Baseball-Play ball - more quickly! New rules aim to speed MLB games

NEW YORK : Larger bases, a pitch clock and the elimination of the infield shift await fans as Major League Baseball (MLB) kicks off its regular season on Thursday with new rules designed to speed up games and put more balls in play.

It marks the biggest collection of changes to America's "national pasttime" since Alexander Cartwright pioneered the sport in the 1800s and established a basic rubric that governs the game in ballparks across the country decades later.

"It's the best game in the world - now, it's even better," declares "Breaking Bad" star Bryan Cranston in a new MLB ad campaign, part of the league's charm offensive to get baseball purists to embrace change.

"This is the game we all want to see," he says. "Get the ball, pitch the ball."

For some players, it hasn't been quite so simple.

Atlanta Braves shortstop Cal Conley was left in disbelief after a umpire called strike three on him for a clock violation last month, ending a spring training game against the Boston Red Sox in the bottom of the ninth inning with bases loaded.

The new rule gives the pitcher 15 seconds in between pitches with the bases empty and 20 seconds with runners on base. Hitters must be in the batters box with no less than eight seconds left on the timer, and there is a 30-second limit between batters - all changes designed to quicken play.

Others have taken to the new rules that were extensively tested in the minor leagues with ease.

"We've been game-planning this for basically a year now. We knew it's coming," New York Mets' eight-time All-Star ace Max Scherzer said during a televised interview. "The pitcher has complete control of the situation and dictates the pace now."

Another major change - outlawing the shift - will allow for more hits,