Major League Baseball has formally announced the implementation of a 20-second pitch clock to be tested during Spring Training games. Jeff Passan of ESPN reported minutes prior to the announcement that it’d be made today. Per the league’s announcement, there has been no decision made regarding the potential implementation of the pitch clock during the upcoming regular season, though Passan tweeted that there is a “very real possibility” of that happening.
Early in Spring Training, as players adjust to the latest pace-of-play tactic put in place by commissioner Rob Manfred, there will not be any ball or strike penalties for pitch-clock violations. By the second week of games, umpires will begin to issue warnings, and eventually, umps “will be instructed to begin assessing ball-strike penalties for violations.”
Notably, the pitch clock comes with numerous restrictions. It does not apply to the first pitch of a plate appearance, and the pitcher need only start his motion before the clock expires rather than deliver the actual pitch. Hitters will be required to be in the batter’s box by the time there are five seconds remaining on the clock, and the clock will reset when the pitcher receives the ball back from the catcher.
On pickoff plays, the clock will reset when the pitcher once again receives the ball from the infielder to whom he threw. The clock will also reset if pitchers feint a pickoff motion or step off the rubber with a runner on base. Mound visits will also cause the clock to reset. If an umpire calls or grants time, the pitch clock will not be used on the following pitch (unless time was called to swap out a ball thrown in the dirt).
Manfred has the ability to unilaterally implement the pitch clock for the 2019 regular season even if he does not come to an agreement on its implementation with the players’ union. However, Passan notes — as does today’s release announcing the clock — that the league will continue to negotiate with the players in search of an agreement on the matter.
Whether the clock is implemented in 2019 or not, today’s announcement serves as a harbinger for change in 2020 and beyond. Manfred has made improving the pace-of-play one of the focal points of his tenure as the league’s commissioner and has regularly put initiatives into place — most recently limiting the number of mound visits allowed per game and instituting automatic intentional walks. The pitch clock would be a more dramatic measure — one with far greater potential to impact the outcome of games — than other recent changes, however.
That said, while it’d be a change requiring adjustment for many established big leaguers, a pitch clock has been in place in the minor leagues dating back to the 2015 season. Because of that, it’d be a familiar regulation to the next wave of prospects who make their way to the big leagues. In theory, the pitch clock should be largely unnoticed once the league grows accustomed to its existence — be it this coming season or in the future — though there’ll surely be some early growing pains with the new system. And, of course, the move will likely be unpopular among most longstanding baseball fans; while part of Manfred’s aim in accelerating the pace of play is to grow the general appeal of baseball, there is of course a sizable (and oft-vocal) portion of the existing fanbase that does not want to see any such changes put into place.
bjhaas1977
Fire this Commissioner
refereemn77
Not going to happen. The owners unanimously extended his contract through 2024 in November. The owners like him, so he’s not going away.
PopeMarley
What’s your justification for this?
RedFeather
He’s putting in a pitch clock before a NL DH.
PopeMarley
One has nothing to do with the other. He also met with Tony Clark about it, and he’s talked about this for a couple of years. The Minor Leagues already use a pitch clock.
Polymath
After reading this article, I posted my comment less than 20 seconds after I finished. I passed.
twinsfan368
Have u ever tried to watch lance lynn or Jake odorizzi throw a pitch. They throw a pitch every minute. It gets so annoying. This is the way baseball should be played from now on. Heck, give it 15 seconds bro!
jjd002
One of the reasons I enjoyed watching Roy Oswalt. The man got the ball from Ausmus at the front of the mount, moved to the rubber and throw. Like 10 seconds, even with a shake off.
dimitrios in la
And Mark Buerhle worked fast too. Good stuff.
Marius
Watching Halladay vs. Buerhle were the best games lol
PhanaticDuck26
Rollins had a few good quotes about fast Cliff Lee worked
goalieguy41
Yes. Game were like 90 mins long
xabial
Why?
Pitch clock will do more good than 3PT added to NBA.
stevewpants
X did you fall and hit your head?Seems like an out of character position for you to take.
xabial
I posted this here before in the thread about chance of implementing it unilaterally 2018:
“Reminds me of reaction when the NBA added 3 PT line to make the game more exciting. Many people thought it was a “gimmick” in what itwas trying to accomplish. That’s what this eerily reminds me of^ Bold prediction: game changes same way.”
