MLB 2023 Regular Season Thread

[achilles]

Saw two of the three first televised spring training games. The pitch clock will likely turn out to be no big deal; it wasn't in the college game I attended, and it won't be here. The shift thing was not what I thought; it's not as complete as I originally thought. The outfield guys can do whatever they please, and the shortstop can with no outs shift toward second, at least if I understood the announcers correctly. However, if they wanted to speed the game up like they say, they'd get rid of call reviews and "instant" replays; those things stop the game in its tracks and waste more time than anything else they do on field. The pick-off limit, two per batter if I understood correctly didn't make a difference so far that I saw.

It must have been a thrill for the Huskies; playing a Triple A team like the Red Sox. Okay, Major League team I suppose, though they almost managed to lose. That would have been embarrassing..

[WestPhillyPunisher]

I'm most interested in the pitch clock. No more pitchers shaking off their catchers a dozen times or batters constantly adjusting their gloves or scratching themselves. The real test will come when the Red Sox and Yankees square off as their games make the extended version of The Lord of the Rings seem about as long as an infomercial.

[MRP]

I'm most interested in the pitch clock. No more pitchers shaking off their catchers a dozen times or batters constantly adjusting their gloves or scratching themselves. The real test will come when the Red Sox and Yankees square off as their games make the extended version of The Lord of the Rings seem about as long as an infomercial.

The first ML player to get called for a violation was a hitter, not a pitcher, Manny Machado did not get himself set in the batter's box by the 8 second mark in his first at bat and had a strike called on him.

-M

[achilles]

The first ML player to get called for a violation was a hitter, not a pitcher, Manny Machado did not get himself set in the batter's box by the 8 second mark in his first at bat and had a strike called on him.

-M

Ah, but before that, the opposing catcher got a warning for much the same, (the catchers must be in the box 9 seconds before the clock runs out, the hitters as you say with 8 seconds. If it hadn't been a warning, it would have been called a ball.

[babyblob]

Watching The Red Sox Vs The Braves today. I am seeing no issues with the Pitch Clock. One batter got dinged for not getting in the box right in time. That was it.

And man do I love seeing Baseball with out the shift. A couple of hits that would not have been hits if the shift was on happened and the crowd was very happy to see that.

[babyblob]

One thing they are also doing different this year is every infield in every ball park in universal. Meaning they are all 95 feet from Home plate to the edge of the outfield. Some ballparks had it at 98 feet or 97 feet.

This was done so no one gets extra distance with the new anti shift rule.

[Hiromi]

Well if Spring training is anything to go by this pitch clock is gonna cause some MAJOR controversies this season

[babyblob]

Well if Spring training is anything to go by this pitch clock is gonna cause some MAJOR controversies this season

There have been 3 violations in the Guardians Reds game I am watching. 1 by a batter and two by the pitchers.

[MRP]

Well if Spring training is anything to go by this pitch clock is gonna cause some MAJOR controversies this season

One day of games is not enough to go by. However, if they continue to get this:

Eight Grapefruit League games started at 1:05. Average time was 2:35.

They will deal with whatever controversy emerges. And if we can expect major league ballplayers to adjust to a shift (even though they couldn't) why shouldn't we expect major league players to adjust to a pitch clock. It's just as realistic an expectation of "professional ballplayers" as asking players to learn to hit against the shift for so many years.

-M

[babyblob]

I think they will adjust. The ones that will have it hardest are the players that have been in the league awhile. The ones that have played in the Minors in the last couple years wont really have an issue as The Minors have had the pitch clock awhile.

But players playing in the World Baseball Classic may also have a longer time to adjust as The World Baseball Classic does not use the new MLB rules. And playing in the World Baseball Classic may take them longer to adjust.

[babyblob]

Well if Spring training is anything to go by this pitch clock is gonna cause some MAJOR controversies this season

Well im hearing there was some controversy at the end of the Braves Red Sox Game. I saw the first half of the game but turned it off to watch the Reds game so I didnt see. But it ended with a Pitch Clock Violation Strike out.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Well im hearing there was some controversy at the end of the Braves Red Sox Game. I saw the first half of the game but turned it off to watch the Reds game so I didnt see. But it ended with a Pitch Clock Violation Strike out.

Yeah, I heard about that. My opinion: Boo freaking hoo. Players were told about the new rule, told how it would work and how it would be enforced. It's up to them to get up to speed and get used to the pitch clock, at least they have spring training to work out all the bugs.

[inisideguy]

Im loving the rules. Contrary to what some think when you play a baseball game you should be actually playing baseball.

[Hiromi]

I imagine it'll get better as time wears on but there's going to be some growing pains, not just for the players but for the umpires calling it as well as apparently the call in the Braves game was supposedly a bit questionable(annoyingly it's seemingly impossible to find an actual clip of the batter as they were focusing on the pitcher), HOPEFULLY any controversy stays in Spring Training

[MRP]

Dodgers lose SS Gavin Lux for the season with a torn ACL. Leaves them with a large hole to fill.


-M