Baseball

Trammell, meanwhile, barely acknowledges the depressing numbers that now quantify Detroit's misery. "I don't think about our record on the field, not one time," he says. "It's April. It's early. I'll be saying it's early at least until June."

Clock Management
Time to Make Some Changes

Major League Baseball has cut 10 minutes from its average game time in the past two seasons, down to 2:48. Baseball hasn't finished a season with an average lower than that since 1989. Under directives from executive vice president of baseball operations Sandy Alderson, umpires are enforcing the two-minute, five-second limit between innings. At precisely 1:45 after the end of a half-inning, the pitcher gets one last warmup pitch, regardless of how many he's thrown to that point.

Next time you're at a game, check how quickly most pitchers get from the dugout to the mound in order to get their full warmup. A little bit of rules enforcement goes a long way in changing the culture.

[This article contains a table. Please see hardcopy of magazine or PDF.]