ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports that MLB’s decision to introduce a pitch clock for the 2023 season will have an as of yet unexpected side effect: stricter enforcement of rules surrounding balks and illegal pitches. In addition, Bob Nightengale of USAToday writes that arguing pitch clock violations will result in an automatic ejection for managers. This decision follows recent decisions to make the “ghost runner” extra innings rule permanent and enforce limits on position players pitching.
This crackdown on illegal pitches is due to the fact that the clock, which allows a pitcher 15 seconds before pitching with the bases empty and 20 seconds with runners on base, is meant to be stopped at the beginning of a pitcher’s delivery. Passan writes that the league has informed umpires to call a balk (or an illegal pitch resulting in an automatic ball if no one is on base) if a pitcher takes more than one step to the back or side in his windup before moving towards home plate. Certain pitchers have previously used more complicated deliveries involving multiple toe-taps or sidesteps that’ll no longer be permissible.
It’s an increased emphasis that’ll come into play for pitchers working both out of the windup and from the stretch, although a balk call is obviously only relevant if there’s a runner on base. A windup violation with no one on base will lead to an automatic ball. Passan notes the clock stops running for a pitcher who works from the stretch once they lift their front leg.
The league already seemed likely to see an uptick in balks this year thanks to a different rule change: the limitation on pitcher disengagements from the mound. A pitcher is limited to two unsuccessful disengagements (pickoff attempts or simply stepping off the rubber) in an at-bat. If a pitcher steps off a third time and does not record a successful pick-off, the baserunner advances on a balk.
The rules changes will be in effect in Spring Training games, though they’re not implemented for the upcoming World Baseball Classic. Any pitchers participating in the WBC will get less time than their peers to adjust and get used to these rule changes than they otherwise would, as the tournament runs during the final month of Spring Training. Pitch clocks have been in effect for years in the minor leagues, however, so a number of MLB pitchers have some experience with those restrictions.
Call it the Andy Pettitte rule.
How that guy got away with it for that long, I’ll never understand.
If Clevinger ever pitches again, he’s going to set the record for balks.
Only thing Mike’s going to be breaking is his wife’s arm after the suspension is served
I wonder is MLB REALLY trying to DRIVEAWAY Traditional Baseball Fans because all these IDIOTIC RULE Changes is doing just that. Rob Manfred is going to go down as the WORST Commissioner of Major League Baseball in History
Seems that way, doesn’t it? Who would’ve ever thought that a clock would be used in baseball?
That have to speed up the game. People who don’t watch baseball and there are a lot say it’s because the game is too slow.
Reason soccer is so popular is because the game is constantly going even though most of the time it’s meaningless.
Pitchers will adjust, minor league players already have.
Nonsense, cricket takes three days and over a billion people play/watch
Five days for Test cricket matches, and not always with a result. Dramatic tension is different from speed.
Soccer’s so popular because of its international affordability.
People don’t watch baseball because it’s behind blackouts…
They’re fixing the wrong things. MLB is installing vanity license plates while the transmission is shot.
But for old time people in my 40s I like a good 3 hour game as it get your monies worth. Los Angeles dodgers fans are the crazy ones arrive in the 3rd inning get a beer; a hot dog and selfie and then leave by the 5th inning
well enunciated
But for old time people in my 40s I like a good 3 hour game
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But for oldtimers like myself, we remember when games could be finished in 2:30 or less.
The length doesn’t bother me as much as the painful process of watching a pitcher shaking off a catcher 6 times. And i love Pedroia, but he didn’t need to spend 5+ seconds of every pitch adjusting his fracking gloves.
But even going back a few years, tell me which of these time-saving changes you object to?
1-Limiting the time between innings.
2-Having Sanchez visiting the mound every inning.
3-Watching the manager come out twice an inning after the 6th inning?
Past that, I never understood how football teams, with 75 plays, and an infinite number of possible scenarios, have very few problems getting plays off in less time than it takes a pitcher/catcher to decide on a pitch and throw it.
