Umpire Thinks Yanks and Sox Are Sloths?

Baseball is an endurance sports. The game is longer than most other sports, but it is still called "America's pastime." And the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry is arguably the most anticipated and popular of all sports (It's definitely up there).  

Yet Umpire Joe West believes that Yankees and Red Sox games take too much time. I find this a little childish considering that no fan is complaining about these games. West had to sign up for the job ready for long games, so I feel he has no right to complain. And in my mind, the longer the games, the better. Wednesday's 10-inning affair between the two teams clocked in at 3 hours, 21 minutes, which really isn't that bad.

But West claims, "They're the two clubs that don't try to pick up the pace," said West, chief of the umpiring crew that worked the three-game series in Boston. He was the home plate umpire Sunday. "They're two of the best teams in baseball. Why are they playing the slowest? It's pathetic and embarrassing. They take too long to play."

Again, the longer these games last, the more anxious we (as fans) get. And that's why I think baseball is such a nice sport. Football, hockey, and basketball are always so fast that sometimes we just don't know what's going on. Baseball provides that necessary "peace and tranquility" that we all need when watching a sports game.

I don't see any way West's comments will change anything. Batters in both these lineups are trained to take pitches and swing only at the perfect pitch. And when you have a slugger at almost every single spot in the lineup...it takes time for them to get hits, you know