If you’ve been out to Hammons Field for a Springfield Cardinals game you’ve probably noticed a clock out in center field, it’s a pitch clock. The MLB is sampling the timer at the minor league level, forcing pitchers and batters to keep the game moving at a faster pace.
“It was a big adjustment. I’m one of those guys that likes to take my time on and make sure everything’s good on the mound,” Springfield Cardinals pitcher Gordon Graceffo said.
With the pitch clock, there is no taking your time.
“Deliver a pitch within a 14-second time frame every time you’re on the mound with nobody on (base), 18 seconds when you have a runner on (base),” said Spring Birds manager Jose Leger.
It also speeds up batters.
“Right when you leave the one deck batter (circle) the clock is going to be ticking and you have to be in the box by nine seconds and looking at the pitcher otherwise you get penalized with a strike,” added Leger.
For Spring Bird’s starter Gordon Graceffo, the ticking timer has it’s pros and cons, “It’s definitely weird. If you’re pitching well and you’re in a rhythm it’s fine and it works against the batter because they’re very uncomfortable, but if you’re struggling up there and there’s a lot going on and there are guys on base stuff like that it’s a lot to worry about,” he said.
However, it is doing its job by speeding up the game.
“We’re finishing games within two hours, two hours and thirty minutes range, I mean I’m good with that we can go home early and rest more,” said Leger.
“It definitely speeds the game up a lot. Just watching a big league game and how much slower than it is here it’s kind of mind-blowing that you don’t really realize in the game how much of an impact it actually has,” added Graceffo.
Speaking of the big leagues, the pitch clock isn’t in the MLB just yet, but could soon be there. Earlier this summer, after rehabbing in Springfield, Cardinals pitcher Jack Flaherty said he isn’t sure about the transition of the timer to the MLB.
“Difficult to say that the pitch clock would seamlessly transition into the big leagues. There’s way more thought that goes into every pitch, the stakes are much higher, you’ve got a lot going on. You get into those high-pressure moments you can’t just go,” said Flaherty.
