Playing Fastball

"I wouldn't mind seeing some of these concepts make it into the major leagues," Gildea says. "I think they'd have an immediate impact, and besides, after you've watched a few games like this, you don't even notice the special rules are there. You just get used to them."

Noles disagrees, despite his fondness for Bridgeton rules. "I'd hate to see it come into the [big league] game," he says, echoing Angell's theme. "That's what's sacred about the game. A game can last forever. I don't think speeding up baseball would help it."

That attitude doesn't cut it in Bridgeton. A few years back, a bolt of lightning zapped the Alden Field clock in the middle of the tournament. Undeterred, Rose called the company in Iowa that manufactured the clock and had one shipped to Bridgeton overnight. The tournament sped on.