Ban managers and coaches from the playing field, including base coaches.

During last night's NFL championship game, aka the Super Bowl, I didn't notice any coaches out on the field waving their players in different directions. Apparently in all that confusion of 22 guys moving around, the players pretty much know where to go or at least are expected to know. In baseball, the players seem to need on field guidance on the bases. Maybe they should stop for directions.

Pitchers in particular expect the pitching coach to visit them regularly despite the fact that conversations take place in the bullpen and dugout and the catcher visits the mound whenever the heck he feels like it.

Did NFL coach Bill Belichick waddle out there last night to visit Tom Brady, his quarterback? Not that I noticed. Now NFL games drag on way too long, too, but considering the violence and number of players involved in each play, it's somewhat forgivable. But 90% of baseball is two guys playing catch. How much coordination and communication does that take?

Major League baseball commissioner Rob Manfred, the A-Rod Slayer, has been going through the motions once again about speeding up the pace of play of baseball games. Fans have been conditioned to think that any change requires the approval of the player's association, the union. I don't think so. Some examples:
- Ban managers and coaches from the playing field, including base coaches. They are not players. Aside from the trainer, only people in uniform on a team are allowed on the field. Forbid managers and coaches from wearing uniforms.
- Order the umpires to NOT grant time out when requested.
- Order the umpires to enforce existing rules, such as 8.04: 12 (no, not 20) seconds to deliver a pitch with no base runners.

I'm sure there's plenty more that the chief executive of an organization can do without union involvement much less approval.

It wasn't until after WWII (1946) that the length of games regularly averaged more than two hours per nine innings. In 1946 teams averages two pitchers per game. Now it's four. But no matter how long pitching changes take (they should change on the fly, like football and basketball), two more changes, even if during rather than between innings, does not come close to accounting for games averaging three hours per nine innings.

There's nothing entertaining about these long games with tedious, slow pace of play. Nothing.