Dodgers Fans Mixed on Sped Up Games at Dodger Stadium

The Dodgers have now played two regular season games under the new rules put in place by Major League Baseball in the offseason. While it’s still premature to make a fair judgment on the changes — particularly on the pitch clock — the early reactions are mixed from fans at the ballgame.

The LA Times asked some fans at Dodger Stadium their thoughts on the pace of play and it seems like the number one concern is the same concern Clayton Kershaw had last weekend.. how will this affect beer sales? In a video on Twitter, the Times got reactions from four fans who have some interesting opinions.

Dodgers season ticket holder Betty Ann Rosales thinks the game has been sped up too much.

“I think they had a good idea trying to shorten the game but they did it too much. People don’t want to pay a lot of money to just come and go for two hours so I think it’s not a good idea. … They don’t need to speed up the game. If the fans want to go the could go. Most of us want to stay.”

True blue fan Wes Sanderson believes the pitch clock will add more excitement to the game and draw in the younger demographic that has a shorter attention span.

“If we’re moving the game along, it might keep a little better focused.”

David Carrillo feels like the pace of play changes are for a crowd that really doesn’t care about baseball the way true fans do.

“The people that are complaining are the people that just show up, buy a hot dog and pretend they came to a baseball game. The real people that know the game and love the game, we’ll sit through a four or five hour baseball game. It’s okay.

Notably, of the fans interviewed by the Times, the ones that were more against it were a bit older and the guy that was for it was on the younger side. So the whole thing could also be looked at as a generational divide.

Early data is showing that games are roughly 25-30 minutes quicker all through spring training and at least through opening day.

25 minutes shouldn’t be that noticeable, right?

More Pitch Clock Thoughts

Speeding up the game and the introduction of the pitch clock is a necessary evil. Games can drag — especially when there are 162 of them in the regular season. But it feels almost like a disservice to long-time baseball fans. Yes, by design the pace of play changes are putting a new generation of fans in mind. But part of the magic of baseball is the story of the game being told at its own pace. There were never any rushed chapters.

At the same time, sometimes the story could drag out too long like a Netflix series with too many filler episodes.

I haven’t been to Dodger Stadium yet this year, but watching from TV, honestly, the pace is nice. And the idea of games being over before 10 pm more regularly just sounds wonderful for someone that covers the sport night in and night out. On the other hand, putting on my fan hat, the idea of going to a game with some friends and family and being forced out after two and a half hours or so sounds like it would leave a lot to be desired.

Now you have to go spend more money elsewhere if you want to continue the evening.

I asked my Blue Heaven Podcast co-host Doug McKain who has now been to a game (albeit as media) and watched one on TV. These were his thoughts.

Overall, the quality of the product on the field was much improved. The quicker pace of play resulted in a much more fluid game with far less dead time. Fans aren’t getting less baseball; they’re getting less dead time between action. When you’re in attendance now, it’s more about the game itself than ever. I noticed more fans in their seats locked in for every pitch and fewer fans carrying on sidebar conversations, playing with their phones/taking selfies.

Yes, you don’t hear the player walk-up songs for as long, and there’s a little less clever Dieter Ruehle organ music, but the game operations were still smooth. I think the Dodgers picked a perfect year to add the LED lights; fans seemed to love them, and it felt like it really enhanced the entertainment level of the Dodger Stadium experience. The key for the Dodgers is to get fans their food/drinks as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Fans seemed more impatient than ever, wanting to get their food/drink to get back to their seats. Traffic getting to the stadium and parking is an obstacle that’s mostly out of the team’s control, but I think fans will adjust, and you’ll see fans arriving earlier than ever. Believe it or not, there was a time when baseball was the most popular sport in America. During the golden age of baseball, the average game time was 2:31 minutes. It will be an adjustment for some fans, but I think overall, it’s going to be a big win for MLB.

Doug McKain, DodgersNation.com

Final Thoughts

The just is still out on how this will change the game in the long term. For now, it’s different. Some fans like it, some hate it, but really we all need to see it in action for a little longer to truly judge it.

What are your early thoughts on the clock? Sound off in the comments below.