The Pitch Clock in the Playoffs: MLB Why, Why Players Have Different Views

Fans and players alike will learn a lot about MLB’s new rules as spring training begins. There are gaffes, and players will complain as they adjust to a series of changes. But there is one aspect he doesn’t understand until the actual game starts and the actual pennant race unfolds.

Minor League tests and Grapefruit League exhibition games cannot fully replicate the intensity of the late regular season and the pressure of the playoffs. Nobody wants the biggest moments in sports to be decided by a breach of the pitch clock, right?

Currently some players will not like the pitch clock at any setting. But this winter, his agent Scott Boras honed his October usage, citing feedback from players he received.

“In the postseason, obviously there should be no pitch clock,” Boras said. “It’s that moment, the big moment. They need to reflect, they need more time. It’s a different scenario from his regular season.

“I understand why they use[the clock]during the season, for efficiency in the game, and for the shortening of the game, which they believe is a positive move for the fans. But in the postseason, we don’t want these men to be put in a completely different emotional environment, where the setting takes on more meaning and all the work and effort, all the goals achieved And at this level, we want players, both pitchers and positions, to be evaluated in the most prepared and directed way and given the right amount of time to move forward.”

When the current collective bargaining agreement was agreed last March, a new competition committee was created to discuss the rules of play. Ultimately, as was the case before the commission and this creation of the CBA, Commissioner Rob Manfred’s office controls what rules are enforced. But despite this, representatives of the Players’ Association on the committee voted against two of the three new rule changes: the pitch clock and the shift.

The union had reservations about the entire pitch clock, playoffs or not. But his one of the union’s concerns was the same issue Boras pointed out.

The MLBPA said, “Major League Baseball was unwilling to meaningfully address the concerns raised by its players. We unanimously voted against implementation,” MLB said in a September statement announcing the 2023 changes.

So why didn’t MLB want to finally distinguish between the April game and, say, the October game at Yankee Stadium?

Morgan Sword, MLB’s executive vice president of baseball operations, acknowledged in September that the issue was one of the main issues discussed by the competition committee. One key point: The later in the game, the slower it works.

“I think in the end the committee decided to keep the same rules throughout the game for a number of reasons,” Sword said. “First, I didn’t like the idea of ​​playing different parts of the game with different rules. And finally, the issue of pacing… it’s most acute in the late game, and if you’re going to give the fans what they want, keep those timers running throughout the game. I think it’s important that the rules are valid.”

Theo Epstein, a consultant to the Commissioner and a key voice in the rule-making process, said the rules are designed to prevent the game from turning on specialization.

Epstein said, “There are many safeguards built into the rules to ensure a game isn’t decided in late-game situations by violating the pitch timer.” If the game goes too fast, you need a little more time, just call timeout so you can gather your thoughts and reset the timer.

“If there is a runner on base, every pitcher can leave the pitch twice in each at-bat to reset the clock, collect his thoughts, and move on. increase.

“There are five visits to the mound during a game. One out of nine that can be used to stop the clock and one in extra innings is definitely available. Gather, collect your thoughts and move forward. It also has the referee’s discretion in certain special circumstances, thanks to the player’s opinion, and the referee avoids situations where it would be inappropriate for the clock to dictate balls, strikes, or decide the game. So you can give your players more time.

“These are important safeguards and the rules were designed that way because we want our players to be able to perform at a very high level without committing any offenses.”

Sure, everything could be fine. But it’s probably impossible to say for sure about this one element of rule change until October.

(Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images)