Major League Baseball announced over the weekend that it will be utilizing a 20-second pitch clock during spring training. It’s a somewhat drastic move in an attempt to speed up MLB games.
#MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said that pitch clocks will be used for spring training games in preparation for MLB and union agreeing to implementation for 2019 regular season. Manfred said that will be the only pace of play change adjustment made in #springtraining2019. pic.twitter.com/WIbDs4bven
— Eduardo A. Encina (@EddieInTheYard) February 17, 2019
While nothing has been agreed to when it comes to the regular season, using the pitch clock during the spring seems to make sense.
That’s until we ask former Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Not only is he speaking out against the pitch clock, Kershaw says he will not follow it during the spring.
“I’m not going to pay any attention to it,” Kershaw said, via Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. “If I go over then I go over. I’m not going to change anything I do. I’m not going (to) pay attention to it one bit. If it becomes a problem, I guess I’ll have to deal with it then.”
The good news? MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred indicated in his announcement on Sunday that no violations will be called during the spring. The bad news? He’s still looking to implement it for the regular season.
For the purpose of full disclosure, Minor League Baseball has used the 20-second pitch clock since back in 2015. It’s not a foreign idea in professional baseball.