With spring training games officially kicking off on Friday, the MLB world got its first taste of the pitch clock. The new pitch timer debuting this season requires a pitcher to throw within 15 seconds of receiving the ball with the bases empty and 20 seconds with runners on base.
The first pitch clock infraction was given to San Diego Padres All-Star third baseman Manny Machado in the bottom of the first inning of a spring training game against the Seattle Mariners. Machado took too long to get into the batter’s box and was given an automatic strike. Mariners ace Robbie Ray had Machado in a 0-1 hole without even throwing a pitch.
https://twitter.com/MrMatthewCFB/status/1629215678656831491?s=20
Machado seemingly made MLB history on Friday and while he was smiles, he did admit that he was going to need to make a big adjustment this spring. While the video above shows that Machdado was in the box, he revealed that he had to be engaged with the pitcher with eight seconds remaining on the clock.
“I might be 0-1 down a lot this year,” he jokingly said via Talkin’ Baseball. “It’s super fast. There’s definitely an adjustment period that’s gonna be, but I’m going down in the history books.”
Manny Machado talks about being the first player to have a pitch clock violation called on them
"I might be 0-1 down a lot this year" pic.twitter.com/WqrKcwVqaZ
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) February 24, 2023
Machado wasn’t the only one to be dinged on the new rule Friday. An automatic ball was issued to Kansas City Royals infielder Vinnie Pasquantino, due to a pitch timer violation from Texas Rangers pitcher John King, according to Kennedi Landry, who covers the Rangers for The Atheltic.
We've got out first pitch timer violation from Rangers pitcher John King.
Automatic ball issued to Vinnie Pasquantino that leads to a walk.
— kennedi landry (@kennlandry) February 24, 2023
The MLB world was buzzing about the implementation of the pitch clock on Twitter.
Your first look at MLB's pitch clock pic.twitter.com/L2iTEbDivV
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) February 24, 2023
Not gonna lie, the pitch clock gives me anxiety. pic.twitter.com/TpaAu6si2Q
— Jared Carrabis (@Jared_Carrabis) February 24, 2023
https://twitter.com/PlayoffTanaka_/status/1629222549098840064?s=20
First Inning of 2023 literally took 14 seconds… Pitch Clock is simply unwatchable RIP America's Pastime nice pic.twitter.com/bWjWXin5Vq
— Baseball Doesn't Exist (@BaseballDoesnt) February 24, 2023
The pitch clock is good, and players getting infractions now is good. It is Spring Training and rule change, get the timing down now and by the time the season gets started no one will notice other than games moving faster. https://t.co/ARU89ZKmwE
— Matt Winkelman (@Matt_Winkelman) February 24, 2023
The Mariners put two guys on in the first, the Padres loaded the bases in the first, and we're at two outs in the top of the second. It's been 20 minutes. The pitch clock is wild. Just wild. I love it.
— rich (@rich_roberts) February 24, 2023
Lotta talk about the “pitch clock,” but there’s also a hitter clock https://t.co/hamHWDvpy1
— D.J. Short (@djshort) February 24, 2023
https://twitter.com/redsoxstats/status/1629225635959738368?s=20
Nick Martinez on his first Spring Training outing with the pitch clock: “Fun, fast…I definitely felt it.” pic.twitter.com/bRlkYfw98g
— 97.3 The Fan (@973TheFanSD) February 24, 2023
The pitch clock is, as per usual, MLB trying to adress a symptom (slow working, short burst pitchers who need more recovery bc the effort level has never been higher) instead of tackling the root cause of the problem (player dev/roster construction). They do not learn.
— Mario Delgado Genzor (@DeGenZGZ) February 24, 2023
