Baseball durations after the pitch clock

Why games are still longer than pre‑1980

• Commenters note that even after the pitch clock, modern 9‑inning games are only slightly longer than in ~1960, but still longer than early‑20th‑century 2‑hour games.
• Explanations offered: more pitchers per game, more strikeouts, more complex strategy, and far greater bullpen usage compared to past eras where starters routinely finished games.

Historical evolution of game length

• One long comment ties duration changes to eras: radio and then TV slowed games to fit broadcasts; the rise of home runs, walks, and strikeouts reduced balls in play and added pitches; WWII temporarily simplified play; post‑integration and post‑1968 rule changes boosted offense; the 1970s bullpen revolution added many pitching changes.
• Overall theme: the sport got more specialized, optimized, and layered, but without regard for time.

Commercial breaks and media pacing

• Several posts attribute much of the added time to TV/radio ad breaks between half‑innings and during pitching changes, now standardized around ~2 minutes (longer in some special games).
• In‑stadium, these pauses are less obvious but are tightly coordinated with broadcast signals.
• There is disagreement on how much ads alone explain the historical gap, but rough back‑of‑envelope math suggests 20–30 minutes of ad time is plausible.

New pace‑of‑play rules

• Besides the pitch clock, commenters emphasize: limits on pitcher/batter “disengagements,” a three‑batter minimum for new pitchers, caps on mound visits, larger bases, reduced defensive shifts, and the extra‑innings “ghost runner.”
• Many like the clock and disengagement limits; opinions on the ghost runner and banned shift are sharply split between “necessary to avoid marathons” and “gimmicks that cheapen outcomes.”

Fan experience, attendance, and money

• Some fans report that faster games have made baseball watchable again and easier to attend with families, though it’s “too soon” to clearly link this to attendance data post‑COVID.
• Others argue that shorter games don’t reduce the number of ad slots and may actually increase ad density.
• Concession spending is said to be more constrained by high prices and poor quality than by game length.

Commercialization and advertising backlash

• Many posts criticize pervasive stadium branding, uniform patches, digital ad overlays, split‑screen ads during live play, and sponsor‑named replays as damaging immersion and “integrity.”
• This triggers a broader debate about whether advertising is a necessary information channel or a harmful societal “cancer,” including concerns about its effects on children’s attention.

Comparisons, alternatives, and tweaks

• Comparisons to NFL broadcasts highlight how much of American sports runtime is ads and dead time.
• The Savannah Bananas and “bananaball” are cited as a radically faster, more theatrical model (“don’t be boring”), though some say it’s closer to the Harlem Globetrotters than real baseball.
• Ideas like 7‑inning games or shifting the ghost runner to the 12th inning appear, with pushback that these would cut pitcher jobs or erode the sport’s traditional, timeless character.

Technology and aesthetics

• Instant replay is another point of contention: some find it accurate but deadening compared to old‑style umpire arguments; others consider it essential, though frustrated when replay officials lack the same camera angles as TV viewers.
• A brief side thread notes that the data analysis in the article mirrors work long done in the baseball analytics community, which has deeply explored rule‑change effects on game length.