Baseball is adding a Pitch Clock

Rob Manfred is doing his best to cause us angst. Baseball will be adding a 20-second pitch clock for 2018, with the goal in mind to shorten games by at least 10 minutes.

Major League Baseball plans to implement a pitch clock and stricter rules on mound visits in the 2018 season, according to a memo obtained by Yahoo Sports that outlines the changes, with the MLB Players Association expected to reject an agreement the league offered.

After the MLBPA declined a similar proposal last year, the league threatened to unilaterally impose a timer between pitches, batters and innings, as well severely limit mound visits without the union’s consent, as is its right. The average time of game swelled to a record 3 hours, 8 minutes last season. Officials believe a pitch clock can shave at least 10 minutes off game time.

That’s just great. It really bugs me that baseball thinks anything needs changed. The game doesn’t need shortened. The game is in a good place. Leave my wonderful, long, dull-moment baseball alone.

Oh, and thanks to Manfred there will also be ads on uniforms a year earlier now, beginning in 2019.