All I got was dislikes/pessimism Im optimistic
@stevewpants
Have you hit your head? That personal jab is unlike you, I’ve been ganged up by trolls many times and appreciate you getting my back.
stevewpants
A friendly jab, it was a legit question on my end, i truly thought it was out of character. I was mistaken and just didn’t remember you posting that i guess. And for the record I’m against the pitch clock because I don’t think they have any metric to tell them if it “works” whatever that would even mean to them. Like in experiments there is a test group and a control. Where is their information on exactly how and why the pitch clock “works?”
stevewpants
What comparisons have they made pitting no pitch clock game outcomes against pitch clock game outcomes and why are those differences good things or bad things and who decides? I think they have done none of this, they are just throwing ideas at the wall hoping that something, anything, gets more people watching. In my opinion they should make any and every single game available for a 99 cent download each time, on whatever device you want no blackouts anywhere. Thats what the kids want, no strings, immediate access, wherever they are, whenever they feel like it at the click of a button.
Prospectnvstr
As stated in the article, it’s been implemented in the minors since 2015.
stevewpants
where does it say how the pitch clocked changed different aspects of the games and who decided if those changes were good or bad?
DarkSide830
sometimes i wonder if you get enough dislikes…
keystoneguru
Yes please mlb! This guy is the worst thing to happen to MLB since the last strike. Get someone who ACTUALLY knows the game and played it at a competitive level. Manfred probably last had cleats on when he was 8 or so. Just a shady lawyer trying to make a easy buck.
lucasd
how are pitchers supposed to control the running game with a pitch clock?
ericm25
I think the pitch clock will be off with runners on base.
Steve Adams
Might want to read the post.
zachgwest
Wow good point! Everyone would run on 21 seconds haha
clrrogers 2
The pitchers will need to vary the times that they deliver to the plate. i.e. at 15 seconds, 18 seconds, etc. so the runner doesn’t get that advantage.
gmenfan
Nope, pitch clock does not change with runners on. It simply resets after a pickoff attempt.
Chicks Dig the Longball
Can’t wait for a pitcher to step off 6 or 7 times in a row just to slow the game down.
twinsfan368
Amen bro
PhanaticDuck26
i’d like to see him feign the throw to first base to reset the clock, even if there is no runner there…
you know that’s what Beltre would do if he were pitching
gmenfan
Slippery slope …
Disco Dave
baseball is unique where there is no game clock. stop this nonsense.
Vizionaire
no matter what manfred does less number of youngsters are going to choose baseball over other sports.
One Bite Hotdog
Salary cap making more teams competitive. Free agency will be more exciting. With more competitive teams, more local (or regional) interest. Games will be more exciting. Excitement is good entertainment. People like good entertainment. Good entertainment leads to interest.
PopeMarley
Way lesser number of younger people watch it.
dobsonel
They already are.
roundtree
I agree with you….They just need to leave the game alone instead of adding new rules… The game is fine the way it is….
Prospectnvstr
The competition between pitchers & batters is like a chess match. Even in competitive chess matches they use a clock. Pitch clock (Yes) N.L. DH (No).
matt41265
the thing that concerns me the most this is this is just the beginning
gmenfan
The automatic intentional walk was the beginning, and this is another push in that direction. But you’re right – this leaves me thinking “what’s next ?”
Yelsnit
Didn’t the “challenge” come first?
Prospectnvstr
Does the NFL still use leather helmets? is the set shot still used in the NBA? Progressive tweaks/ changes happen in all sports and in life.
jd396
That doesn’t mean every single idea is good or necessary.
PhanaticDuck26
…just the beginning…
ROBOT UMPS!
xabial
Robot umps coming. Umpire lives won’t matter.
Say hello to your ump overlords. First order of business:
Fire Angel Hernandez!!
xabial
Dont worry “human element”! INF umps… will never be replaced by machines… I hope (!)
I don’t think I’ll see laser K zone replace umps in my life
its_happening
Agreed Matt. I already brought this up nearly a year ago and got flack. Now we’re seeing it on full display. This will continue, only baseball will be focused on adjusting one side (pitching) rather than all sides to do what they feel is necessary.
digimike
How about a Harper signing clock.
twinsfan368
Lol
spudchukar
Pretty sure Boras would find a loophole.
machom36
Does anyone know how minor league games are affected by the pitch clock?
petrie000
I think the fact that you even have to ask this shows how badly some people are over reacting. It’s present in the minors and it hasn’t radically changed the game
iverbure
Let’s not let facts destroy this stupid narrative ok?
luclusciano
Just look it up. It’s used in college as well, and keeps the game flowing.
c ya
Soon the best game will be down to 5 innings with all this BS chatter.
Vizionaire
hope the commish steps on a rattler!
gmenfan
Cant wait until we have instant replays to see if a pitcher started his rotation before the pitch clock expired.
vinnie
And a horn like nba , sounds familiar to a Dominican winter league
iverbure
I can’t wait for this vocal minority to find something else to complain about after this becomes a non issue that they don’t even notice. I remember you guys lost it over limiting mound visits lol
Francys01
I am watching the Mariners vs. Athletics game in the tv and that pitch clock is super annoying. I am putting more attention to the clock then to the game it is a huge distraction.
