Please Stop The Pitch Clock
Major League Baseball is 4 days into spring training, which means we have witnessed 4 days of baseballs biggest rule change in 2023, the pitch timer.
This rule has our country more divided than it’s politics and I personally hate it. In just 4 days we have witnessed some crazy scenarios. James Karinchak of the Cleveland Guardians tossed the ball back to the home plate umpire to request a ball change, a move we have seen pitchers make since dinosaurs ruled the Earth. The clock didn’t reset for this action and Karinchak quickly watched his 15 seconds expire. We have seen a number of balks as the pitchers rush their set trying to race the clock. We have even witnessed a true game defining moment decided by the clock. Bottom of the 9th, tied game, 2 outs, full count and the bases loaded, the scenario you dream of as a kid. Specially Cal Conley, who was drafted in 2021 and fighting for a chance in the big leagues in this at bat. Strike 3 called because the batter was not in the box before the 8 second mark. A brutal opportunity squandered.
Look, the average NFL game lasts 3 hours, the average NBA game lasts 2.5 hours, and in 2022 your average MLB game took 3 hours to complete. We already implemented new rules for extra innings to basically insure that an 8 hour game of baseball will no longer occur. I didn’t love the idea of it at the time, likely because I’m old school and think the game should be left alone, but I was at least open to it, and after witnessing it, I didn’t think it changed the game enough in comparison to it’s benefits. I actually enjoy the extra strategy required to gut those games out. But this, this is stupid.
I personally enjoy how slow baseball is. I like to think I’m a busy person, and that could be busy scrolling through Twitter, but I’m busy. I can tend to my child who wants an applesauce pouch and not miss any of the action. The suspense in the bottom of the 9th and a runner in scoring position, needing a hit for a pivotal division win. The pitcher over thinking the pitch selection and stepping off as the crowd noise fills his mind with deception. The 20 year old rookie with a chance to make a name for himself with that game winning hit, who just needs 10 seconds out of the box to prepare mentally for this moment. Who cares? Are the people watching baseball really upset about these moments taking too long or are we appeasing a crowd that doesn’t even watch the games?
I’d like to say I’m open to hearing other opinions, but I’m not. I’ve seen enough in 4 days to know this isn’t good for the game of the Baseball. The last 2 minutes in an NBA game takes a half hour sometimes with the amount of timeouts they take. That’s part of the game, the strategy, advancing the ball to half-court, drawing up a play. We aren’t taking that away to speed it up are we? The NFL would make their games 8 hours long if they could to keep all eyes on them and their product. So naturally, leave it to Manfred and the boys to shorten the time people invest into their product and risk the integrity of the game. Take it back. Please.
