He recalls the era when a game could be won by a Bob Gibson or Don Drysdale in 90 pitches or 90 minutes - whichever came first. To be sure, things have changed, and it's not simply a matter of more commercial messages between innings. He faces one hitter and he's out. Here comes another pitcher. Also, not only do batters step out to read signs, but also they often wade through fistfuls of decoy signs.
Pitchers wait for the catcher to get a signal from the dugout before they call a pitch.
Some of this stuff we can help. It's just part of the game. It's a combination of things that have slowed the game down. A goal for 2001 is to keep the hitter in the batter's box ready to go. The umpire must recognize that first and grant you timeout.