Cal Conley of the Atlanta Braves thought he won Saturday’s game with a two-out, many-base walk-off walk. He took a few steps toward first base, bat still in hand, when umpire John Libka jumped out from behind the plate and called out the three-shot.
Game over. Conley couldn’t believe it. Neither could his teammates. Fans booed.
Welcome to 2023, where the new baseball rules designed to improve the pace of the game will quickly apply to everyone, especially the players.
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The most dramatic moment of the new pitch clock era came on the first full day of the Spring Games and in as dramatic a scenario as possible. Conley, who faced Boston Red Sox’s Robert Kwiatkowski, was not pitted as the clock wound under eight seconds.
The penalty is an automatic hit that resulted in the game ending in a 6-6 draw in North Port, Fla. Kwiatkowski got the strikeout after only throwing two real strikes.
It was a more dramatic moment when San Diego Padres hitter Manny Machado became the first player to suffer a pitch clock injury on Friday when he was called on an automatic strike in the bottom of the first inning against Seattle for failing to do so the box was used in time.
The pitch clock is one of the new rules designed to speed up the pace of the game. Players have 30 seconds to continue play between batters. Between pitches, pitchers have 15 seconds without an on and 20 seconds if there is a baserunner. The pitcher must begin his delivery before the clock runs out. After a pitch, the clock restarts if the pitcher recovers the ball, the catcher and batter are in the circle around home plate, and play is otherwise allowed to resume.