Machado draws 1st pitch clock violation
Tick, tock, Manny Machado. Better watch that pitch clock.
Baseball's new timing device made its big league debut Friday during a limited schedule of spring training openers and wouldn't you know it, it was Machado, the San Diego Padres' AllStar slugger, not a pitcher, who was called for the first violation.
Machado found out the hard way that the pitch clock works both ways. He wasn't fully in the batter's box and facing Seattle Mariners left-hander Robbie Ray as the 15-second clock wound under 8 seconds in the bottom of the first inning. Umpire Ryan Blakney called time and signaled strike one against Machado, who finished second in last season's NL MVP race.
Machado was hardly fazed. He singled on a 2-1 pitch and then collected another single his second time up.
“Going into the record books, at least. That's a good one. Not bad,” Machado said. “I might just be 0-1 if I can get two hits every game.”
If Major League Baseball was looking for immediate results from the new rules designed to improve pace of play, including the pitch clock, it got them. The Mariners won 3-2 in 2 hours, 29 minutes, which is fast for
any game, spring or regular season.
Padres manager Bob
Melvin said he walked over to MLB officials Morgan Sword and Mike Hill afterward and said: “If this is going to be the pace of these games, I'm OK with it.”
The game “felt really fast at the beginning. Guys were looking at the clock, Manny makes history with the first infraction in major league history, another feather in his cap,” Melvin quipped. “During the course of this game we acclimated a little bit. So far, so good.”
MORE PITCH CLOCK MUSINGS >> New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said he's looking forward to the pitch clock when the Bronx Bombers open their spring schedule Saturday against the Philadelphia Phillies in Clearwater, Florida. The Yankees have had Triple-A umpires working the plate during simulated games.
“I think these last few days, grateful for the umpires that have come out here and helped us out in that regard,” he said. “I think it has been really valuable. It's sparked more conversation around it, but now to get to start applying it in games obviously will serve us well. It's important to get going.” BIGGER BASES Machado said the new bases, which are now 18-square inches, up from 15 inches, “weren't too bad. I like the big base. They've got to be a little more consistent with how they were last year, the firmness, the grip of it. I definitely like the new ones with the bigger size.”