MLB could raise the strike zone, change intentional walks for 2017 season

[Strychnine]

Tighter strikezone? Yup.
Just awarding first without throwing four balls? Disagree.

http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/strike-zone-change-intentional-walks-batter-knee-competition-committee-rob-manfred-052116

Report: MLB could raise the strike zone, change intentional walks for 2017 season

These sweeping changes might not need the players' approval

There could be major changes to Major League Baseball's strike zone as early as the 2017 season.

According to an ESPN report, the MLB's competition committee has approved a motion that would raise the strike zone to the top of the hitter's knees (from its current position at "the hollow beneath the kneecap").

In addition, the committee voted to do away with the need for teams to throw four balls when it wants to intentionally walk a batter. Instead, the batter would simply be awarded first base.

The changes still must be approved by baseball's playing rules committee but not necessarily by the players association, ESPN reports. In fact, this could become part of the negotiations for a new labor agreement. The current CBA expires on Dec. 1, 2016.

The ultimate goals of the proposed changes: putting more balls in play and speeding up the game.

[Nash B.]

Fuck that shit

[Grimpala]

That's worse than an air-conditioned ballpark.

[Sleeper]

Stupid.

Let's make a sport already hard to watch on TV even more boring.

[big_tiger]

I think having a computer call balls and strikes would increase offense. I heard BaD radio talking about how they are doing it in soccer, with 2mm accuracy.

[CJ]

That's not really tightening the strike zone according to the article. It makes it seem theyre simply raising the existing zone by three inches.

[CJ]

It seems mlb already went ahead and approved these changes?

[Nash B.]

That's not really tightening the strike zone according to the article. It makes it seem theyre simply raising the existing zone by three inches.

They're only moving the bottom of the zone up. The top isn't changing

[juiceweezl]

Fuck that shit

This. Leave it alone.

[46Tbird]

Call me a jerk, but these changes don't bother me terribly.

Tightening the strike zone will result in more hits, more walks, and lead to more runners on base. And I always thought actually throwing four balls to walk a batter was dumb as hell.

These changes will increase action and speed up the cadence of the game. That's not a bad thing in the 21st century.