Major League Baseball's lockout is still dragging on as the two sides negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement. One of the many things that will change are the size of the bases in baseball.
On Sunday, the Major League Baseball Players Association made a proposal that permitted the league to make three changes: ban the defensive shift, install a pitch clock and have larger bases, according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale.
Banning the shift and installing a pitch clock are easily understandable. The league and players want to increase the action on the field by taking away the shift (and increasing hits) and making pitchers move quicker when they are out there.
MLB believes making the bases bigger will lead to less injuries on the basepaths. It's a logical argument: the bigger the base, the more space runners will have to slide around defenders. Therefore, the league is hoping there will be less collisions between runners and defenders. MLB also hopes the bigger bases will lead to an increase in stolen bases.
Above is a picture of the size of the base compared to the ones used in years prior.
Photo: Getty Images