[scooter729]

Umpires need to do a better job of making pitchers throw pitches quickly.

Aside from my normal excitement for the World Series last night, I was extra excited that Lackey was pitching. Why? Well, aside from the fact that he's pitched well this year, I meant because he works fast. He pitched a complete game in September that was 2:15. The ALCS game vs. Verlander went about 2:20.

Red Sox fans will know all too well what it's like to watch a Buchholz start or, even worse, six years of Dice-K starts. Every game with Dice-K was 4+ hours, since it would take over a minute for every pitch to be thrown, even with no runners on. I remember when Wakefield was starting for the Sox - if I was going to the game, I'd like to say that win or lose, at least it would be over in 2:30. He worked fast, and it made the game more enjoyable.

Umps need to be diligent about calling balls if a pitcher takes too long to throw a pitch. The games don't need to be 4+ hours all of the time; pitchers who stall too long have turned it into that WAY too often.