Red Sox involved in MLB’s pace of game committee

Red Sox chairman Tom Werner, runner-up in voting for MLB’s new commissioner, will be on the league’s pace of game committee with the person who won the vote to be Bud Selig’s successor, Rob Manfred. Phil Long/AP Images/Invision for Starz Entertainment

Red Sox chairman Tom Werner and influential team partner Michael Gordon were named to a seven-man committee by commissioner Bud Selig on Monday and charged with finding ways to improve the pace of games.

The group includes incoming commissioner Rob Manfred, Mets general manager Sandy Alderson, MLB Players Association chief Tony Clark, and MLB executive vice president Joe Torre. The chairman is Atlanta Braves president John Schuerholz.

Werner campaigned against Manfred to become commissioner on a platform that included speeding up play. Among Werner’s ideas: a time limit between pitches, mandating the batter stay in the box, eliminating on-field warm-up pitches, limiting conferences on the mound, and automatic intentional walks.

“We have the greatest game in the world, but we are always looking for ways to improve it,” Selig said. “The game is at its highest levels of popularity and we will continue to strive to identify ways that can build on its stature well into the future.

“With the cooperation of all appropriate parties, we can make progress on improving the pace of play, and we will have recommendations in the very near future for the 2015 season. I believe that this group has the experience and the perspective to be mindful of our game’s traditions while being creative about our approach in the future.”

Selig asked the Red Sox a year ago to study ways to speed up the game and their conclusions along with Werner’s ideas could form a basis for the committee’s approach.

The Red Sox average three hours and nine minutes per game, second only to the Tampa Bay Rays, who take an average of 3:12. American League games have averaged 3:04 and the National League just over three hours.

The committee had its first conference call on Monday.

Jeter fete on Sunday

The Red Sox will have a pregame ceremony to honor retiring Yankees captain Derek Jeter before Sunday afternoon’s game at Fenway Park.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said Sunday that Jeter would play every game to finish out the season.

“Obviously some of those days are going to be DH days to keep him going,” Girardi told reporters in New York. “Now he’s swinging the bat and I’m going to keep him in there.”

The Yankees are mathematically alive for a wild-card berth but could be eliminated by the weekend.

Counting the postseason, Jeter has played more games against the Red Sox (300) than any opponent and more games at Fenway Park (151) than any park other than Yankee Stadium and the new Yankee Stadium.

Baird in the running

Red Sox vice president of player personnel Allard Baird remains a candidate to become the general manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks, according to CBS Sports. But Dave Stewart is considered the favorite. Stewart, who is now an agent, played for Arizona chief baseball executive Tony La Russa in Oakland. Baird, the former Kansas City GM, has been with the Sox since 2006. He played a key role in the signing of Rusney Castillo last month . . . The Sox open a three-game set against Tampa Bay on Tuesday. The Sox are 28-48 against AL East teams, 7-9 against the Rays . . . The Sox have struck out 1,280 times. The team record of 1,308 was set last year.