Baseball's genius lies in part in the little things that give the spectator a chance to breathe, to think about the game, and to anticipate what's coming next. Instead of accenting speed, interstices, the gaps of time. As our society changes with more and more burden and less and less time to aleve this burden, baseball is a reminder of a simpler time. Yes, the game is too long. But when trying to shorten it, one must not take away from the strategy.
Every play is a showdown between the pitcher and the batter, like the final gunfight in a movie.
The more they look in the eyes, the more the gunfight is dramatic. The more it is breath-holding. Please, don't change anything in this game. As I sit here in front of my computer screen, I think back on my childhood and how most days revolved around getting a ballgame together. Time didn't matter, except for the fact that someone with an important piece of equipment was going to have to leave for lunch or dinner.