Major League Baseball’s hottest new star is the talk of spring training. No, it’s not some big-name prospect. It’s not a human being at all, in fact, but rather a timekeeping device. Yes, the buzz is all about how baseball is incorporating the pitch clock into its everyday routine, as those behind the scenes attempt to revitalize a game struggling to keep pace with the modern world.
For years, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has been tweaking the rules to shorten the length of games – presumably to attract younger fans as contests have become longer over the years – without alienating the traditionalist bent of its core audience, a feat akin to a hippopotamus trying to walk a tightrope. The most notable “innovation” prior to this offseason had been the introduction of an additional baserunner in extra-inning games as way to avoid extended stalemates. Most fans have not warmed to the idea – but those actually working games like it, so it’s here to stay for the foreseeable future.
