The MLB pitch clock is here. Spring Training games got underway on Friday and fans had plenty of reactions to their first look at the pitch clock in the big leagues. Former big leaguer Geoff Blum made a bold pitch clock statement in reference to New York Yankees' legend Derek Jeter, per Bleav on Twitter.
“Derek Jeter wouldn't survive in this era because you can't put the hand up to call timeout,” Blum said. “They've eliminated that.”
Jeter would often put his hand up to give him time to dig into the batter's box. MLB is looking to increase the speed of games, giving batters just eight seconds to be ready for the pitch. San Diego Padres' star Manny Machado was hit with the first violation ever in the Padres-Seattle Mariners Spring Training opener. Machado was assessed an automatic strike after taking too long to get ready for the pitch.
Manny Machado said he believes players will initially be upset about the new rules. Adapting to this change will be difficult. For a player like Jeter, he would have had to change his routine at the plate. Baseball players are creatures of habit. The MLB pitch clock is going to impact the game in more ways than simply speeding things up.
In the end, it is good for the sport from a pace of play standpoint. However, it will require plenty of time for players to fully adjust to working with the clock.
It will be interesting to see whether or not Derek Jeter responds to the claim that he wouldn't survive in today's MLB with the pitch clock.
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