's say each team gets 60 minutes for 'thinking time' to consider the next pitch, adjust themselves, or change pitchers.   If they are in danger of using all the time, they can spend a time-out.  Injuries don't count against thinking time or require a time out.

Maybe each team needs more than 60 minutes, but there is a sweet spot out there which is fair to both sides and would encourage less time between pitches.  There will be some discretion required by the time-keeper who would judge whether the batter or a defensive player is using too much time.  

As the players and owners are acting right now as if there is all the time in the world to reach a labor agreement, perhaps we can slap a thinking time clock on them and get them to agree on trying a version of thinking time in minor league games this season.

Play Ball!