Soccer is a joke because it’s a brainless NON Thinking so called sport with ZERO Strategy to it at all, Hell they can’t even play more than 1 game in a week & a half to 2 weeks if not longer in between games.
Baseball is a Thinking person’s game with a ton of Strategy WELL it was before MLB started destroying the traditional game..
I say if you don’t want a game that you have to think to play then I guess you’ll be happier with Soccer than Baseball
Comments like this are at best misleading. Baseball is not being transformed from a game played over 9 innings to a game played until the horn sounds, like basketball. The clock requires that pitchers pitch, not stand around counting the clouds in the sky. The rules that will now be enforced hardly require pitchers to get the ball and fire away. There is plenty of time to get a sign, survey the runners, and make the pitch. The same goes for batters. It’s infuriating to watch a guy stand on the mound doing little or nothing, and it’s equally tiresome watching batters go through a choreographed dance routine after each and every pitch.
Sounds like they want every game to be an average of 45 minutes. I am one of those traditional baseball fans and I’m not even excited about the upcoming season. Who knows what other crazy rules they will try to implement.?
It won’t bother you. Did you miss all those catcher and manager visits to the mound?
I agree with you Joe. For the most part Fans are making mountains out molehills.
I understand why people are upset with the “ghost” runner rule. They have every right to be upset.
I understand why people might be upset with the two pickoff moves. I’m open minded.
But for enforcing other rules? I don’t get it.
Pitchers should pitch the ball. The Shift hurt the quality of the game.
Static baserunning hurt the quality of the game.
Pitchers holding the ball hurts the quality of the game.
Agreed. I want to watch the game I grew up playing. Any records set, such as stolen bases, runs scored due to the zombie runner rule, etc., are not going to be legit. What if Ricky Henderson’s sb record is broken because of over sized bases? There should be an asterisks next to all statistics from 2023 until Manfred is run out of the game he is destroying.
Lol, the 2 or 3 inches less of the base paths will not make the guys who steal 30 bases a year all of a sudden be stealing 80 bases every season.
Also about the distance between the bases. I don’t know why nobody else has figured out that if they still put the front edges of first and third base at a distance of 90 ft from home plate, they can then actually fit 2nd base 90 ft away from both as well. All they have to do is allow the extra couple inches of first and third to be in foul territory and say that the first baseman isn’t allowed to have his foot on that part of the base. That would actually provide more safety to runners heading to first base to have that outside area of the bag to step on.
And then they would have to paint a foul line right across the bag just a couple inches from the edge. Sounds like a nightmare.
@Lugar- yes very true. I’ve thought about that. It would look a little weird, but they could easily do an off white bag with bright white for the line. We’d all get used to it. I think the hardest part though would be making the proper fair/foul call when the ball hits the bag. As of now if the ball hits the bag it’s obviously a fair ball. But it could work;if they really wanted to keep the base paths at 90 feet.
I don’t think they are concerned about keeping the bags at 90 feet. They are concerned about increasing excitement and scoring which should entice more fans to watch the game.
From what I recall, each base will be 3 inches bigger. That means 1st base will be 3 inches closer to second base and second base will be 1.5 inches closer to first base, 4.5 inches overall difference.. The 90 feet distance between bases will no longer be in effect. I am doing this from memory, so I may be wrong. If I am let me know..
if your worried about the size of the bases because of ricky hendersons record.then you should put an asterick next to hendersons name,since the bases were 2 inches smaller in 1930 and much softer,there was very little to hold onto back then.the bases are not the problem the pitch clocks are not the problem.the zombie runner is the problem.
and way back when runners were not running on manicured base paths, and bases were not anchored as they are now,
Enforcing rules is the same as rule changes… Got it.
As for the pitch clock….finally. Pitchers found out if they hold the ball longer they would have more recovery time and pitch more effectively. It’s about time they enforced the 20 seconds. That’s been on the books for at least 50 years.
