The clock has officially started on one of MLB's biggest initiatives to cut down the length of games.
The first five somewhat-meaningful baseball games took place on Tuesday. With them came the formal introduction of pace of play clocks, which are installed behind home plate and beyond the center field wall of each spring training ballpark.
The clocks keep track of the time between innings, counting down from two minutes and 45 seconds, and will be used to ensure mid-inning processes such as pitcher warmups are performed in a timely manner.
The Tigers and Orioles opened spring training, and as such, were the first to use the clock:
The inning break clock is working. http://ift.tt/1AFaXWf
— Catherine Slonksnis (@CSlonksnis) March 3, 2015 The clock was probably often confused for the actual time of day, as noted by a tweeter taking in the Blue Jays-Pirates contest:
At 4:10pm I'm wondering if this "pace of play" clock is working. #bluejays http://ift.tt/1AFaXWh
— Joel Gallant (@SportsCamDude) March 3, 2015 Here's the clock in action during the Giants' Cactus League opener against the Athletics:
The Dodgers begin spring training play on Wednesday. When they do, this clock stationed near the press box will be in use:
Here is one pace of play clock at Camelback Ranch (behind home). Other clock is in CF. Will be in use beginning Wed. http://ift.tt/1AFaXWr
— Eric Stephen (@truebluela) March 3, 2015
So far, players don't seem affected by the clock. Marlins manager Mike Redmond told MLB.com's Joe Frisaro after the team's victory over Florida International University on Monday that his guys were ready with plenty of time to spare. A pair of Yankees players didn't have any issues on Tuesday, either:
Neither Warren nor Ellsbury said the new pace of play clock messed with their days on the field
— Ryan Hatch (@ryanhatch) March 3, 2015
Source SBNation.com - All Posts http://ift.tt/1FTMf94
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