Chicks Dig the Longball
That sounds like a “you” problem
Francys01
I have to get used to it.
Fuck Me Bitch
I wouldn’t say it’s a “you” problem. There are already too many distractions between what is going on the field and what the viewer on TV sees at home. In the “olden” days there would be the pitch on the screen, and it was all. The rest was baseball!
Old User Name
I’m watching as well and paying attention to the clock but I think that’s just because it’s new. But I also find it interesting.
Meow Meow
Pitch clock is one of the frequently-cited pace-of-play initiatives that I’m most in favor of. Most pitchers will barely notice the difference or be affected in a major way, but it’ll really help rein in some of the biggest offenders.
I have a sense that a lot of the crowd here is going to be vehemently opposed to this (I feel like there’s an aversion to pretty much any sort of new rules?), but a really slow at-bat really does just kill the excitement in an inning, in my opinion.
Steve Adams
I’m not in favor of it, necessarily, but I’m pretty ambivalent about the whole concept.
Generally, I agree that it’s not a major issue. I’ll bristle in its early stages when it’s resulting in extra balls/strikes being called from time to time, but I imagine that we’ll soon get to a point where we go entire games without the clock ever really being a factor.
Eventually, if we get to a point where we forget it’s even there — and I do think that’ll happen — then it’s not really worth fretting over.
Fuck Me Bitch
We will only forget that clock is there if it isn’t shown ticking down. Any human being will watch a clock ticking down to a moment of do or don’t! Human nature.
spudchukar
The clock is ticking on me too. I don’t need a reminder.
Cat Mando
Had MLB network on yesterday and someone (I didn’t see who…I was in another room nearby) said it hasn’t been a problem in the minors and AFL when tested. The players seem OK with it.
Interestingly enough, 86%+ of the players polled last year by the Athletic were against it. In a side note 53%+ were against the DH in the NL.
jdgoat
Fix FA before you fix something that isn’t broken.
spudchukar
Can’t wait until a pitcher is in his delivery, and he is called for taking too much time. Let’s go to instant replay. That ought to speed things up.
Prospectnvstr
Yeah, it’s time to force Bryce Harper to make up his mind on which team to play for!!!!!!!
stansfield123
Pointless.
bbatardo
As a baseball purist I hate the idea of a pitch clock, but some pitchers do slow the game down way too much
spudchukar
Then flag them. Give the umps some power here. One warning then an automatic walk. Wouldn’t bother me at all, and I hate the idea of a clock. Sure there would be arguments, but I would prefer it to arguments as to whether a pitcher had released the ball in time.
kiddhoff
Ahhhhhh. More stupid rules. While you’re at it, shorten the games to 6 innings. In lieu of extra innings, have each captain play horseshoes to determine the winner.
spudchukar
Yeah the “special rules” for extra inning games sucks. It is so cool when games go on into infinity. Sure the stadiums become empty, position players pitch, but let’s face it, It is unique in sports, and I for one hope that part of the game remains in tact. It is special that the clock never runs out on a team.
Prospectnvstr
Do you have those knee jerk reactions/ responses often?
batty
Tick-tock
This won’t go well.
beetlejuice
And I thought Selig was a meddling nuisance.
IloveMACfootball
In this case, all the slippery slope arguments in the comments are illogical. The pitch clock is the end game the league has been moving towards and we’ve always known that.
I don’t really think the clock is necessary and I doubt it will get the results MLB is looking for, but to worry about “what next” doesn’t make any sense.
Chicks Dig the Longball
What happens when pitchers or hitter find a way to abuse the pitch clock for an advantage? It is inevitably going to happen. What then?
ABStract
And there’s no way this is the end of the pace of play fixes…
The one that would really speed things up and make the game far more fair and exponentially more watchable would be removing umpires from calling balls and strikes.
That’s what I’m waiting for! I can’t stand the inconsistency the way things currently stand, the calls are all over the place and the strike zone can change from pitch to pitch.
The fact that this can, but hasn’t been addressed yet is insane to me
ABStract
But also, when something like the MLB has been so resistant to change for 150 years and then starts making a ton of changes all of a sudden, the slippery slope argument becomes far more appropriate
spudchukar
Look, umps should be better, with some degree of consistency with the strike zone. But right now the technology isn’t there, and the strike zone really isn’t defined. The tech still has issues with 3D, and I for one would like the zone to emphasize lower pitches not higher ones. If MLB wants more runs then don’t start calling shoulder high strikes, strikes. Pitchers are already adjusting to the higher strike calls, which makes the homer or nothing approach even more difficult. The game worked well with less strikeouts, and calling higher strikes will only diminish runs. Nobody now knows what is a low strike. The knees, well that is pretty fungible. I don’t think there is much evidence that supports the idea that calling the high strike has increased runs. That is my issue with taking away the home plate ump. As a hitter I would hate it. If I get called out on a border line knee high strike, I might disagree, but not to one that is to the degree of one that is “shoulder high,” a pitch you have been taught to lay off of since Little League. I am convinced that going to a robotic approach to calling balls and strikes will diminish runs, not exactly what MLB is looking for.
geronimoradio
Tommy John injuries and surgeries are about to quintuple.
