Cubs' Kris Bryant: Real Baseball Fans Not Concerned About Time Of Game

By Bruce Levine--

MESA, Ariz. (CBS) -- Although MLB commissioner Rob Manfred would like to implement rule changes to add offense and liven the game up, others have different thoughts. Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant, the reigning MVP, is one of those who likes the game is its current state.

Bryant wasn't a fan of a recent rule change in which intentional walks can be awarded with a signal from the dugout instead of the traditional four pitches being thrown wide. He's content with the randomness that can occur.

"If anything, it might hurt (the game)," he said. "Because that puts pressure on the pitchers to make that pitch. It seems like it's not stressful at all, but any time you're not throwing it full effort for a pitcher, it seems like there's a chance to do damage on that. There has been plenty of times where a guy has thrown away (a pitch on) an intentional walk."

Bryant added that baseball being a "long game" is part of its "great" essence.

"It could be a slippery slope once you start changing all these things," he said. "The opinions you need are the fans'."

Bryant doesn't see any problem with the the pace of baseball games.

"The real fans are going to the game and don't care about that," Bryan said. "Hey, if it's the bottom of the ninth, the fans are going to leave if the score is 10-0. I understand that.

"If there is a long pitching change, it gives me a chance to space out at third and regroup."

In their crusade to quicken the pace of play, Manfred and baseball officials are likely more concerned with fans watching the game on television. The 3-hour average time of games in 2016 was up from the 2-hour, 56-minute average in 2015. That caused great consternation among MLB bosses.

The reality of replays going long and commercial breaks timed at 2 minutes, 40 seconds on national broadcasts seem to be the real demons in the time-of-game issue.

A concern for baseball officials is whether the game is resonating with the younger generation. Bryant doesn't see those youngsters losing interest in longer games.

"If you are going to a game, you don't want to sit there for just two hours," Bryant said. "It is an experience. You want the hot dogs. You want to be with your friends and family. You want to get the most out of what you spent on a ticket. The real fans, I don't think care about that (time). If it shortens the game 10 minutes? I don't see that. I don't make the rules."

One of the more drastic potential rule changes being discussed is shrinking the strike zone by raising the bottom of the zone to the upper part of the knee. The belief is that would lead to more balls in play and increase the action, but it could also create more walks.

"For me being tall, (that would help me)," Bryant said of raising the strike zone. "I do like to hit the low pitch. At the same time, you will have to adjust to hitting higher pitches. You will have two very different opinions there as well."

Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.