Simple solution for slow games

In May, a directive came out of the commissioner's office to umpires and teams: Police the rules already in place to make the game faster, or risk losing more fans.

Part of the allure of baseball is that it has no clock, but there's a difference between no clock and dragging on and on with little action. It's a recipe for fans turning on some inane reality show rather than watch the national pastime.

Umpires are not supposed to grant a time out to a batter who asks for it once the pitcher has begun his delivery. They are supposed to warn a pitcher for his first violation of the 12-second time limit and issue a pitcher a ball for each subsequent violation. Also, umpires are expected break up conferences on the mound more quickly, especially if the visitor is not prompt to the mound.

One more suggestion:

Hitters who must wear shin guards and elbow pads are still allowed, but let's add a twist. If you can't run the bases with it on, you can't wear it. No more doubles to the gap, followed by a time out so a player can remove his elbow pad and his shin guard and hand it to a base coach. You bat with it, you run with it.

As Bud Selig said in a statement in May: “Clubs and fans share the common objective of seeing a game that is played as sharply and crisply as possible."

So let's do something about it.