Baseball MLB And Atlantic League Announce Experimental Playing Rule Implementation by Somerset Patriots March 8, 2019 New York, NY – Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) announced today the experimental playing rules and equipment that will be in place during the 2019 Atlantic League Championship Season. The list of changes is as follows: Home plate umpire assisted in calling balls and strikes by a TrackMan radar tracking system No mound visits permitted by players or coaches other than for pitching changes or medical issues Pitchers must face a minimum of three batters, or reach the end of an inning before they exit the game, unless the pitcher becomes injured Increase size of 1st, 2nd and 3rd base from 15 inches square to 18 inches square Require two infielders to be on each side of second base when a pitch is released (if not, the ball is dead and the umpire shall call a ball) Time between innings and pitching changes reduced from 2:05 to 1:45 Distance from pitching rubber to home plate extended 24 inches, in the second half of the season only; with no change to mound height or slope MLB will analyze the effects of these changes before deciding on potential additional modifications during the 2019 ALPB All-Star Break and in future seasons. “This first group of experimental changes is designed to create more balls in play, defensive action, baserunning, and improve player safety,” said Morgan Sword, MLB’s Senior Vice President, League Economics & Operations. “We look forward to seeing them in action in the Atlantic League.” “Players sign in the Atlantic League for the Major League Baseball showcase opportunity it offers,” said Rick White, ALPB President. “We are excited to see that showcase grow exponentially, while working with MLB on initiatives critical to the future of the game.” The experimental playing rule and equipment changes are part of a new three-year agreement between MLB and ALPB. The agreement covers the transfer of players from ALPB to MLB and enhances MLB’s scouting coverage of ALPB games. MLB will provide statistical and radar tracking data from ALPB games to MLB Clubs. About the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) With eight teams in the Mid-Atlantic and Texas, the ALPB is a leader in baseball innovation and a player gateway to Major League Baseball. Through its exclusive partnership with MLB, the Atlantic League tests Major League Baseball rules and equipment initiatives. The Atlantic League has sent over 900 players to MLB organizations while drawing more than 40 million fans to its affordable, family-friendly ballparks throughout its 22-year history. For more information, please visit www.AtlanticLeague.com Post Views: 901 The following two tabs change content below.BioLatest Posts Somerset Patriots Latest posts by Somerset Patriots (see all) Somerset Patriots Announce Added Programming On Radio Partner 1450 WCTC-AM - May 7, 2020 Somerset Patriots Bring Back All-Star RHP David Kubiak - April 7, 2020 Somerset Patriots Land Eight-Year Major Leaguer Vance Worley - March 27, 2020 Somerset Patriots Acquire Major League LHP Pat Dean - March 10, 2020 Related Topics2019 SeasonAtlantic LeagueBaseball RulesMLBPartnershipRule ChangesSomerset PatriotsTD Bank Ballpark Click to comment You must be logged in to post a comment Login Leave a Reply Cancel replyYou must be logged in to post a comment. Newsletter Subscription Can't Miss Posts! Women in Sports: NHL Network Host, Jackie Redmond by Nicholas Durst | posted on March 4, 2019 From Paramus High School to CBS Sports, Spero Dedes is making waves in sports broadcasting by Sunil Sunder Raj | posted on October 27, 2020 Lochte, Dressel and Ledecky all Chasing Gold at 2021 Tokyo Olympics by Anthony Paradiso | posted on April 18, 2021 You Know I’m Right, Episode 109: The Athletic’s Marc Carig (Audio/Video) by Nicholas Durst | posted on April 19, 2021 You Know I’m Right, Episode 113: New York Post Columnist Phil Mushnick (Audio/Video) by Nicholas Durst | posted on April 29, 2021 More in Baseball You Know I’m Right, Episode 112: New York Jets’ Insider Brian Costello (Audio/Video) On the 112th episode of You Know I’m Right, Nick Durst and Joe Calabrese are joined by... You Know I’m Right, Episode 109: The Athletic’s Marc Carig (Audio/Video) On the 109th episode of You Know I’m Right, Nick Durst and Joe Calabrese are joined by... You Know I’m Right, Episode 108: WFAN’s Sweeny Murti (Audio/Video) On the 108th episode of You Know I’m Right, Nick Durst and Joe Calabrese are joined by... You Know I’m Right, Episode 107: New York Post’s Columnist Mike Vaccaro (Audio/Video) On the 107th episode of You Know I’m Right, Nick Durst and Joe Calabrese are joined by... Women in Sports: New York Mets In-Game Host, Emily Reppert Mets Planning To Unveil A Tom Seaver Statue