2023 MLB Season (1 Viewer)

[Robert Crawford]

I guess it's time for a new thread considering the upcoming season begins in about 4 weeks. I love the new rule changes except I'm not a fan of the extra innings rule.

 

[MartinP.]

New pitch clock rules have begun in Spring Training with a controversy: Yesterday's Braves-Red Sox game ended on a pitch clock violation with the bases loaded. Atlanta shortstop Cal Conley was called for a pitch clock timer violation in the batter's box to end the contest.

Conley faced a full count with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth. The rule: If a batter is not in the box and ready to hit with eight seconds left on the clock, then the umpire will call a strike. The umpire decreed that Conley was not ready to hit at the appropriate time, ending the game (spring training matchups do not go to extra frames).

Cal says: “The umpire said I was looking down. I was looking down at the catcher as he was standing up. Not really sure if the pitcher was ready to go, catcher definitely wasn’t."

Braves manager added that he, coaches & players, in their discussion about pitch clock & 8-second rule, never discussed the possibility that a catcher could be involved as he was in that play.

A couple opinions expressed on this:

"I'm sure the catcher standing up was a factor, and so could that be used as a strategy to induce a violation on the batter?"

"Scrap it in late innings. Especially the 9th."

...and many more!
_________________________

In Dodgers news: Gavin Lux to miss entire season with a torn ACL in his right knee. Ugh.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Yeah, they should probably scrap the rule at least for 9th inning and beyond... at least until they have all the potential kinks worked out.

Personally, I don't like the rule at all and don't believe a time clock has any place in the game, but oh well... at least make sure to work out the kinks before applying it to the late/extra innings as well...

_Man_

 

[Robert Crawford]

I have no issues with the new rules as the players will adjust to them.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Last night I watched a spring training game between the Yankees and Tigers. The final score was 8-5 and the game was less than 2.5 hours long.

 

[Malcolm R]

Cal says: “The umpire said I was looking down. I was looking down at the catcher as he was standing up. Not really sure if the pitcher was ready to go, catcher definitely wasn’t."

Sounds like he clearly violated the rule. Don't worry what the catcher and pitcher are doing. The rule says the BATTER will be ready with 8 secs to go. The pitcher and catcher don't have to be "ready" until just before the clock expires.

 

[Jeffrey D]

Interesting what the Pirates and Orioles decided to do in a recent game- the game was over after the top of the ninth was completed, but both teams wanted to scrimmage the bottom half, after the umpires left the field.

 

[MartinP.]

Sounds like he clearly violated the rule. Don't worry what the catcher and pitcher are doing. The rule says the BATTER will be ready with 8 secs to go. The pitcher and catcher don't have to be "ready" until just before the clock expires.

I read today that "the catcher is required to be in the catcher's box with nine seconds left on the clock. However, the batter still must be independent of the catcher "who is not required to be crouched at that time." That seems weird to me. Are batters used to being ready to hit while the catcher is standing up?

So...based on how the implemented pitch clock rule was written, this is indeed a violation by the batter:

So I guess pitchers and catchers will now practice distracting batters, especially in situations like
the 9th inning, a tie game and a full count. Brain Snitker said: "I don't know if it was intentional, but
it worked. Maybe we'll try it."

 

[David Norman]

Wandy Peralta makes a mockery of the pitch clock and it's 1904 pitching once again

Would never happen in a game, but it's very fuuny and I can just hear the old school announcers in my head
The entire clip is 34 seconds long though I'm not sure what time they consider the AB starting

I think this is the clip used on ESPN or at least similar and starts as the batter is stepping into the box. I'm guessing theri
timing is when Peralta starts his windup on Pitch 1 and the catcher catches Pitch 3

Wouldn;t you love to see a game like this in spring training at least. Players running on/off the field -- just enough warm-up
throws as you need, no lollygagging. I've seen colleges and HS do something similar and play normal strategy. That discounts
those goofy game where the players swing at the first strike, noboby goes into the dugout between innings -- everything to see how
fast they could actually play a full game,

https://t.co/qozT78jnmW

 

[MartinP.]