Chicks Dig the Longball
I think this is an overlooked issue. Muscles need to rest in between pitches. The average pitch was every 24 seconds. If they shrink it to 20, then that is 4 seconds more of muscle fatigue per pitch. If a pitcher throws 80 pitches. That is 5 total minutes. That is not even taking to account that each pitch in sequence causes more stress than the last. So each 4 seconds is more important than the last.
Santee Alley
How do you know that? What if using the muscles more consistently is better for the arm? If i bench press, I don’t wait 24 seconds between reps.
braveshomer
good point when you think of it that way, keeps the blood flowing regularly to the muscle the shorter amount of time between reps/pitches. Keeps you more in flow I would think
Chicks Dig the Longball
thestar.com/sports/bluejays/2016/06/06/study-says-…
tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02640414.2016.115…
This is good research study that shows what could happen.
whyhayzee
The muscles are not hurt by the throwing, they are hurt by the slowing down after throwing. Kind of like running downhill. More pounding. There probably is some sort of optimal recovery time. But like all the other ideas, no one is looking out for pitcher health at the rule change level.
its_happening
More TJ surgeries means more jobs. I’m sure MLB knows that. It’s a problem they do not care to address.
petrie000
I’m not sure I trust your medical degree if this is the conclusion you immediately jump to…
iverbure
TJ are up because pitchers are taught and trained to throw harder. Longer you give pitchers to pitch between pitches they can maintain velo for longer. God forbid guys will have to learn how to pitch instead of relying on velo.
Chicks Dig the Longball
The length of games is not the issue. The NFL game is about 20 minutes longer than an MLB game and people still watch it. It’s the content of the game that is boring. It’s too much of the same thing over and over and over for fans to get engaged. It’s 3 true outcome after 3 true outcome.
theredsoxrule
the big difference is a NFL game clock is only 60 minutes but it takes 3 hrs to play but why don’t people complain about THAT…I’ll watch any mlb game over any nfl game anyday
ABStract
True, they need to lower the mound or move it back or something…all this power pitching is great and all, but I’ve heard that chicks dig the long ball…and we all like to watch offense
Baseball is on the verge of becoming soccer at this rate
Chicks Dig the Longball
Home runs are at an all time high though
ABStract
That was just a nod to u
Rallyshirt
We have to consider what’s not working in the broadcast booth too. It’d be cool if every game were called by guys trained by intentional talk or something.
Young fans are so bored by this grandpa stuff.
Vizionaire
sissy boy ron darling must go!
Cat Mando
I think much of the fading enthusiasm for the younger generations is based on several things. When you play a sport, even a sandlot version, as a kid you tend to follow it growing up.
It’s easy to play basketball, two kids – one ball…..even football is the same. Of course it’s better with a few more kids and a wide open space for football but it’s not essential.
Baseball you need at least 7 on each side, each needs a glove and gloves can be outgrown. Personal bats are nice too and a few baseballs (We always seemed to lose at least one per game…lol) Then there is the space and place to play.
I doubt (but I may be wrong) that you find many kids playing stick ball in the streets. At the same time I bet touch football is still played.
Basketball and football are just easier no matter where you live…and cheaper too.
Vizionaire
there are countless basketball rings installed at many homes. but i have seen only one house with a baseball field. one in atlanta.
PhanaticDuck26
good point, cat. I grew up in Philly and while we spent hours throwing back and forth in a pitcher-catcher alignment (no pitch clock), the opportunity to hone in your baseball-hitting skills was a bit more limited. It also seems to me that collecting baseball cards was such an awesome complement to enjoying the game itself, but kids dont care to collect and trade baseball cards like I did 25 years ago. To me thats just another sign that the popularity of the game is fading with the younger generation
sasafrass81
When I grew up we played 1on1 baseball, 1 ball, 1 bat and 1 glove in our front yard or back yard. We had 11 teams and 2 divisions. We used ghost runners and chalkboards as scoreboards. Sometimes we all played together at my buddies house bc he had a large corner lot. We named our teams and our fields. I still see it today as I did 20 years ago and the high school I work for has just as many kids tryout for baseball as football.
However, back when I was growing up there was maybe 60 + games on tv and now there are 162 aired (talking about your favorite team or regional team)! I believe baseball has lost that special feeling of the game (or few games ) of the week. You can miss a game bc one will be on tomorrow. ESPN shows at least half a dozen games a week as does MLB Network.
