Some Major League Baseball players might not be ready for a pitch clock. But that might not matter.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has the power to “unilaterally” implement a 20-second pitch clock and reduce mound visits for the 2018 season and is prepared to do just that, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported Tuesday.
The league’s collective bargaining agreement gives the commissioner the right to implement new rules, provided he gives the MLB’s Players’ Union one year’s notice. Manfred did that in this case, as he officially proposed the pitch clock and mound visit changes last year after repeatedly pushing for improved pace of play.
The commissioner and the players are engaged in “ongoing discussions” about pace of play, according to Rosenthal, with the goal of reaching an agreement on what rules are enacted. But while they ultimately couldn’t stop Manfred from implementing those measures, the players actually could gain some leverage if the commissioner strong-arms them and goes through a 20-second pitch clock and reduction in mound visits.
Rosenthal explains:
“If enough players oppose the changes, they could absolve themselves of responsibility and allow Manfred to force the issue. … The onus then would be on Manfred to deal with any public fallout and unintended consequences the new rules might trigger.”
There’s another factor at play here, too: MLB’s owners are “strongly in favor” of the pace-of-play rules, per Rosenthal, and could force the commissioner to proceed even if blow-back from the players’ union gives him cold feet.
The league has experimented with the pitch clock in both minor league and spring training games, and while most players are strongly opposed to the idea, it’s viewed as one of the most effective ways to speed up the game.