Everyone ignored the rule.
Babe;
I’m a traditional baseball fan, and other than the silly “ghost runner” I have no problem with what Manfred is doing.
I watched for decades as outs were called at 2B as long as the fielder with the ball was near the bag – often resulting in a double play.
What’s really idiotic is thinking that it’s OK not to call rule infractions when for 40 years TV replays showed that umps were missing those calls – but until recently the affected manager couldn’t ask for a challenge.
Sure, let’s not enforce the rules because it’ll drive traditional baseball fans away.
Really?
I did hate that timeframe when double plays were being called even though the pivot man was 2 or 3 feet from second base. It was ridiculous.
@Samuel: I agree 98% I actually like the ghost runner in the regular season. I know it’s kinda bush league. But 18 inning games ruin pitching staffs for weeks!
Totally agree – and I would be a traditional fan as well. The ghost runner is absurd – a Manfred creation to solve a problem that isn’t there. The rest of this? Once upon a time, a batter who danced a number form his favorite musical between pitches would have been drilled hard by Gibson, Drysdale, Marichal, and the like. No one likes the ridiculous time between pitches whether it be due to pitchers holding onto the ball or batters never getting set.
It’s not a rule change. It’s enforcing the existing balk rule.
The 15 seconds is different, it use to be 20, but it was never enforced. They are enforcing the continuous wind up rule. Why that upsets people I don’t know.
If they want to be upset about the new rules, fine. But for people to be upset for enforcing current rules is beyond me.
Seamaholic;
It’s what’s been going on in this country in a lot of things……
When people come in and say we want to follow the rules/laws equally, they’re called names, ridiculed, and threatened.
Not to get off target, but as an accountant, I think that you either enforce the law, or you get rid of the law. Selective enforcement will only lead to trouble.
Honestly, they should have been enforcing the balk rule all along. Too many pitchers getting away with bullcrap moves too long.
Pitchers I grew up with say to me during a game “how the hell is he getting away with that crap?” and I just shrug.
Amen Babe!!!!
It’s kind of a weird decision because all their other changes were to increase casual fan interest but then they decide to enforce a rule that even non-casual fans have trouble identifying.
Pitch clock means they’ll have more time for advertisements between innings
They really want an increase in stolen bases.
CardsFan57;
I believe that since Moneyball came into vogue a bunch of Ivy League graduate students – most of whom had played no processional baseball and had not worked their way up the ladder – quickly started taking over MLB franchises Baseball Operations.
In doing so they squeezed out everything wonderful about the game…not to mention the integrity of it. Stolen bases went away. Hit-and-Runs. Defense was a joke as players were jammed into smaller spaces due to “The Shift”, resulting in people on here saying that a 2B doesn’t need a strong arm because he’s so close to 1B when he fields a grounder. K’s went up as fast as Tommy John surgeries. Counting pitches resulted in a “strategy” of hitting foul balls to get the opposing pitcher out of the game once his pitch count hit 100. The object became “Don’t make an out”.
The result is that 2 generations of Americans have no idea how baseball can be played, and overwhelmingly find it boring. They don’t understand that most FO’s are filled with people that try not to lose a game as opposed to figuring out how the players can be used to win it (other than by a HR). Of course they find it boring.
Manfred is working with the owners to bring MLB back to the sport it used to be, because the people running their front offices have made a joke of it.
Are you Grady Fuson?
No.
I’m a retired computer systems designer / programmer etc.
I like technology. And I know when it’s being misused.
Since Billy Beane revolutionized baseball with the the A’s a bit over 20 years ago, the team has won one playoff series.
And the Dodgers have won one World Series since 1988, the shortened season one; not sure of your point. They have made the playoffs 11 times a bit over the last twenty years on a shoestring budget. As a system designer you must be aware you are cherry picking stats and the randomness of baseball in the playoffs?
Nestor’s career may have just ended. Why create a rule that kills the fun ??
Never understood how his delivery was considered legal.
