Not a good example if you want to defend baseball. That 11 minutes number is probably true, as it's just counting from snap of the ball until the whistle and adding those up.
How long do you think a baseball game takes if you only count from the second the pitcher releases the ball until each play is dead (out/strike/player safe at a base/etc.) ? Each play is seconds at best, many MUCH shorter. Might be that it's similar to football in that there's 10-15 minutes of action, but I'm guessing the number actually comes in a lot shorter than 15 minutes.
You need 54 outs, 51 if the home team wins. Between the two teams, what, 250-300 pitches? Internet says it takes 0.4 seconds to get to home plate (call it 1/2 second). So 2.5 minutes for every pitch in the game (balls, strikes, foul balls). 1-3 seconds for each out, with ground outs probably longer than fly outs, but decent average. Add another minute. Say 15 hits in the game, 10 seconds per hit until end of play? 2.5 minutes more. We're only at 6 minutes so far, and that's a decently-active offensive game. Gotta get to double this to tie the NFL game, and baseball takes the same 3 hours or so on average. My numbers can be pretty off and we're still in the range.
Baseball is almost ALL standing around waiting for something to happen. And even then, it's a pretty individual sport, so there's 9 guys hanging out and only 2-3 might actually do anything that play, or inning even. it's all waiting around, staring down the batter, adjusting gloves and helmets, etc.
At least football has the clock which gives the illusion of urgency, and makes it look like something is happening while they huddle up and chat about the next 2 second play. It's a mental thing, but at least it looks like things are still moving.
