⚾ 🥎 ⚾ The SEC is implementing a 10-run mercy rule in conference play this year.

[RTB X Bot]

 

[rocknthefreeworld]

In middle and high school it's fine but I am not a fan at this level. Lots of players get experience in the late innings during blowouts.

 

[alabama mike]

I like the rule, long overdue IMO.

 

[SnakeDoc]

As someone who often has to work these games, I'm all for it.

 

[TerryP]

As someone who often has to work these games, I'm all for it.

Often worked what games? SEC baseball?

Bama alum, who has played in these games, offers a different view:

 

[TerryP]

I like the rule, long overdue IMO.

In my view, based on a cursory glance over the 2022 season, it's a move by the conference that's symbolic, but lacks substance.

For Alabama, there were two games that fit (more than 10 runs) and only one game would have been called: LSU. For Arkansas, that number is zero. For LSU, it's two games (both would have been called in the eighth.) Ole Miss had two that would have been called after seven.

Four teams here, two with 17 games on the season and two with 18...five games would have been called. That's five games out of 70 with half called in the ninth.

 

[SnakeDoc]

Often worked what games? SEC baseball?

Bama alum, who has played in these games, offers a different view:

Bama home games: football, baseball, softball, basketball, etc.

 

[TerryP]

As long as I've been watching SEC baseball, the only games I've seen that have presented "problems" due to the length were games played on Sundays due to the SEC rules on when those games need to end (as they claim it's about the student athlete.)

 

[TerryP]

Bama home games: football, baseball, softball, basketball, etc.

What do you mean by "worked" those games?

 

[SnakeDoc]

What do you mean by "worked" those games?

Staff

 

[TerryP]

Staff

So, why do you want the change considering it happens so infrequently? I see it affecting you to a far lesser degree than the players. Hell, they're paying for the opportunity to play versus you getting paid for them to play? Am I reading this correctly?

If the numbers hold true (four SEC teams versus the total number of conferences games) it doesn't make a lot of sense to change something that only affects 7% of the games played.

 

[ElephantStomp]

Not a fan of this rule. Don’t care about the length of the game and all that, let the kids play

 

[SnakeDoc]

So, why do you want the change considering it happens so infrequently? I see it affecting you to a far lesser degree than the players. Hell, they're paying for the opportunity to play versus you getting paid for them to play? Am I reading this correctly?

If the numbers hold true (four SEC teams versus the total number of conferences games) it doesn't make a lot of sense to change something that only affects 7% of the games played.

I'm all for getting done quicker.

 

[TerryP]

I'm all for getting done quicker.

I'll take "things not heard in a bar" for $1000?

 

[TerryP]

I'm all for getting done quicker.

It's a good thing officials are paying attention to the length of games: some games.

To me it seems you're looking at this through the lenses of "working" three versus three and a half hours. Fans and players want that extra half of an hour.

 

[Rolltide24]

What’s the rule in college softball? Are they moving the men to a similar rule as the women?

 

[BamaFan334]

Not a fan of this rule. Don’t care about the length of the game and all that, let the kids play

You say that, but arm care is important. I saw something yesterday from a Tennessee fan where they beat Mississippi State like 23-2. That is a lot of arm work for fielders and pitchers. Catchers touch the ball just about every play. Talking about the players, the scholarship situation in college ball, but safety is important for their future and most selfish fans and even the athletes themselves don't understand it. No kid is gonna take himself out of a game or even thinking about his arm. Longevity has it's concerns.

 

[MunchyOs]

If there is going to be a mercy rule, at least make it case by case and reserve it from something extremely lopsided. Like 22-0 in the 6th. But just being down and knowing that the game is over (and was pretty much over before it started) is not enough to call it a day. Take this past season's Iron Bowl. That ballgame was over well before the barn added two cosmetic FGs. Now, the barn will window dress as best they can, especially against us because, well they are the barn and if they could add a tenth of a point to the final score of a blowout loss to us in the IB, they will take it. But, Cadillac had those guys still playing out there. And the 2 FGs, while cosmetic, also gave the kicker much needed practice. Being on the losing end of an absolute skull dragging does not have to be a surrender.

 

[Rolltide24]

What’s the rule in college softball? Are they moving the men to a similar rule as the women?

It looks like the women have an 8 run mercy rule after 5 innings. So I’m wondering what’s so different about moving the men to a mercy rule. They must cover 2 more runs (10 vs 8 for women).

If passed, this rule would likely come in to play less often than an infield fly but more frequently than base runners getting to advance 1 base on a ball stuck in the catcher’s mask rule.

 

[BamaFan334]

Fans and players want that extra half of an hour.

You may be talking personal preference over the mass opinion here, because football is a perfect example of that not being true. Saban has drilled fans for years leaving the beatdowns early. People want to head out before traffic, mess around town more, simply lose interest, and the ones staying are because they want to wait the traffic out. Life is so time compacted these days with always something else to do you rarely see folks sitting at the ball park in a blowout simply because they have nothing else better to do. The players? Sure the backups would like a chance, but reality shows they rarely get that chance. Football, rarely do the 3's get any work. Basketball, the walk-ons may get one minute of time to just pass the ball around with the occasional 3-4 minutes of time where they can actually set up the offense and run it. Baseball, a lot of the same.