USA Today recently convened a group of eight baseball men to discuss various aspects of how to improve the game — from replay to the strike zone to speeding up the game.
Umpire supervisor Steve Palermo says that despite baseball's attempt to quicken the game in recent years, the average game time increased from 2 hours and 50 minutes in 2008 to 2:52 in 2009.
Responsible for most of the speed-of-game problems? Your very own Boston Red Sox and their rivals, the New York Yankees.
"We've got a couple teams — I'm not going to name names, but I think everybody knows who they are — and they're arrogant," said Palermo. "They don't think this pertains to them. I had a president of one of those ballclubs tell me the system is flawed. I told him, 'Then how did the 28 other teams conform to what we're asking except for you and your next-door neighbor that you have a rivalry with?'"
Fellow panelist Torii Hunter caught on that he meant the Yankees and Red Sox, saying that "everybody else gets screwed but those two teams."
Palermo especially was tired of closer Jonathan Papelbon, who received multiple fines last season for throwing pitches in the bullpen even after being summoned to enter the game. Papelbon tore up the letter of discipline in front of sports reporters.
"You know what?" Palermo says. "If somebody acts up, whack them. I'm talking about $50,000. And then $100,000. And then $200,000. You usually get the attention after the $100,000 mark."
Papelbon and Francona met with a baseball official in spring training recently to discuss picking up the pace of their games.
