Both Alex Cora and Rich Hill have been around the game of baseball for a long time, but how they feel about Major League Baseball’s rule changes differs quite a bit.
MLB on Friday announced a slew of changes that will happen in 2023 including a pitch clock, bigger bases and banning the shift. Hill clearly was not a fan of the bases being three inches bigger, as shown on NESN prior to the Boston Red Sox’s series opener against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards.
But it’s not the bases Hill has the biggest problem with.
“I mean there’s definitely gonna be implications on the integrity of the game,” Hill said on NESN’s pregame coverage. “The outcomes are gonna be dictated by a clock, which is unfortunate. And I think — I’m not the only player who feels strongly about this — but I talked with almost everybody in this locker room and nobody likes the ideas of having the game being dictated because of a clock.
“Everyone wants the game to move quicker. I do too, I want the game to move quicker. But I think, again, that concerted effort can happen if we are brought a challenge as opposed to, ‘Hey, what’s the incentive?’ If I work really quickly as a pitcher am I going to be able to accrue time later in the game? So if I’m really efficient through the first three innings do I buy extra time as the game goes on? No, I don’t get a credit for that. But we’ll see how the reaction Is. I just don’t like the fact that nobody has a say in it, that’s what’s tough.”
There are many players on the Red Sox roster currently who came up from Triple-A Worcester this season, including Brayan Bello, who has been used to the pitch clock, so it would be interesting to hear who Hill talked to in that locker room.
Hill also had one of his most efficient starts earlier this season where he was working quickly and that game finished in under three hours.
While Hill’s gripe is understandable, the clock could — and should — be used to their advantage because the batter will have to work on their time.
Cora sang a much different tune regarding the changes.
“I think at the end what we wanna do is to make this a better product, right?,” Cora said Friday during NESN’s pregame coverage. “Certain people feel this is part of that, others are against it. But I think with time we will be able to adjust, we’ll be able to execute and hopefully the product is better.
“The numbers you see with the pitching clock in the minor leagues, you see the difference. It’s there. It’s black and white. … The more I know about the topic the more I can talk about it. But for right now, like I said, it’s just about gathering information, see how we’re gonna execute and go from there.”
We know Cora will be back with the Red Sox in 2023 to see these rule changes in action, but it’s unclear if Hill will return in his age-43 season or if he will choose to retire.
