The Pitch Clock Has Officially Entered The Game: Baseball's Most Polarizing Rule Change Is Here And It's Sure To Cause All Sorts Of Chaos

Here we go, spring training games are here and with that the introduction of the pitch clock. I was trying to think, this has to be the biggest change to a sport in a long fucking time. This feels like as big a change as the introduction of the 3 point line or being able to see the first down line in football. I guess the targeting rule has really fucked with college football and changed shit, but to pro sports it feels like a while since something this big was getting implemented. 

For those unaware of the new rules, let's bring you up to speed real quick

As you can see, MLB is being very subtle about the clock on the field. You can barely notice it. 

Anyways, Machado's violation here came because he was not locked into his stance and staring at the pitcher with eight seconds to go. Automatic strike. Kinda crazy, but that's the new ballgame. 

This is going to change the game BIG TIME. I imagine like most things a lot of people are going to fucking hate this out of the gates. I think there's going to be pure chaos in the first half of the upcoming season. You're gonna have so much complaining from players, coaches, and coaches as games are decided by seemingly dumb shit like a batter not looking at the pitcher by a certain time. My hope is that after a few months most players make the adjustment and with that we get a better product on the field. Gone are the days of pitchers taking forever to throw the ball. 

Pray for Pedro Baez. Just watch the clip, or skim through it, you'll understand. 

Gone are the days of batters stepping in and out of the box and wasting time. Nope Rob Manfred says it's time to get the show on the road and play ball. 

I do truthfully believe this will be for the best. That being said there are some terrible umpires in the game today that surely will botch the handling of this rule. God help us all when Angel Hernandez gets his hands on some slow play. It's gonna be one of those things early on where you just pray your favorite team isn't getting the short end of the stick. It'll be a similar feeling to losing in extras with the automatic runner. It's entertaining to watch from an outside point of view, but never fun when you're involved. 

The most fun/fascinating/chaotic part of this rule is how it's going to impact the running game. Smart baserunners are going to be able to time pitchers with ease, especially if they're down to their final pickoff attempt. The speed tool is going to be a huge weapon moving forward. Stolen bases are exciting and fun —we're bringing that shit back. Game lengths are gonna likely dip significantly where the hop average game time lasts less than three hours. Right now looking at that Machado clip it's a bit absurd. I'm sure the old commenters have their pitch forks out with what they're watching. You're not gonna have many supporters of change out of the gate like this, especially when it's this drastic. 

Advertisement

Let's just all buckle up, hold on tight, and enjoy the chaotic ride that is the new era of baseball: pitch clock. May god help us all.