Maybe younger fans are less likely than I to watch 150+ games a year of my team plus the countless other games I watch. I also see that the younger generation is more technology savy and would prefer to watch on tablets and phones. I hope we see kids return to baseball and data to show that.
I’m not sure if these ideas will help, but I am 35 and I see more soccer played than anything else. I still see basketball hoops in streets, but I also see kids playing baseball at school fields, parks and little league is still popular here. I love baseball and will continue to help grow it in any way I can.
vinnie
MLB should reduce the advertisement time and we as fans will be glad
bobtillman
Oh ya, like that’s gonna happen….expect instead, during a pitching change, “This pat on the butt is brought to you by Preparation H. Always check for hemorrhoids when changing pitchers!”.
ABStract
Wow, that’s pretty great Bob
Don’t give Manfred any ideas though!
BlueSkyLA
Great, now MLB can add another 30 seconds between innings to sell more commercials.
kenneth cole
As long as they don’t show it on TV. I don’t want the K zone or pitch clock aware to me as I watch. Too much of an arcade game feel
Meow Meow
I’m 100% down with getting rid of the K-zone on TV because it seems to just make me mad about missed calls more than anything
VivaBeavis
Not liking the clock, nor the 3 batter rule for relievers. It doesn’t mean I want games to drag on forever, but these rules seem like making a change for no other reason than making a change. I do not see them as necessary.
If pace of play is an issue, have a clock that the umps can be alerted about from the box. If the pitcher is egregiously violating the pace of play, a warning can be given, and if it continues, a clock can be put on that pitcher. I’d much rather see the pitcher and hitter be properly ready for those tense at bats.
Bone19
This is a dark day for MLB. As someone else already mentioned, this is a slipperly slope. Making drastic changes to a game that has been played the same way for 100+ years now opening up the possibily for even MORE changes. Its a daring and risky move all around cause on one hand you might draw in people who were never interested in baseball before, or on the other hand you lose the old fans that want the game to continue on same as always.
This game is legendary and something historic in many ways. I would love it if my kids could see the SAME GAME I grew up playing and watching. Next thing you know my kids little league team will implement a pitch clock…
There are numerous ways to help with pace of play that don’t involve changing the fundamentals of the rules to the sport.
bobtillman
I watch and attend a lot of minor league games….by April 15, you won’t even know the clock is there. And it DOES move the game along.
yamsi1912
GTFO Manfred.
Ryan Mayfield
Its called the national PASTIME for a reason. I’m not in a hurry to get the game over with. However, the biggest time waste is between innings. The player run out and we start play. How about cutting down the time there? I suspect its not good for commercial breaks and a non-starter in a game that is increasingly market driven and not baseball driven.
beetlejuice
Yeah, just like making hitters keep one foot in the box.
breckdog
I would be a nervous batter in spring training. Guys throwing hard and rushed is a bad idea especially so early in the year.
basquiat
They did this already a few years ago. By the end of the season they ignored it. Nonsense. If the owners want to do it, they will do it. The commissioner does what they tell him to do.
carlos15
Manfred is f’ing awful
gofish 2
How about a maximum of five foul balls when you have two strikes? If you have two strikes, and you foul off six pitches afterwards, you’re out. Counts as a K for the pitcher.
ABStract
Naw
Swinging Friars
BOO!!!!!
FutureDaydream
It’s just a way to enforce the current rules though they have added 8 seconds.
Rule 5.07(c) Pitcher Delays
When the bases are unoccupied, the pitcher shall deliver the ball to
the batter within 12 seconds after he receives the ball. Each time
the pitcher delays the game by violating this rule, the umpire shall
call “Ball.”
The 12-second timing starts when the pitcher is in possession of the
ball and the batter is in the box, alert to the pitcher. The timing
stops when the pitcher releases the ball.
Cat Mando
The big difference is in the following paragraph ………….
“The intent of this rule is to avoid unnecessary delays. The umpire shall insist that the catcher return the ball promptly to the pitcher, and that the pitcher take his position on the rubber promptly. Obvious delay by the pitcher should instantly be penalized by the umpire ”
As it stand now the rules say the pitcher “should” be penalized. The rule never mandated a penalty, it just suggested one could be given.
Vizionaire
that may cause more injuries to pitchers. a lot of them relax by waking around the mound. also if they have to immediately step on the rubber how can they use rosin bags?
its_happening
Considering how long umpires allow hitters to step out, do a routine and step back in the box they really can’t enforce the 12-second rule.
One way to get the hitters ready to go is to allow a “quick pitch” (Rule 8). Meaning, once both feet are in the batters box the pitcher can throw.
firstbleed
Brent Suter approves (but I doubt any other pitchers do).
