Welcome to the 2023 MLB season — we have a new guest joining us this year — the pitch clock.
Bottom of the 9th inning tied ball game, your favorite team is up to bat with two outs and a full count. The bases are loaded and your favorite clutch player is up to bat looking to be the hero of the game. He enters the box with both feet with 7 seconds left on the pitch clock. The umpire stands up, gestures he was late getting into the box with both feet — ON TO THE NEXT INNING. Yikes.
You may think to yourself that this is an unlikely scenario and of course the batter would be ready and adjust to the new (stupid) pitch clock rules. Well, you are wrong. In fact, it already happened exactly as described above — in the first week of spring training, as the Braves got shafted when playing the Red Sox. See for yourself:
Yeah, this is going to get old real quick. Sure, some fans want the game to go by quicker but in the above scenario, everyone loses. The fans lose. The teams lose. Baseball loses. These moments are what the game is all about and to have it end on a clock violation is going to ruin the America’s pastime as we know it. These moments and the build up to the (potential) final pitch of the game is what we live for. Now, the pitch clock reigns supreme and the game will be ruined because of it.
Not only will the team batting be punished, but the pitching team will be punished as well due to the fact of the new distraction in ensuring the pitch is on its way on time pursuant to the new rules. Further, this is definitely going to increase the potential for injuries for pitchers. See below the way the pitcher has to come to a complete stop in his routine due to a violation of the new rule.
Guess we are just going to hurry on up through America’s “past time” and cause some injuries along the way. Imagine lifting weights and doing heavy sets but now instead of being able to recover, you are forced to do the next set in 20 seconds. Pitchers will tire more quickly and if stopped in the middle of their delivery like Santana for the Twins had to, could end up tweaking something which is detrimental to the pitcher’s health and the game of baseball in general.
Fans who now worship the pitch clock, I get it. You don’t want the pitcher taking a minute between every pitch but we are now rushing through games all to risk violations of the new rule to wreck what a baseball game should be. I mean, how silly is this?
BOTH PITCHER AND BATTER VIOLATED THE NEW RULE AND NOW WE ARE STARTING THE AT-BAT AT 1-1!? Come onnnnn. There has to be a better solution to this.
According to the MLB, thus far through spring training, games are averaging to be merely 22 minutes shorter than what they were a year ago. 22 minutes? Give me another beer and let me have those 22 minutes back to watch a sweet ending to a close game instead of this shit. The umpire getting up to call a violation is just sad and it ALSO takes time to do so which slows the game each time it happens.
For now, the pitch clock is here to stay. Stay tuned for more outrageous scenarios to play out in efforts to speed up the game. Start those timers and DO NOT BE LATE. Happy baseball season everyone 🙂
– Dr. P
ABOUT THE BLOGGER:
Michael “Dr. P” Pietruszewski was born and raised in the great state of Minnesota. He decided to bring his “Minnesota Nice” to Boise, Idaho, where he currently resides. Dr. P was an NCAA athlete playing college baseball. Beyond sports, Dr. P is a licensed, practicing attorney who is licensed in Minnesota, Idaho, and Washington State.
As far as favorite sports teams go, Dr. P is a diehard St. Louis Cardinals fan — baseball is his favorite sport. He also is a fan of the Minnesota Vikings, Wild, and Timberwolves. He has had a rough go on the Minnesota teams. Keep Dr. P in your thoughts and prayers on that one.
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That is what I was thinking at first but then when I see it in action in Spring Training, I think it can be a good thing. There doesn’t seem to be any major issues other than it does rush the pitchers and I thought that would help pitchers get injured more, but we’ll see.