Picking uP the Pace

October, post-season baseball. You can just imagine it.

Every pitch, every at-bat, means something. Capacity crowds stand and cheer. Tension is built into every single action and decision.

Now it’s late in a game. Maybe tied, maybe a team down one with the tying and winning runs on base. Maybe a pitcher takes a bit more time than usual, or perhaps a hitter strays outside the batter’s box to gather his thoughts.

If so, in 2023 that could mean a ball or strike is tacked on to the count, depending on the offender. Or if there’s too many throws to first, the runner automatically advances.

Imagine the uproar, the controversy, should such a move alter the course of a game or series.

Well, maybe you don’t need to imagine it. In the early days of spring training, we’ve already seen a few instances of umpires penalizing hitters for stepping outside the box more than once or pitchers who take more than 15 seconds in between pitches.

This is jarring to some lifelong fans who cling to baseball’s traditions, one of which is the notion that there isn’t a clock, that you get four balls, three strikes and 27 outs in a nineinning game, however long it takes.

Yeah, about that length. Once games were routinely over in under two hours. In 2022, it took an average of more than three hours to traverse nine innings.

It wasn’t because the commercial breaks got longer. It was because hitters and pitchers took……their……time trying to make sure everything was perfect, and wasted the time of those watching, both in the ballpark and at home.

Knowing this, Major League Baseball began, a few years ago, experimenting with pitch clocks

Concerned with woke movement

To the editor:

Being very much concerned about the growth of the woke movement in our country, I very much wish to offer my opinion as to how to best combat this movement.

First of all, the woke movement needs definition. Google tells us it began in the 2010s wishing to encompass a broader awareness of sexual inequalities such as sexism. It also has been used as American left ideas in involving identity politics and social justice, such as a nation of white privilege and making slavery reparations for African Americans.

The most visible examples of it are when we see woke students on TV verbally attacking a recognized conservative on a college campus spouting out the social injustices mentioned above. These students do all the accusing and attacking.

My strongest wish is that, in these confrontations, the conservative insist that he finally be heard. Given the chance, he voiced something similar to the following.

“I wish, most of all, to tell you who I am. I vow to you I firmly believe, like the founders in our Declaration of Independence, we all have been created equal by our creator and it is he alone who has endowed us with our precious inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Furthermore, I firmly believe he has told us in the Bible and scripture we find enduring happiness when we choose to love and care for others as we would wish to be loved and cared for. This is what I believe and this is who I am.”

After saying this, the conservative should ask his accuser to tell us of his/her feelings about our creator, and other time-saving methods in the minor leagues, to great success and reviews.

Everyone associated with the sport knows that its biggest problem is the aging of its fan base. Simply put, anyone under 50 is accustomed to having things done in a hurry, and baseball, safe to say, wasn’t changing to adapt to that reality.

In fact, a good segment of the fan base took pride in all the delays and dawdles, noting how some of the game’s most dramatic moments (think Kirk Gibson, 1988) were enhanced by the length of the confrontation. Needless to say, they haven’t taken the pick-up-the-pace ideas well, deeming it yet another lame attempt to cater to the short-attention-span crowd who might never get converted to baseball.

Yet that also reflects something else. Because so many of the game’s traditions go back to the 19 th or early 20 th century, any where our equality stems from, and the importance of loving and caring for others. My guess is, in most cases, the woke accuser would be stunned and not know what to say. The bottom line – he/she would no longer feel the need to accuse.

It is my foremost hope all woke proponents reading this opinion take another serious look at the movement. To their surprise, they may find this movement is actually a godless movement. charles Mirucki Fayetteville

Chapman asks for Manlius residents’ support

To the editor:

Election Day in the Village of Manlius is March 21st. I humbly ask for your vote to continue in my role as village trustee.

I have lived in the village of Manlius for most of my 58 years since my family moved here in 1970. My wife and I live in the Memory Lane neighborhood with our three Bernese Mountain Dogs and an amazing group of neighbors.