TreyMancini
So if there’s runners on base, then literally the pitcher can just step off to get more time. Nice.
pitnick
There’s no need for a new rule. There’s a perfectly good one on the rulebooks already, 5.07(c):
“When the bases are unoccupied, the pitcher shall deliver the ball to
the batter within 12 seconds after he receives the ball. Each time
the pitcher delays the game by violating this rule, the umpire shall
call “Ball.”
The 12-second timing starts when the pitcher is in possession of the
ball and the batter is in the box, alert to the pitcher. The timing
stops when the pitcher releases the ball.”
Just enforce that longstanding rule.
Cat Mando
read the next paragraph…a penalty is not mandated. It says….”Obvious delay by the pitcher should instantly be penalized by the umpire” Should.
someoldguy
meaningless taking a game that is 3 hours and 5 minutes long and making it 2 hours and 59 minutes long to try please people with the attention span of a 140 characters is an exercise in failing to understand the real issue..
Vizionaire
the worst part of baseball is not how long it takes. it is the umps. so, what has commish ever done about that?
ABStract
Thank you!
PhanaticDuck26
ROBOT UMPS! welcome to the future.
DonC.
I’m a NL fan love the dh wish they would implement it!
66TheNumberOfTheBest
FTR, you are are AL fan who wants to ruin the NL.
petrie000
Wouldn’t that paradoxically increase the length of the average game?
Marius
Limit mound meetings. When a pitcher is to come out of the game, the manager pulls him from where he is in the dugout. No need to go out there and get him. It’s just like a substitution in any other sport.
Marius
Video review is also broken. Either you challenge it right away or you don’t. I dislike how they wait for the bench coach to get the signal from the press box and then relay to the manager who is just playing in the grass waiting for the thumbs up or down.
stevewpants
Dumbdumbdumbdumbdumbdumbdumbdumbdumbdumbdumbdumbdumbdumbdumbdumbdumb
its_happening
Manfraud making sure to check his marketing focus group full of casual and non-fans saying they would like the game to move along faster. This is what trying to reach a new audience looks like.
Yes, fire Manfraud.
For those wanting to point toward record revenues, check yourself. The TV deals that allowed record revenues had nothing to do with Manfraud.
Impose and enforce hitters to stay in the batters box. That should have been the first order of business. MLB will only try to punish or force pitchers to adjust, never the hitter. Total bush.
SheaGoodbye
Might sound nice in theory, but its implementation is guaranteed to be a mess. In other words, I doubt it’s actually going to be enforced on a regular basis, except on maybe the slowest tier of pitchers. I certainly hope that ends up being the case, for the pitchers’ sake.
I’m all for sensible pace-of-play initiatives, but this one wouldn’t qualify as such in its current state. A much better solution would be to treat slow pitch times similar to how the NBA treats technical fouls: rack up too many games of them in a season and start getting fined past a certain figure.
Z-A 2
So the NBA and NFL can implement a rule change and it happens that year. MLB needs to beta test it for a decade.
Solar Flare
I thought that the MLB could not possibly have a worse commissioner than Steroid King Bud Selig, guess I was wrong.
Fuck Me Bitch
The real problem is the amount of relief pitching in today’s game! This is the elephant in the room. Ideas must be put forth and implemented if we are to get back to a reasonable game again.
Buster Olney wrote this in an article last summer,
“Here’s a fundamental change that would improve the game on many levels: Limit managers to the use of four pitchers per nine innings, with exceptions built in for injuries and blowouts.
“Major league baseball desperately needs to get off the growing front-office addiction to relief pitchers, which is helping to destroy important components of the game.”
its_happening
Or just stop bending rules that cater or overprotect hitters to boost offense. More hitters take pitches and prolong at bats due to enormous plate coverage they’ve been allowed to have thanks to the protection(s). Maybe pitchers will scale back the fastball if MLB lifts the mound back to 1967 levels.
At least by keeping some semblance of tradition you can cut down the time rather than come up with limitations. The game of baseball wasn’t born with these time limits. The beauty of the game is that it’s limitless.
DarkSide830
the chances that this unwarranted change noticably affects the pace of the game is highly unlikely. the chances of unfavorable side effects? much higher.
petrie000
Honestly, 20 seconds is more than enough to to get a sign from the catcher, check the runners, and throw a pitch. So I’m not sure why so many people see this as the end of baseball as we know it
Speeding up the pace of play means you don’t have to radically change the game to make it more tv friendly. And does anybody really enjoy watching pitchers or hitter go through needlessly complex routines before every pitch?
stevewpants
I like watching pitchers and hitters who are both as ready and comfortable as they can possibly be while being primed for success. If that takes 22 seconds instead of 20 so be it. All the pace of play is nonsense anyways, the brass at mlb says they want more offense and making pitchers throw the ball faster may possibly lead to that, but more offense will make the games longer so the shortening the game argument goes out the window.
jd396
You’d think all baseball games were 5 hours long before. They weren’t. When people say “I don’t watch baseball because it’s boring” it’s not about the run time of the game. It’s that they don’t really get it. They don’t see a guy throw a curveball over the outside edge of the plate for a strike on a 2-0 count and appreciate what just happened. It’s just a nothing throwaway play to them. No amount of Manfred’s pace of play stuff is going to change that.
