It’s quite possible that the average Minnesota Twins fan hasn’t even noticed the introduction of the pitch clock this season. The small timer, located somewhere on your television screen depending on whose broadcast you are watching, has been counting down all season. But what is the reason behind it?
The MLB put this new rule in place this year, using a 15-second pitch timer for pitchers with no runners on base and 20 seconds when runners are present. If the pitcher fails to begin their motion when the time is up, the umpire will charge them with an automatic ball. Moreover, batters must be ready to face the pitcher within eight seconds of the timer starting. If a batter violates this rule, the umpire will add an automatic strike to the count.
The pitch clock was controversial at the start of the season. Some people argue that the MLB’s intention behind the change was to have greater control over the game. However, the change was necessary. In 2022, the average length of a nine-inning major league game was three hours and four minutes, which was six minutes shorter than the previous year’s record high. However, the duration of games has consistently increased since games began averaging more than three hours in 2014.
Games became longer because many players have special routines before taking to the mound or stepping into the batter’s box, which slows down the game. For instance, some batters like Bryce Harper take a long time to get set up. Before MLB implemented the pitch clock, Harper would take his time to:
- Dust his bat with rosin
- Slowly walk up to the plate
- Tap it against both feet
- Step into the box
- Shuffle some dirt around
- Step on the outside corner of the box
- Do a wiggle
- Brush some dirt on his hands
- And step back into the box
Major League Baseball aimed to eliminate such practices that slow down the game, especially when done every at-bat or after every pitch. It worked this season.
The new rules have reduced Twins games by an average of 26 minutes, which averages out to about 70 hours that they no longer spend on the field. That reduces wear and tear on the players’ bodies as well. “It’s pretty drastic,” catcher Ryan Jeffers said. “Yeah, you’re still catching, you’re still behind the plate, you’re still squatting for nine innings, but just cutting out that dead time, just being on your feet, being able to play a 6:40 game, get back into the house at 9, 10 o’clock instead of 11 or 12, it’s a big difference in the long run of a 162-game season.”
The pitch clock is not only a hit with most players but also fans in recent polls conducted throughout the season. According to a poll Stillman School of Business conducted, MLB fans favor the new rule by 4 to 1. Among the general population, 24 percent say they are more excited for the season compared to 9 percent a year ago. Among sports fans, the number jumped from 16 percent to 36 percent, and among avid fans, from 33 percent to 52 percent. Even 47 percent of self-identified MLB fans are also more excited for the 2023 season. The new rule could also play to the fact MLB attendance is up, with 70,747,365 fans headed to the ballparks this season. It’s the first time MLB’s paid attendance has broken the 70 million mark since 2017.
It hasn’t been all good experiences with the new pitch clock this season. One particular incident in June that still sticks involving Alex Kirilloff‘s alleged pitch clock violation against the Toronto Blue Jays is still being debated. In the top of the sixth inning, with two outs and runners on first and second, Kirilloff faced a 0-2 count against Toronto reliever Thomas Hatch. However, he was called for a pitch clock violation, resulting in an automatic strike and a strikeout that ended the inning, causing the Twins to lose their momentum and the game.
That’s only one particular instance of how the pitch clock has influenced Minnesota’s games this season, in addition to their high strikeout rate. That isn’t the only violation that the Twins faced during the regular season, but it’s a good example that highlights how easily the clock can be mismanaged if it’s not closely monitored.
For instance, in Minnesota’s recent postseason, Max Kepler became the first player in Major League Baseball history to receive a pitch-clock violation during the matchup against the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 2 of the American League Wild Card Series. Initially, there was confusion as the announcers thought the violation was against Blue Jays relief pitcher Yimi Garcia, but it was quickly corrected to show it was against Kepler. Kepler went down looking at strike three, but that costly error didn’t cost the Twins the game.
There was another costly incident involving Minnesota in Game 3 of the American League Divisional Series against the Houston Astros. Houston starter Cristian Javier was slowing down his approach to the plate, leaving it to the last second to wind up before the pitch clock expired. Many in the crowd believed the home plate umpire should be calling a violation, so in response, the crowd began to count down the pitch clock to disrupt Javier’s momentum and hurry him along. However, it had the opposite effect of what Twins fans were trying to do. It reminded me of WWE’s Royal Rumble, waiting for the buzzer to hit and the next entrant to walk down to the ring.
After the game, Javier admitted that he noticed the fans counting down the pitch clock, but he used it to his advantage. Javier stopped paying attention to the clock because they were counting and just focused on the catcher. What Twins fans thought was a way to distract and take advantage turned out to help our opponent in the long run.
Reflecting on the previous season, I remember the days of Joe Mauer and even Kirby Puckett. Before stepping into the batter’s box, they didn’t engage in any “extra” rituals. They walked up, locked eyes with the opposing pitcher, and eagerly awaited what they hoped would be a pitch down the center of the plate they could knock out of the park. This was an introductory sort of year for the pitch clock, and I know changes will be made for next season to accommodate it more. Ultimately, it’s nice to see MLB trying to move the game along for the fans’ sake.
