MLB union says 2-second cut to pitch clock too soon for some pitchers
Major League Baseball’s move to slice two seconds off the pitch clock with runners on base is too much, too soon, according to the head of the players’ union
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Major League Baseball's move to slice two seconds off the pitch clock with runners on base is too much, too soon, according to players' association head Tony Clark.
The clock is shortening to 18 seconds from 20 with men on base and will stay at 15 seconds with no one on.
“That's a conversation that should have warranted a much longer dialogue than what we had,” Clark said Saturday. “We voiced those concerns, players voiced those concerns, and yet, the push through of the change to the pitch clock still happened.”
MLB introduced a new rules package last season — including a pitch clock and bigger bases — that cut average game times by 24 minutes to 2 hours, 40 minutes, the quickest games have been played since 1984. The clock, adopted over the objection of player representatives on the competition committee, was considered a huge success and the sport drew more than 70 million fans to ballparks for the first time since 2017.
