The Pitch Clock Is Working

I was skeptical of the pitch clock when it was first proposed, but it's undoubtedly improving MLB games.

I'm 64 years old and have been a Major League Baseball fan my whole life. Like most folks my age, I'm already quite set in my ways. The only thing keeping me from going full-on miserable curmudgeon is that I've also learned not to take myself too seriously. When I heard about all the rule changes coming to MLB this season, I wasn't entirely on board with what they were proposing. In particular, the idea of a clock on a baseball field seemed antithetical to a sport that has operated without one for over 150 years.

Rule Changes Aren’t Always the Correct Fix

Friday night, Atlanta's manager Brian Snitker removed his starting pitcher Ian Anderson after only 5 innings. This isn't at all unusual these days, particularly in the playoffs, but Anderson had yet to allow a hit and had only thrown 76 pitches. Baseball tradition would seem to demand that Anderson be allowed more of a chance to make history, but the likelihood of the Braves' righty accomplishing the feat was fairly remote. He had only thrown 39 of those pitches for strikes and had already walked 3 batters.