Oh my god Samuel, that’s a brilliant post.
You could not be more spot on.
All these moves are an attempt to counter the number crunchers.
If Cortes loses his effectiveness because he is compelled to follow rues then he isn’t really that good – simple
When are they going to start having the umps throw flags? MLB trying real hard to catch up to the 2587863 different penalties you can get in the NFL.
All of the rule changes Manfred has come up with are to give the offense the advantage. He wants more runs scored so kids who enjoy all of the points scored in basketball will turn to baseball. Manfred will only be happy when the scores are 154-129.
brb we need to shorten the game
brb we need more runs being scored
MLB logic at its finest
The main concept is to create more ACTION within the game. How many times do we need to see guys step out & adjust their equipment (batting gloves,helmet,
pads/armor or their cup)? Or pitchers holding the ball &/or waiting the batter out before throwing a pitch.
mj-2
brb we need to shorten the game
============================
It’s not so much shortening the game as much as making the batters and pitchers play without an unreasonable delay.
1-It shouldn’t take 20+ seconds to get the sign from the catcher and throw a pitch.
2-A batter shouldn’t need to adjust his gloves after every pitch.
Pedroia, all by himself, probably increased the length of the game by about 90 seconds. Buchholz probably added another 8 minutes. All of it was a complete waste.
I was a fan of both Pedroia and Buchholz but you are 100% correct. Papi was bad with the glove adjustments as well….spitting on both, etc.
The 20 second rule has been on the books for more than 50 years. Finally they are choosing to enforce the rule.
there is a tucson city ordinance that prohibits cross dressing. women cannot wear pants. thankfully, even the police ignore the stupid law.
Just leave Gausman alone and I’m good.
Manfred giving the people what they want! More exciting balks!!
Nothing better than a ghost runner scoring on a walk off balk
Didnt we try to tamp down balks a few years ago? There was an uptick in calls, then it just silently went away? Or am I dreaming that? I though this was tried and given up. Much like pitcher’s goop, it’ll start big and quickly fade like the winter sunset.
You’re not dreaming it. They forced the pitcher to have a discernible set prior to delivering the ball.
That was it, thanks. It lost steam real fast.
Pitchers adapted quickly. That rule is still enforced.
I don’t seem to recall that I remember when they ditched the fake to 3rd then first move. Like that was a scourge on the game or something.
I think it was about 35 years ago. There was a rule on the books that said a pitcher had to come to a discernible stop. About 35 years ago they decided to enforce the rule.
Kenley Jansen should call it a career.
Toe taps aside I don’t see how much more they can enforce a rule that has a large subjective component to it
Exactly!
Weird they want to speed up the game yet they stop the shifts and now this to help the offense which makes games longer. Makes no sense!
It’s almost as if they have no damn idea what they’re doing.
You mean enforcing rules that have been on the books for decades.
It’s almost as if you’ve never read a baseball rule book. Twenty seconds is an old rule. I think starting and stoping is an old rule as well. The toe tap has been illegal for a long time.
I get it Halofan you like to be the contrarian in the group. Hasn’t been enforced in decades now suddenly they feel the urge to. Sell that BS to someone else.
Problem is half the umpires don’t even know how to identify a balk.
By contrarian, do you mean I know what I’m talking about while others don’t?
I also did a dance 35 years ago when they finally forced pitches to make a discernible stop. I think good rules need to be enforced.
People are mad at Manfred for enforcing the rules? I remember Dick Enberg talking about the 20 second rule 50 years ago. I remember taking a rules quiz where that was one of the questions.
So you are upset that baseball is enforcing the rules. That either makes you ignorant, which is common, or just someone who hates Manfred.
They’re trying to find offense as well. Last season was the fourth straight year where runs per game has declined – banning shifts is part of trying to stop that slide.
Basically, they’re trying to compress as much offense as they can, into the most efficient, timely package. More action, more runs, less downtime.
“Basically, they’re trying to compress as much offense as they can, into the most efficient, timely package.”
