⚾️ The national pastime could be changing

Major League Baseball has partnered with the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB), AKA the Atlantic League, to conduct baseball experiments.

More than the infield could shift.


Jeff Passan of ESPN wrote, 

"While MLB has long tested potential rule changes in the minor leagues, its three-year partnership with the Atlantic League -- an eight-team league that features former major leaguers trying to return to affiliated ball -- offers the ability to try more radical rules."

The Atlantic League has been in existence over 20 years and has eight teams with plans to expand to 12.

One focus of the to-be-tested changes is to reduce how long it takes to play a game. But hastening the pace might not improve the game. In fact, it could have the opposite effect.

The game's imperfections are part of its beauty.

News at ESPN on changes MLB is testing in the Atlantic League this season, including robot umpires, a 62-foot, 6-inch mound, a ban on infield shifts and a three-batter-minimum rule: https://t.co/EzlsgJqDrI

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 8, 2019