Interesting little story out of yesterday’s spring training games:
The Orioles and Pirates were playing, and after the top of the 9th, the home-team Pirates were leading, which would normally cause the game to be over. But, apparently, in the less formal environment of spring training, teams can agree to shorten or lengthen games – the Orioles wanted to give one of their pitchers some more work, and the Pirates’ manager agreed to play out the (meaningless) bottom of the 9th to accommodate this.
However, the umpiring crew had no interest, and they left, leaving the teams to self-officiate the half-inning.
I agree with most of what you said about the rules changes (although I am a stronger supporter of the clock than you are - I think it will be great).
However, I think that the “must have 4 fielders inside the dirt” is more important than the “must have 2 on each side of second base” part of the rule. The killer for hitters was that extra outfielder without any real downside for the defense. Now at least if you want to put someone at “short RF” you have to leave some of the OF empty, not abandon an area where the hitter is very unlikely to hit it (on the ground to the opposite side).
Ultimately, they will also have to do something about the strikeouts, and none of these changes will do that. There are just way too many pitchers per game, so they can all throw as hard as possible until they run out of gas and then get swapped out for the next flamethrower. I think having a limited number of “declared pitchers” for each game might help (with some exceptions for legitimate injuries). But that is for future seasons.
I’m just thrilled that MLB has finally decided to take some action to make their product better instead of just sitting on their hands and hoping things would work out as games stretched to well over 3 hours, stolen bases and base hits disappeared, and strikeouts skyrocketed.
I think eventually they need to move the pitcher’s mound back between 6" and a foot. Pitchers are just too good these days, give the batter that extra millisecond to read the pitch and you’ll see a lot more contact.
One small tweak I would make- a batter got a strike called on him for failing to be ready when the clock hit 8 seconds. I say if you’re not ready when the clock hits 8, then the pitcher doesn’t have to wait for you, just throw the ball. If you’re not ready, it’s your own damn fault and if you get a hit, good for you. Automatic strikes just don’t pass the smell test with me.
I attended about 30 minor league games in 2022, in all of which the pitch clock was used. I didn’t see a single automatic strike called on a batter who wasn’t ready, and while it’s difficult to tell, I don’t remember any hitter looking clearly upset by having to be prepared to go at the right moment, or rushing to get into the batter’s box just before an infraction was called.
On the other hand, I did see a number of automatic balls on pitchers who didn’t deliver the ball in time, and several others who did seem flustered as they tried to get into set position or begin the windup before the big bad umpire called a ball.
I guess we’ll see, but based on these observations I’d be surprised if Blowers is correct.
By the way, I LOVE the pitch clock and am SERIOUSLY looking forward to it in the majors this year. As others have said, it isn’t so much the length of the game (though that’s affected too) as the pace. Making the players play keeps the tension in the game, and that makes such a difference.
I wonder if the pitch clock will affect strikeouts. It doesn’t seem like a huge difference, but getting less ‘rest’ between pitches might bring down average velocity a tick. Maybe a slight decrease in spin rates? I dunno, maybe it will have no affect at all. It will be interesting to find out.
I’m okay with the changes, except for the bush-league ghost runner. Bigger bags are fine too, but I can’t see why the foul territory, double bag isn’t being considered. Seems like a no-brainer.
I think those are both possible (it’ll be interesting to see if the sticky stuff users will have enough time to be discrete).
Also, there’s less emphasis on launch angle to just get up and over a shift, so we’ll see a minor change in replacement level personnel towards batters that spray the ball and create runs on the basepath. Not a major change, since the most efficient way to score runs remains hitting a home run.
Well, I’m updating my seasonal projections. Everyone is going to steal at least 20% of their BB+singles numbers, and the league leader will be Corbin Carroll with 125 SBs. Why do I say this? Because Salvy Perez just stole a base today. It’s going to be chaos this year.
This made me think if there would be a good reason, strategy-wise, to intentionally wait until a ball was called. I can’t remember the pitcher (I think he was with the Giants) who made an intentional balk so that the runner at second would move to third which was preferable for this pitcher. Could we see an intentional ball call so he doesn’t pitch to a dangerous hitter in a favorable count?
A meaningless novelty tournament offering a chance for your team’s top players to be seriously injured before the real season starts. What’s not to like?
I remember being at least moderately interested in it the first time they did it (2006), due to the novelty of it. Now, I have essentially zero interest.
I don’t understand. The Classic is awesome - I think the players have bought into it, and are genuinely excited for it. I know that members of the Dominican team trained off-season together, and good god look at their lineup - it may be the best that’s every been put together. It’s not like they’re going to be playing any harder than they would at Spring Training - so I don’t see where the elevated injury risk might be.
Plus, just look at the names on this Dutch team! I’ll tune into their games just to hear the announcers have to roll “Sicnarf Loopstok”, “Wendell Floranus” and “Dennis Burgersdijk” off their tongues.
There need to be penalties for bad sports franchise names.
A local Atlantic League baseball team has decided to rename itself from the Lexington Legends to the Lexington Counter Clocks (having to do with the direction horses race in).
It will join another franchise in the league known as the Lexington Wild Health Genomes* (the Wild Health Clinic has naming rights to the field). Their slogan: “Baseball in our DNA“.
*don’t ask me why one medium-sized city has, for the time being anyway, two franchises in the same independent league.