By now strictly enforcing a rule that almost always causes confusion for everyone involved including those watching?
Also, I’m sure the couple extra runs per game is gonna bring in a ton of new fans. Everything else they’ve done has certainly increased viewership and attendance………..
@getrealgone2 My comment about trying to find offense as well, is in response to OP’s comment about the shift.
But, yeah.. Enforce the rules, clear it up, move on. Anything that gives clarity instead of confusion will probably enhance the viewing experience. Sports have to compete incredibly hard for market share – having aspects of the game that cause confusion, won’t help that search.
I’m not saying MLB is getting everything right, but it’s pretty clear what they’re trying to do. Can’t please everyone though, so someone will always complain.
The games are slow because everyone is doing the TTO approach at the plate, which drags everything out. The shift was removed to encourage players to put the ball in play more, which is a logical way to speed up the game because it will encourage guys to take approaches aside from waiting around for homers
More runs more fun length doesn’t matter. The I want to lazily be entertained now crowd will love it.
A 1 run game with a bloop single and a lazy fly to move up the runner then a screamer down the RF line to score the run. The game lasts an hour and a half was boring. Forget the SPers went 8 innings and only 1 gave up 1 run. They both dominated the game. You have to love the beauty of a great pitched game. Except the now crowd they don’t want to think just see.
Bob Davidson retired too soon.
Man, if there was one thing baseball was missing, it was definitely more balks! The pointing, the confused looks, the shoulder shrugging… So exhilarating!!
Pitchers should be allowed to throw at the batter if their walk from the on deck circle to the plate is more than 10 seconds.
The Richard Bleier Rule
Zero in his career, then 3 in one inning to score Squirrel!
One of the weirdest things I’ve seen in baseball. Good times.
Pitch clock, 3 throws to first, hawking balks…thinking this ‘crackdown’ on pitching may be detrimental to the game…while talking rules, move the ghost runner to the 12th inning…
The three throws to first is a rule change. The pitch clock is just a way to help enforce a rule that has been on the books for decades.
Well this is just laughable because each umpire calls balks and misses balks all the time. It’s too much interpretation and each umpire’s interpretation is different. Sure some do it well, but most don’t. So this will actually cause more commotion and slow down the pace of the game more than anything. Way to go MLB. The game will be dead before we know it.
I have always hated pitchers balking, and umpires ignoring it.
@Halo11- Agree. I am all for the enforcement, but I think this will end up doing more harm than good, at least at first. If the umpires could actually make close to consistently correct calls on balks, this wouldn’t even be a thing right now.
I still have no idea why all sports leagues haven’t figured out that they need to add two more referees/umpires to every game as real-time replay officials. They could be stuck up in a booth with all the broadcasts of the game available at their will to look at plays right as they happen and rewind and double check every play instead of wasting time waiting for the teams to get a quick look and then the manager to challenge, and then the unps to get on their headsets to NYC, and then NYC to figure what the hell they’re doing. No wonder the most obvious replays still take at least 2 mins from the play to rectify it!! This process would solve half the challenges within 30 seconds which is about how long it even takes the manager to challenge. It’s sheer stupidity that replay has never been expedited in this fashion yet. There can be a representative for each team in the room that can even be doing their own diligence in providing a replay that shows clear evidence of the correct call. This would also ensure no shenanigans are happening behind the scenes. The referees/umps in the replay booth could have headset communication with the home plate umpire or crew leader to straighten things out very quickly and keep the game moving along.
NicoHoerndawg;
Following your logic, why not just do away with balks?
@Samuel- Lol no!! It should part of the game. The umpires will need much better training to all get on the same page to enforce this properly. It will make things only stupider if pitchers got to do all the tricks to deceive baserunners and batters. I don’t know how your logic works, but drawing your conclusion from what I said is far from anything logical.
They are trying to take away the throws to first. First, they limit how many throws, and Second, they make it more difficult if you decide to use them.
