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.
The simplest way to speed up games would be to limit the length of ad breaks. But that will never happen, barring a dramatic change to the entire economy of the sport. So the next best strategy would be to reduce the amount of time players on the field are doing things that aren’t actually playing baseball.
This brings us back to the pitch clock. What is it? Well, it is what it says it is. Pitchers now have 15 seconds to throw a pitch with the bases empty and 20 seconds to throw once runners are on. If they don’t, they are called for a ball. Meanwhile, hitters have to be facing the pitcher by the eight-second mark or they will be tagged with an automatic strike. In addition, the rules state that there should be no more than 30 seconds between batters.
This is something brand new for pitchers and hitters and – for the moment, at least – it looks like the hitters are having a little more trouble adjusting. In fact, on the first day of spring training, a game between the Boston Red Sox and the Atlanta Braves ended on a bases-loaded strikeout that would have been a walk under the old rules. Instead of scoring the winning run, Braves batter Cal Conley was called for strike three after not getting set in time, resulting in a tie. (Spring training games do not go into extra innings because literally no one cares about the results.)
Bottom of the ninth. Tie game. Bases loaded. Full count. The dream scenario. And ... Cal Conley didn't get set in the batter's box with 8 seconds left on the pitch clock.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 25, 2023
Umpire calls an automatic strike. At-bat over. Inning over. This is the new reality. pic.twitter.com/Bv5k2xJ06j
It wasn’t the most satisfying way to end a game but this is the time of year when everybody is still learning the new rules. The story of this spring training is about how teams will adjust to three major changes: the pitch clock, new regulations regarding defensive shifts and slightly larger bases. All of these are being rolled out now with the hope that players, coaches and officials will be comfortable with the new normal once the season starts on 30 March.
Now, this space is not inclined to give Manfred the benefit of the doubt when it comes to randomly overhauling the rules of the game. For someone who is supposed to be the steward of the game, he comes across as a man who doesn’t appreciate baseball beyond its ability to generate massive amounts of money for him and the owners he works for. This writer would love nothing more than to write a screed about how the new rule changes violate the sanctity of the sport by introducing a ticking clock into what should be a timeless pastoral pastime.
(Deep sigh.)
Here’s the problem: Manfred could be right! The pitch clock may actually make the game more fun to watch because it forces pitchers and hitters to get to the point faster, in the same way my hardworking editor will have removed needless words from this copy before you read it. Early on at least, the pace of play has picked up and games have become shorter. Chicago Cubs blogger Al Yellon did some number crunching a few days ago and found that the average length of the Cubs’ spring training outings had shortened by about 30 minutes compared to the prior five seasons – and results have been similar leaguewide.
That one spring training data point doesn’t necessarily mean that we will see shorter games once the regular season starts – although the pitch clock did cut game time over a full season in the minor leagues. The real test will come when pitches become meaningful and results truly matter. The umpiring calls don’t really count right now.
Make no mistake, the rollout is going to be messy when they do. After all, rules are only as good as those enforcing them and officials are only human (with some being more human than others). No doubt the pitch clock will affect the outcomes of games and we will debate whether it has helped or hurt baseball. Another interesting point: if games are 30 minutes shorter, that’s 30 fewer minutes in which fans can buy the beer, snacks and souvenirs that earn teams millions of dollars each year. It also means fewer ad breaks for the TV channels paying to broadcast the games.
What matters is whether the pitch clock makes the sport more entertaining (and the revitalized World Baseball Classic may help, too). If it succeeds on that front, MLB will have made the right change for once. If it ends up being a complete mess, the league will easily be able to move on from it. So far, it seems like an experiment worth pursuing.
