Could Baseball Games Be Shorter in Duration?

As with any other professional sport on television these days, baseball games seem to be getting longer and longer. Just recently one of the the World Series games involving the Dodgers and the Astros lasted more than five hours long (mostly in part to extra innings). However, baseball officials have begun to notice how long games get, and are talking about ways to change the pace of play so that games are shorter. If new rules were to go into effect, we could see shorter St. Louis Cardinal games. Do you think this is a good or bad idea? Learn more by reading the article below.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. • Baseball’s pace of play, tedious to the commissioner, a good portion of executives and probably fans, was discussed to a large extent at the general managers’ meetings which concluded Wednesday.

While there were no substantive decisions reached on that issue or any other, Dan Halem, Major League Baseball’s chief legal officer, reported that proposals have been exchanged with the players’ association regarding recommendations on how to speed up games, which now last more than three hours on the average.

Halem said such aspects as a pitch clock, visits to the mound and broadcast breaks between innings were among the items discussed relative to pace of play. He said that by mid-January there likely would need to be an agreement not only with the players but with the umpires’ association to implement changes for next season.

“We have a ways to go,” said Halem. “We’re going to be busy with that topic over the next few weeks. The focus really is on eliminating dead time in the game. Where we end up, I don’t know.”

Cardinals manager Mike Matheny, a member of baseball’s competition committee, was involved in talks the last two days, much of it dealing with pace of play. “We’re trying to continue to keep our fan base engaged,” said Matheny.

With home runs smitten at a record pace, the composition of the baseballs also is being reviewed, said Halem. “Like the commissioner (Rob Manfred) said, the baseballs tested this season were within range,” said Halem. “That being said, it is an issue that has generated a lot of discussion so we are thoroughly reviewing the entire testing process to determine whether changes should be made.”

Source: http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/cardinal-beat/baseball-has-mid-january-deadline-for-pace-of-play-change/article_4a582642-1985-58db-8c6a-9ada05402952.html

Bringing More Students to Mizzou

All universities want students to want to attend their campus. Therefore, schools will do a variety of things to be appealing to students across the country (and even globe). One thing universities will offer are scholarships. Mizzou’s new chancellor has announced new scholarships that will be available to out-of-state applicants in hopes of bringing students to Mizzou. We think this is a great thing because more students at Mizzou means more chances for graduates to live and work in the area!

ST. LOUIS • Celebrating 100 days in office — well, technically 107 days — University of Missouri-Columbia Chancellor Alexander Cartwright announced two new scholarship efforts to bring more students to Mizzou.

The first change is to a scholarship fund that offers extra dollars to out-of-state students who are the children of alumni.

That program was previously limited to students with ACT scores of 27 or higher. They were eligible to receive in-state tuition, a saving of about $15,000.

Now, under the newly-named “Black and Gold Scholarship,” out-of-state, legacy students with ACT scores of 25 and 26 will also get some financial help, $7,500, to be exact. 

The second program Cartwright announced Wednesday is the “Missouri Border State Scholars Award,” which offers  discounted tuition to students who live in any of the eight states that border Missouri. That program reduces the cost of out-of-state tuition for undergraduate students by $2,500.

Pelema Morrice, Mizzou’s vice president of enrollment, said in a statement that these programs will help Missouri’s flagship university be more competitive.

Several other states, including Arkansas, offer discounted tuition programs to out-of-state students who qualify based on test scores and grade-point averages.

About one-third of Mizzou’s students are from out of state. Around 1,500 of those students each year become in-state residents after meeting requirements set by the university.

These new programs build on several announcements since June aimed at reducing costs for in-state students, particularly those who come from low-income households. Two weeks ago, the university said it was cutting the cost of living in certain dormitories on campus.

3 O’clock Stir from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Shake off your afternoon slump with the offbeat or overlooked news of the day.

Source: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/education/notes-from-campus/mizzou-announces-scholarship-options-to-attract-out-of-state-students/article_79e27f77-5f66-53a1-83b2-2088524fab46.html