Diamond Sports Group, the Sinclair subsidiary that controls the regional sports networks for 42 teams across Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League and the National Basketball Association, announced that it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Tuesday night, three days before the end of a 30-day grace period it entered into with creditors.

RSN operator for 40+ teams files for bankruptcy

Diamond Sports Group, the Sinclair subsidiary that controls the RSNs for more than 40 teams across MLB, the NHL and the NBA, has filed for bankruptcy.

www.espn.com

 

[Malcolm R]

Mets' closer Diaz hurts knee celebrating win during World Baseball Classic.

https://mlb.nbcsports.com/2023/03/16/mets-diaz-hurts-knee-as-puerto-rico-tops-dominicans-in-wbc/

EDIT: He tore the patellar tendon in his right knee and will have surgery.

 

[Lord Dalek]

Diamond Sports Group, the Sinclair subsidiary that controls the regional sports networks for 42 teams across Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League and the National Basketball Association, announced that it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Tuesday night, three days before the end of a 30-day grace period it entered into with creditors.

RSN operator for 40+ teams files for bankruptcy

Diamond Sports Group, the Sinclair subsidiary that controls the RSNs for more than 40 teams across MLB, the NHL and the NBA, has filed for bankruptcy.

www.espn.com

Bally shoulda stuck to Pinball.

 

[David Norman]

T-Mobile's Free MLB TV for 2023 special for subscribers is supposed to be part of the today's Tuesday special so don't miss the opportunity

 

[MartinP.]

Opening Day! Play Ball!

Nearly all of Dodger Stadium's opening day games have been played in the afternoon, starting around 1p.m. It's a good thing today's opening is scheduled for 7pm, because the weather map says we could have, not only rain, but a thunderstorm between 2pm-4pm! I'm sure the game will go on, though, as Dodger Stadium has had only 17 rainouts in it's entire history!

 

[Malcolm R]

Aaron Judge has already hit a home run.

And the Red Sox are getting pummeled by the Orioles. Ahhhh, spring!

 

[Jeffrey D]

Aaron Judge has already hit a home run.

And the Red Sox are getting pummeled by the Orioles. Ahhhh, spring!

Not a good opening day for Kluber

 

[Malcolm R]

Not a good opening day for Kluber

Nope. Several Sox pitchers are racking up big ERA's right out of the gate. Gonna be a long season in Boston, looks like.

And apparently Devers isn't moving fast enough at the plate.

EDIT: Orioles tried to give it all away, but managed to hold on for the win, 10-9.

With all the scoring, this was the first game this spring I've seen go over 3 hours.

 

[David Norman]

First impressions of opening day with the new rules.

So far -- I freaking love the pitch clock. I haven't noticed much of the other rules, but I don;t miss the 4 minutes per batter to set and reset and reset again the defense. This feels a little bit like the pace for the first 40 years I watched the game.

 

[Robert Crawford]

With all the scoring, this was the first game this spring I've seen go over 3 hours.

The actual time of that game was 3 hours and ten minutes long. In recent years, that game would've been closer to, if not more than 4 hours long.

 

[Jeffrey D]

Nope. Several Sox pitchers are racking up big ERA's right out of the gate. Gonna be a long season in Boston, looks like.

View attachment 180285

And apparently Devers isn't moving fast enough at the plate.

View attachment 180287

EDIT: Orioles tried to give it all away, but managed to hold on for the win, 10-9.

With all the scoring, this was the first game this spring I've seen go over 3 hours.

That’s a funny addition to official scoring- strikes out on automatic strike. I wonder how radio listeners at home will score that- used to be when a batter struck out swinging, a forwards facing K, and if the batter was called out on strikes, a backwards facing K. What will be the mark for a 3rd strike given to the batter for horsing around- an angry face emoji?

I saw that both Nola and DeGrom got lit up in their starts too.