Other sports are relatively straight forward and easy to pick up. Baseball has always been more esoteric, but used to be easier to pick up, because it was more engrained in the culture. It isn’t anymore. That’s the problem.
GOLDENARM83
This is the type of nonsense that is driving away baseballs loyal fans…. Manfred is an idiot
coldbeer
I laugh when relief pitchers get driven out of the pen in the custom golf carts. I don’t anticipate i will be laughing much at the pitch clock. Sigh. *single tear*
timewalk42
You heard it first pitch clock will result in more stolen base attempts
stevewpants
Mostly though just more times of the pitchers stepping off the rubber with runners on getting big leads and the time winding down.
SFGiantsGallore
Aww yes, the infamous pitch clock. Gone are the days of 5-10 minute at bats between the Yanks and Red Sox in the playoffs. I kinda miss that lol. Next step will be adding a runner on 2nd during extra innings. Just like many before us, we will use the phrase: “back in my day….” as the Millennials watch a timed 1 hour, umpire-less, aluminum bat, and digitally programmed baseball game.
stevewpants
Easy there old timer, its actually the generation coming after millenials that aren’t remotely interested in the game. Its 2019 now, people born in 2000 are turning 19, they are not millenials and they are not watching much baseball either.
jd396
It’s bad, however you slice it…
AvidRockiesFan
Ugh, I am not a fan of this at all. Instead of changing a timeless game & thus ruining in for us who appreciate the timelessness & purity of baseball, how about changing the attention spans of people who want to speed through things? Also how about teaching the younger generation that pitchers taking time in between pitches, & batters stepping out of the box is all about strategy & trying to throw the other off of their timing. A chess match on a field. Same as managers should be allowed to match up their pitchers with the opposition’s hitter. Like the saying goes: “Baseball is a Smart Person’s Sport.”
themed
Great post avidRockies fan. I hate all the ignorant changes also. You’d even be surprised how many pitchers got the yips while trying to intentionally walk someone.
Royalsfan12
You’re taking away one of the unique parts of baseball. The sports has never had timers until now. Where’s the NL DH that we need?
chisoxjuan
What exactly are the penalties? Is it a strike or an out if the batter isn’t back in the box before the clock ticks down to 5 secs? Does an absent hitter reset the clock or is the pitcher still expected to deliver the pitch in those 5 secs? If both fail, are the penalties offset? is it a ball or a walk if the pitcher is late?
Are there ejections for 3 penalties by the same player in a game?
I imagine the pitch clock will greatly add to the stress of players. Is anybody going to produce a great WAR with that kind of pressure?
some guy 2
Seems like a better way to do it would be to leave it to the discretion of the umpire. If pitchers take longer than 20 seconds, they give a warning. If the continue to delay, award baserunners a base.
Robertowannabe
Can’t leave it to umpire discretion. Too much on outcomes of games. Has to be uniform rules or not at all.
Equinsu Ocha
this is such a lame duck solution to the issue of game length. how can shaving a few seconds or even minutes, do anything to change the perception that the game is too long?!
jd396
And at the same time they’re thinking about altering the game to increase offense. Which slows the game down.
draushaus
I don’t like clocks in baseball at all. But where a pitch clock could be useful is the high school and college levels. Players need to be taught sensible rhythm at a young age; then we wouldn’t have these issues in the bigs.
neoncactus
The clock might be harder on the hitters who like to step out of the box and readjust their batting gloves after every pitch than on most pitchers.
chisoxjuan
I looked up the NCAA rules & indeed 3 violations by a batter at a PA equals a strike out. Similarly, 4 violations by a pitcher at a PA equals a walk. The batter does have to be in the box ready to hit with 5 secs on the clock. The pitcher has to be on the rubber in his windup before the clock expires. If both the batter & pitcher are deemed not ready, it’s a ball. The burden is on the pitcher.
Each player gets 1 game warning before the violations are penalized. Players requesting time had better have a good reason as the norm will be for umpires to deny such requests. That goes for the catcher as well. If the batter & pitcher are both “ready” but the catcher is not & time was not granted, a violation occurs & a ball is recorded.
Arguing a violation will result in an ejection but there are seemingly no limits to how many violations a player might get in a game.
