I don't know how I feel about the pitch clock. Baseball exists in its own bubble, like cricket or snooker, it's a sport where the proverbial time or modernity stands still the moment you enter a stadium or a watch the game on the telly.
I know, I know, it's a romantic and even an unpopular view perhaps, and I do understand the need to shorten games, I guess I'm one of the few that really enjoyed the gripping tension between pitches when we get to the business end of big games.
They're saying it's taken some 25 or 30 minutes off spring training games. Let's see how it goes....
Be interesting see how it goes, 9 inning games last season were taking 4 to 5 hours which was ridiculous [you normally expect 9 innings to take 3 hours to 3 hours 30 min], something had to be done, for those who haven't seen the rule changes in the off season
A pitch clock will be introduced, with these requirements:
A standardized period of 30 seconds between batters within each half-inning.
A timer between pitches of 15 seconds with the bases empty, and 20 seconds with at least one runner on base.
The pitcher must start his motion before the expiration of the pitch timer. A violation will result in an automatic ball.
The batter must be in the box and alert to the pitcher with no less than eight seconds remaining. A violation will result in an automatic strike.
With runners on base, the timer resets if the pitcher attempts a pickoff or steps off the rubber (collectively called a "disengagement").
Only two disengagements are allowed per plate appearance; however, this count resets if a baserunner advances. Mound visits, injury timeouts, and offensive team timeouts do not count against this.
On a third disengagement, an unsuccessful pickoff attempt will cause that runner to advance one base.
If a team has used up all of its allowed five mound visits by the ninth inning, it receives an extra visit in the ninth.
Umpires can provide extra time if circumstances warrant.
Infield shifts will be restricted:
The defensive team must have no fewer than four players in infield positions, with at least two on each side of second base.
All infielders must have both feet on or inside the outer edge of the marked infield while the pitcher is on the rubber.
Infielders cannot switch sides of the infield before a pitch is released.
If infielders are improperly aligned at the time of the pitch, the offensive team may choose to accept the result of the play, or receive an automatic ball.
