One of the main complaints baseball critics have is that the games are too long. Instant replay certainly hasn’t helped speed up the game, nor have pitch counts and constant commercial breaks. Washington Nationals infielder Anthony Rendon realizes that, which is why he only plays the stuff — he doesn’t watch it.
Rendon, who many would call the biggest All-Star snub in the National League, didn’t mind getting a four-day break after playing 89 games through the first half of the season. But did he watch the big game?
“I don’t watch baseball — it’s too long and boring,” Rendon said earlier this week.
According to Jason Butt of the Washington Post, Rendon added that he rarely watched baseball growing up. He said he prefers watching networks like the History Channel over a baseball game during his down time.
As Nationals fans could tell you, Rendon’s lack of interest in taking in baseball as a spectator does not make him any less committed to the game. The 24-year-old is batting .287 this season with 13 home runs and 53 RBI. He hasn’t committed an error in the field in a month, which is a phenomenal streak for an infielder.
In reality, Rendon’s comments are indicative of the way many people feel. MLB has explored ways to speed up the game, but most of them — like shortening the game to 7 innings — seem unrealistic.
