It’s becoming more and more apparent that Rob Manfred is the progressive Pope Francis to Bud Selig‘s stodgy Benedict. Two significant rule changes are making their move through the pastime’s bureaucracy following the quarterly owners meetings.

Two MLB Rule Changes on Horizon

Strike Zone

The first rule change as approved by the MLB Competition Committee is meant to tighten up the strike zone, effectively redefining ‘at the knees’ as being the top of the knee. The current rules define the bottom tier of the strike zone as “the hollow beneath the kneecap”. As anyone who knows about ‘the hollow beneath your kneecap’ knows, these are the kinds of pitches that get managers sent to the shower long before the game is over.

No word yet on how this will impact overexcited umps calling everything a strike in the late innings of a no-hitter.

Intentional Walks

Additionally, the pastime continued her often-reluctant effort to acknowledge the laborious pace of games. While the much-debated pitch clock is not yet in the rule book, the competition committee did approve a change to the intentional walk rule. What’s colloquially known as “the four finger salute” will become just that, with a signal from the dugout replacing a pitcher having to actually throw four balls.

While baseball’s strike zone has undergone more rule changes than a South American dictatorship, the intentional walk rule is being changed for the first time in almost a century. Both proposals will need to be approved by the playing rules committee, and will be presented, if only as a courtesy, to MLBPA as part of the next collective bargaining agreement.

Rob Manfred Photo Credit: Apardavila Via Photopin CC