During my five years on the board, we have accomplished a great deal. Some of the things I’m most proud of include:

- The Village tax rate is LOWER than it was when I first joined the board five years ago. In addition, we have increased our fund balance to a comfortable level. This helps us to stabilize the tax rate so you don’t see wild swings in the tax rate.

- We have made significant investments in our personnel. We hired a new recreation director who is providing great programs for children and adults. We hired the first ever paid fire chief who has done a great job leading the department that is out there keeping us all safe. We hired a full-time code enforcement officer who is aggressively alteration, small or large, is met with far greater resistance than in other sports. Whether it was the shift from single divisions to two (and later three), an expansion of the playoffs one (and later two) rounds or concepts like the designated hitter, each of these initiatives garnered the same reaction from the same circles, but once they were in place, a general acceptance took hold.

Really, though, everyone who loves baseball should welcome a faster-paced game. As with music, anything with rhythm and pace is just more enjoyable than endless (long) stops and (short) starts.

What’s more, the pitch and hitter clocks, along with a ban in shifts, ought to swing the balance toward hitters, something long needed. Having the league’s leading hitters land closer to .300 than .350, and having sluggers go deep 40 times and strike out 200, makes for a game with working to get nuisance properties cleaned up and is working with developers on some of the exciting projects we have coming to our village. We hired a terrific new village clerk who is keeping our office running and providing stellar service to our residents. And, our DPW is the best around and keeps our roads maintained year round.

- I am currently Chair of our Parks and Recreation Board. This board recently completed a Parks Improvement Plan to recommend short terms and long term improvements to five of our village parks. Some of those will be implemented soon with some of the grant money we have received.

Finally, in 2019, I approached Mayor Whorrall about the condition of our Main Street corridor with several vacant buildings and some in disrepair. He and I formed the Main Street Revitalization Committee that has so far:

- Received a $300,000 grant from the county to put Stickley-style benches, tables and planters along the 100 block of East Seneca Street, a new clock and provided matching grants to businesses to improve their facades and signage. That grant and significant investment from some of the business owners has made that block an anchor for our village and future improvements.

- Received a grant from the county to put welcome signs at the main entry points to the village. These signs, along with a new electronic sign at the point, will also be done in the craftsman/Stickley style.

- Recently received another $1,000,000 grant from County Executive McMahon’s Main Street improvement program to do more public/private improvements to our Main Street and some of our parks.

It is an exciting time in the village and I’d appreciate your vote on far fewer variables.

Also, it works both day and night. Afternoon games are done long before dinner. Evening games, especially if they have a first pitch at 6:30 and not 7:30, could end around 9:00, a sane bedtime for kids.

Ultimately, it’s about seeing a sport rich and deep in history remain relevant and strong for those born in the 21 century who have found basketball, soccer and other sports all doing well because they don’t take too long to complete.

And the hope here is that all of those clock violations dotted throughout March in exhibitions in the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues are mostly out of their system by the time the games count. Once used to a faster pace, it’s doubtful anyone will go back to the long slog.

Phil Blackwell is sports editor at Eagle News. He can be reached at pblackwell@ eaglenewsonline.com.

March 21 to help continue the progress! Please call me with any questions or concerns: 315-439-1356.

hank chaPMan Manlius

Supports Chapman, McGrew

To the editor:

As mayor of the village of Fayetteville, working with our fellow villages and town is important to all of us. I have had the pleasure of working with Trustees Chapman and McGrew over the last few years on several projects that have benefited both the villages of Fayetteville and Manlius. Hank and Scott are always looking for ways to make the village of Manlius better while always thinking of our village and how we can continue to improve and work together.

I have worked with them on transportation projects, park projects, village entrance sign project as well as always reaching out to learn more about fire and EMS in our communities. Their dedication as well as experience makes them a perfect choice to be re-elected for trustee in this years election. Hank and Scott understands first hand that elected officials from villages are the closest form of government to the residents we serve, both of them understand the importance of keeping our election independent from national politics. I’m proud to endorse Trustees Chapman and McGrew for reelection and hope you will join me and support them in the upcoming election.

Mark OlsOn Mayor, Fayetteville

Fayetteville-Manlius Schools Accounts Payable Clerk