I think 2023 will be record sb in mlb. Its a comming storm of rising 5 tool players and bigger bases and pitch clocks.
We could see multiple players with 100sb. Its gonna be fun to watch.
This will most definitely not happen.
if it proves eminently exploitable, this could well end up happening. fast teams will probably try to go as often as possible early in the year to take advantage of the dust settling on all these rule changes. the pitchout will probably come back and catchers with arms will hold some guys, but stealing will have a far bigger impact when the pitchers have to focus on so much else in a now-controlled time frame
Steals will go up a bit but in the minors, the handling of the running game has always been awful. I do agree we will see more pitchouts and backpicks but it isnt going to be stolen base derby either. Most pickoff attempts were half hearted anyways.
Does this mean Luis Garcia will have to stop using his ridiculous wind up?
Loosen the balk rule, don’t tighten it.
I just came to see how many people would balk at this new enforcement.
MLB will do everything to “grow the game”, except making it easier to watch the game (ie Blackout restrictions). I shouldn’t need to have multiple streaming services or a work-around through a VPN to watch whatever game I want if I have MLB TV. On a side note, if MLB wants to target a younger audience, they should do something similar to what NFL is doing with Nickelodeon. It might look silly for cartoon characters to comentate professional sport games, but I guarentee you it would bring in more young fans than a pitch clock and shift restrictions.
Blackouts, long-term TV deals…they’re slowly crippling the sport. MLB (and the Owners) fell in love with the massive revenue these TV contracts bought in, and ignored the eventual consequences. Even if MLB wanted to be progressive in the way it allows people to access their product, they’re screwed down by how fragmented things are.
This can only go poorly.
Yeh I was wondering why some relief pitchers I’ve seen were allowed to do a little dance.
Get ready for the s#¡t-show!
Finally giving the paying customer what they want…
More balks.
This game is in good hands.
I watch baseball mostly for balk calls so I am pumped.
At its core, it is not that the people who run baseball don’t like baseball, it’s that they really don’t understand why people love the sport. So they now are just trying whatever they can. Obvious things like blackouts, anti-competitiveness, the fact that Mike Trout can walk down the street and nobody would recognize him…
I’ll always follow baseball but it doesn’t mean what it once did. A large part of it comes directly from how this sport is run. But attendance/ratings are going to keep dropping but they’ll never figure it out.
Please do not be doing a balk 😛
(Resisting temptation to post entire balk rules copypasta, LOL)
IMO, the balk rule is the most ridiculous rule in baseball. “An attempt to deceive the runner”? Who isn’t? Is there a rule against the “hidden ball trick”? Nope.
This announcement of stricter enforcement of the balk rule strikes me as another initiative by the owners’ mouthpiece, Manfred, to handicap the pitchers in order to get more action from the offense leading to more scoring.
Do we really want a game to end on an umpire making a nebulous balk call? (Yes, it has happened.)
I don’t know if I like this or not. It’s cool to see quirky pitchers bringing some personality to the game, but on the other hand sometimes you have guys that are seriously frustrating to watch with their deliveries. For a basic example, Cueto had/has a fun gimmick that I don’t mind and kind of enjoy. Felix Hernandez had a cool little arm hitch. But then there’s the guys rocking back and forth and tapping their foot 12 times before barely stopping. Those are the ones I don’t like lol.
Manfred wants to do anything to leave his mark on the game no matter how much harm he does to it. He’s a commissioner who’s actions make it look like he doesn’t like baseball
After seeing the larger bases, the shift ban, and the pitch clock for Low A in the Florida State League last season, I have to say I like the changes. The pitch clock makes a huge difference in the feel of the game, and the larger bases do promote a bit more stealing. I saw more steal attempts in 20 Low A games than in 162 MLB games.
I suggest watching the games versus judging unseen.
As Long as the f’d up delivery by Houston’s Valdez I believe, is eliminated. I’m good. That rocking back and forth is absolutely absurd and a waste of time.