Showcase of Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavors (SOURCE)

Examining the Impact of New Rule Changes on the Perception of Major League Baseball amongst Casual and Diehard Fans

Over the past few years, Major League Baseball has taken steps to fix the problems that are plaguing the game, including the slow pace of play and the inconsistency or inaccuracy of officials’ calls. Major League Baseball has introduced rules that are common in other sports, like instant replay challenges, but they have also introduced the idea of new radical rule changes that may cause certain sets of fans to become upset. This study examined the impact of new rule changes in Major League Baseball and how these rules have impacted the way fans have viewed Major League Baseball. In this study, fans were asked several questions about the new rule changes that could be introduced in the game and what they thought about these rules. The rules that they were asked about included the pitch clock, instant replay challenges, the use of a robot umpire, letting players steal first and putting a runner on second in extra innings. The conclusion of this research indicated that there were no significant findings. This showed that different types of fans would not view Major League Baseball differently even if all of these rule changes were implemented.