Photo by Mike Carlson/MLB photos via Getty Images

Major League Baseball implemented a pitch clock prior to the 2023 season. Many of you (who apparently enjoy fake baseball) support the clock’s implementation. I think it’s one of the worst rule changes in the history of baseball, maybe even sports as a whole.

Let’s get something out of the way first. You either love baseball or you don’t. I am beyond tired of the narrative that the game needs to change to accommodate casual fans and their constant needs. Baseball has always been the purest sport at least of the four major ones. Is it an imperfect game? Sure. That’s part of what makes it so special. If a pitch clock excites you this much, you never loved the game to begin with.

The average game time dropped 24 minutes in 2023 after the league implemented the rule change. For those of you who don’t know, the clock is set at 18 seconds for when there are runners on base, and 15 seconds for when the bases are empty. The clock was 20 seconds in 2023 with runners on base, so the average game time should go down again this year. The MLB just decided to ignore over a century of teaching, as well as player safety to make that happen.

For those of you who like myself started pitching at a young age, what’s one of the first things you were taught? It is YOUR game. The batter, opposing dugout, etc. can’t dictate when you throw the ball. The best pitchers work at their pace and get into their own world almost. The clock takes away those inherent rights and also ignores the most basic teachings of pitching. Not only is that incredibly wrong of the league to do, it’s honestly just downright sad.

Then there’s the injury aspect. I’ve always had a profound respect for MLB Players Association President Tony Clark, I think he wants what’s best for the game and its players. Here’s what he had to say about this topic.

“Despite unanimous player opposition and significant concerns regarding health and safety, the commissioner’s office reduced the length of the pitch clock last December, just one season removed from imposing the most significant rule change in decades. Since then, our concerns about the health impacts of reduced recovery time have only intensified. The league’s unwillingness thus far to acknowledge or study the effects of these profound changes is an unprecedented threat to our game and its most valuable asset — the players.”

The league then responded to his statement with a cherry-picked study from John Hopkins that found no correlation between increased pace and arm injuries. No study, or crunching of numbers , or what have you will compare in value to what players have to say about their experiences. I can’t tell you for a fact that there is a correlation, but all the arm injuries in the league this year just don’t add up. It feels like the pitch clock is at least a contributing factor to these injuries.

Even if you take away the injury aspect, I still hate the clock. Let pitchers work on their own time like they have their whole lives, and stop catering to fans who never loved the game anyway.
Agree? Disagree? Email lservello@www.clermontsun.com