I agree with "Bugsy" - the excessive time between pitches is the primary reason games are too long, which is a major turnoff for many folks. And, the blame is not just with the pitchers - too many batters feel the need to step out of the batter's box after each pitch to adjust their batting gloves, take a practice swing, etc. Just as there is a 24-second clock in basketball, there needs to be a maximum time between pitches - and, if the allotted time elapses before a pitch is made, the home plate ump decides who to penalize by calling a "phantom" strike or ball on the batter, depending on whom he deems to be the culprit.
Val
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