MLB Podcaster: "The pitcher is not ready to pitch, the catcher is not ready to catch and somehow it's the hitter who's out"
MLB's latest rule changes are already causing a great furor among baseball fans. The latest controversy took place on Saturday in the game between the Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves. The game ended in strange fashion when the umpire called a batter out without a pitch being thrown.
With the game tied at 6-6, the stage was set. The bases were loaded with two outs and a full count. The game was on the line in the bottom of the ninth inning. Suddenly, the umpire called a violation. Game over. At the time, some of the players and managers were unsure of what had occurred.
Renowned podcaster Jayson Stark was the latest to add his two cents on the bizarre situation:
"The pitcher is not ready to pitch, the catcher is not ready to catch and somehow it's the hitter who's out," he said.
Stark was speaking on his podcast Starkville and seemed bemused by the ruling on the field.
MLB fans are still coming to terms with the latest rule changes. Perhaps the most impactful rule change is the addition of a pitch clock. The goal is to speed up the game in order to provide a more exciting fan experience.
Two other rules were put in place by the league, including bigger bases and prohibiting the defensive shift.
MLB has implemented a new set of rules for 2023 which includes a pitch clock
The incident took place with Boston Red Sox pitcher Robert Kwiatkowski facing the Atlanta Braves' Cal Conley.
The new rules allow the pitcher 15 seconds to deliver a pitch after receiving the ball. That time increases to 20 seconds if there is a man on base. Because the batter was not prepared and looking at the pitcher with eight seconds left on the clock, a strike was called.
Here is the view of the batter that was called out because he wasn’t looking toward the pitcher with eight seconds remaining on the timer https://t.co/eQK9VS5PvW
"Here is the view of the batter that was called out because he wasn’t looking toward the pitcher with eight seconds remaining on the timer" - Jomboy Media
Former MLB player and writer Doug Glanville joined Stark on his podcast and said he believes the catcher's antics threw Conley off his rhythm:
"Genius...I think all these teams are going to come up with all kinds of strategies," he said.
Fans who watched the game were part of a moment in history. They were able to watch the first ever MLB "clock-off", as Stark referred to it. Expect to see more chaos, turmoil and disputes in the coming days when it comes to the new rules.