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.
>>> I have real problems with the proposed pitch clock.
1. It does not speed up the game because the biggest waste of time is the batter getting out of the batter's box, adjusting and re-setting. By giving the batter 15 seconds and the pitcher then only 5 seconds to start his delivery is nonsense because the catcher can't relay the signs in hurry with 5 seconds to go.
2. Pitchers can beat the clock by stepping off the rubber when a man is on base. That will become a common strategy which adds time to the game.
3. If an umpire calls time (like they have been conditioned since the beginning of time), the pitch clock is not used on the next pitch. This is a glaring inconsistency within the rule itself. It then rewards slower play.
4. The idea of an artificial ball or strike because a pitch was not made is a mockery to the essence of the game.
5. The rule is too complex and will be ripe for abuse by batters and umpires.
If the Commissioner really wants to speed up the game, have the ball live whenever the pitcher has it in his possession. That means he can throw it if the hitter is out of the batter's box adjusting his equipment. Mark Buerhle used to throw consistent 2 1/2 hour games because he got the ball and threw it in a rhythm that the batter had to adjust to.
