Freddie Freeman's 5-minute at bat renders MLB commissioner's pitch clock obsolete: "Rob Manfred's nightmare"
Freddie Freeman of the Los Angeles Dodgers has done a lot of things in his career. The MVP Award, a World Series ring, and multiple Silver Slugger Awards are just some of the accolades that he has next to his name.
Freeman, 33, knows how to grind out an at-bat and get on base. He has led the MLB in hits in two of the last five seasons as well as in runs scored over the last four seasons, including in the early stages of the 2023 season.
Players like him can settle into duels with pitchers that last ten or even maybe twenty pitches. Although the cat-and-mouse dynamic is loved by fans, it also prolongues games, and the MLB does not like that.
Ahead of the 2023 season, MLB boss Rob Manfred announced changes to league rules with the aim of shortening the average game length. Among them is a pitch clock that gives pitchers a maximum of twenty seconds to complete their delivery.
Although the average game time is down significantly in 2023, Freddie Freeman did nothing to further pull down that average in a recent plate appearance against Tyler Rogers of the San Francisco Giants.
All 15 pitches from Freddie Freeman's at bat that lasted 5 minutes and 40 seconds
It included NINE STRAIGHT foul balls and 11 total https://t.co/oA9jk1PLhj
"All 15 pitches from Freddie Freeman's at bat that lasted 5 minutes and 40 seconds. It included NINE straight foul balls and 11 total" - Talkin' Baseball
With the bases loaded in the fifth inning, the Los Angeles Dodgers star battled Rogers in an epic 15-pitch at bat. The California native fouled off nine straight balls in a duel that lasted five minutes and forty seconds.
@JomboyMedia By this fall, MLB will be discussing ways to make baseball more "appealing" to non-fans, and will decide that two consecutive foul balls is a strikeout, so the game will move more quickly.
@JomboyMedia @TalkinBaseball_ Changed the momentum of that game.
Obviously, 5-minute at-bats do not shorten games, but rather drag them out. Fans have taken direct aim at Manfred, trolling the commissioner for enacting regulations that still have very mixed reactions from fans.
@JomboyMedia Manfred will introduce a swing limit next, 6 swings and you walk back to the dugout. Can't have horrible ABs like this delaying commercial breaks.
@JomboyMedia Manfraud about to fine him for delay of game. LOL
@JomboyMedia Rob manfreds nightmare
Freeman eventually drew a bases-loaded walk on the 15th pitch, and his team went ahead with a score of 4-3. The Dodgers won the game by a score of 10-5 and will have an offday before the weekend series against the Chicago Cubs.
@JomboyMedia 2 game suspension for Freddie . Manfred wants games to end in an 1 hours . 2 more of these 5 minute ab gets you a life ban
Freddie Freeman shows that no amount of restrictions can
hamper the fluidity of the game
When Manfred announced the pitch clock, many fans feared that the league would be robbed of exactly the kind of performances that Freddie Freeman put forth against the Giants.
However, Freeman showed fans and the league itself that there is a reason why baseball is not played against a clock, and it never will be.