I don’t know whether this is used in international play, but I can’t see the players accepting this. If MLB forces it on them I think they will strike. I can’t recall many games where pitchers & hitters were ready in that time. I think they need another 10 secs at least. As a compromise maybe they can get a 30 sec clock in exchange for 4 fouls is an out. I’m not sure if current fans like the lengthy PA any more.
I’d be ok with that as long as they curtail current video review to scoring plays only.
I’d rather they add more umps to the field then continue to pause the game for lengthy video reviews of non-scoring plays.
At first I thought this destroys MLB’s link to the past, but realistically the focus on WAR & OPS has already done that. Offensive players of the past tailored their game to boost their H, R, & RBI. K’s were the worst. Now it’s all about stressing the pitcher:
Push the pitch count, draw the free pass, & move the runner. R & RBI are considered just circumstantial stats. You can’t even compare the 90’s to today’s game so forget about prior decades. You can’t really compare present NFL or NBA to the past either so it’s not all that surprising. I guess the NHL & Soccer hold the strongest links to their past.
jd396
Bud Selig may have been a dirtbag but at least he wasn’t a blithering idiot. The game is fine, right now, but Manfred sees some of the indicators that are not good for the long term health of the game and he’s just throwing turds at the wall anymore.
jd396
Can we just stick to talking about religion?
terry g
Pace-of-the-game is not really the problem. It’s how do we get younger people to follow and watch the game.? I don’t there’s much that can be done to be honest. It’s much easy for a fan to block out 3 hours once a week than 3 hours a day. No sport has a schedule like baseball. The NFL is sort of an event. You watch your team play once a week. I love baseball because it is an every day event but it’s hard to get others to that level of commitment.
ReverieDays
Why not just play 7 inning games, too?
SFGiantsGallore
Anyone have the stats of the minor league games with and without the pitch clock? Just wondering how much the pitch clock affects the total duration of the game. Seconds? Minutes? Hours?
stan lee the manly
Manfred is not good for the game of baseball
redsoxsuk1
Just throw the damn ball!!
luclusciano
I think this is a good idea. The one complaint new. Baseball fans have is the game is too slow. The implemented this in both college and minors to just make pitchers throw, and apparently it will take too long to wait for those players to get to the bigs.
I guess my question to all the down voters is – what bad will this cause other than it being different and change?
Swinging Friars
I don’t think that is a complaint by an actual fan..
This is just more tinkering to allow for more runs scored. Which will lengthen these games not shorten them
Swinging Friars
Strategy wise = if the runners and batter know the timing of the pitcher that is a huge gift to them. Huge
This whole stepping off the rubber thing is all about timing. Now everyone knows when the pitch is coming. Either it’s coming right away or you know when that final second ticks it’s coming. Time is the only thing freezing that runner. It’s also reeking havoc on the batter’s nerves
This isn’t a small rule change. This is more akin to lowering the mound
DrDan75
The one thing that makes baseball different from every other spectator sport is the fact that there is no clock. The game is over when the last out is made in the final inning, not when the clock runs down to zero.
I am pretty much a baseball purist all around. I don’t like the DH and I don’t like the instant replay crap either. Make pitchers hit, let human error be part of the game, and let pitchers throw the ball when they’re ready.
AtlSoxFan
So basically reinforcing the stereotype that kids and millenials have problems with delayed gratification and want everything now, now, NOW.
Where’s it end, going to an 8 inning game? 7 innings? How about 3 balls for a walk? If 2 strikes exist we count any fouls as a ball? Requiring a time limited delivery? All also STUPID ideas I’m sure manfred already is looking at.
Shaving 5 or 10 minutes tops off the game isn’t worth destroying all the other facets and strategy involved
Bobby Czyz
Clocks don’t belong in baseball! I don’t want to look at a clock!
DougieJones
Manfred is such a loser. People that don’t like baseball aren’t going to like it any more with timers. But those that like it will like it less with timers.
MANFRED IS RUINING BASEBALL!!!!!!!!!!!!
DougieJones
Next there are going to be tie games after 12 innings!!!
AtlSoxFan
Didn’t you hear? Manfred wants to kill long extra inning games too.
10th inning and beyond starting a runner at 2nd base each inning is the proposal on the table – again, something he said he can do without MLBPA agreement.
AtlSoxFan
If we really wanted to shave time off a game he’d reduce the commercial time outs.
All these pace of play things aren’t about fan experience… they’re about tv contracts and the networks complaining that their programming schedule (and post game shows) get messed up by games exceeding the allocated slot so often.
Fans are just fine on the whole with long games, they can leave the ballpark early if they want. I’d prefer a 3 hour game to a 90 minute one myself, more time for the ballpark experience and to enjoy those unhealthy creations and drinks before the 7th inning cutoff