A shift from nine-inning games to seven-inning contests for state, regional and national tournament play and an adjustment to the pitch-count rule implemented last summer are among changes to the American Legion baseball rule book recently announced by that organization’s national executive committee.
The length of tournament games and pitch-count revisions are seen as a continuation by Legion officials of following the trend in the sport established earlier at the youth and high school levels to address the potential for arm injuries among pitchers.
The switch to mandatory seven-inning games won’t begin until state-tournament play, meaning Legion zones may still play nine-inning games during the regular season and in zone tournaments.
“Almost every high school and Legion program plays seven-inning games during the regular season so this change will create more consistency across the nation,” said Legion baseball committee chairman Gary Stone in announcing the changes.
Maine’s zone and state tournaments traditionally have involved nine-inning contests, with some zones — including the eastern-Maine based Zone 1 — playing a mix of seven- and nine-inning games during the regular season.
Zone 1 commissioner Dave Paul exhibited some concern about shrinking Legion games.
“Let’s face it, it’s tough enough to get a lot of kids interested in playing over the summer, and now you’re shortening the number of innings,” said Paul. “It may be tougher to get everybody in like you should be doing during the summer. You should have plenty of time so you can give people chances to play and everybody I’ve known didn’t mind those extra two innings.
“We’ll wait and see, but whatever’s mandated by the national Legion committee we’ll have to follow.”
The American Legion baseball committee followed high school baseball’s lead and instituted a pitch-count rule last summer, which replaced the innings-based standard. pitchers now will be allowed a maximum of 105 pitches per day, down from last summer’s maximum of 120.
“Coaching-wise and as far as getting pitchers ready for a season I always went by a guide that 15 pitches constituted one inning,” said Paul. “So if that’s the case 105 goes with seven innings of work and I don’t mind that.
“And again, it forces coaches to use more pitchers, and that’s not a bad thing, either.”
A related change shifts the number of pitches in a day that requires four days of subsequent rest from 76 to 81. Now, 61-80 pitches will require three days rest while 81 to 105 will require four days rest.
Other pitch limits remain the same: 1-30 pitches requires zero days of rest; 31-45 pitches, one day; and 46-60 pitches, two days.
As was the case last summer, pitchers may not make more than two appearances during any three-day span.
“We lowered the maximum on daily pitch counts for a number of reasons,” said Stone. “But with seven-inning games in tournament play, we feel as though this is the right decision. The overwhelming majority of our pitchers are 18 or younger, so we wanted to get more in line with the pitch-count suggestions for that age group.”
Another rule change will allow courtesy runners to be used for pitchers and catchers during regular-season play only. It will make optional nationwide a re-entry rule that permits players to be substituted and then return to a regular-season game once provided he returns in the same spot in the batting order.
“I think allowing for courtesy runners helps with player safety,” Stone said. “You have states that are playing doubleheaders in 100-degree, humid weather. It’s important to get pitchers and catchers cool and hydrated before they take the field.”
