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MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred Announces Pitch Clock Will Be Used During All 2019 Spring Training Games

Matthew Moreno
2 Min Read
Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports

As MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has looked to innovate and improve pace of play, Rookie-Level leagues and Spring Training have been used as testing grounds over recent years for new rules and changes.

Perhaps most famously was in 2017, when MLB implemented a rule for placing a runner on second base when Gulf Coast League and Arizona League games went into extra innings. That was met with plenty of pushback, and though is now used at Double-A and Triple-A is unlikely to reach the Major League level.

Starting last season, Double-A and Triple-A saw a 15-second pitch clock implemented when runners were not on base. Pitchers in the Grapefruit League and Cactus League will now face a similar restriction, as Manfred announced all Spring Training games will include a 20-second pitch clock, per Gabe Lacques of USA TODAY Sports

Manfred announced that a 20-second pitch clock will be ready to roll for spring training games, as MLB “will get ready for the possibility of seeing a pitch clock by opening day,” he said. “The only prudent course for us is to be in a position to proceed — hopefully under our collectively bargained conditions.”

The possibility of implementing such a tool was among the topics the league and Players Association recently discussed. Manfred holds the power to unilaterally impose a pitch clock, but has stated a preference to come to an agreement with the union.

This marks yet another instance in which Manfred has used a clock in effort to improve pace of play. After testing a between-innings timer in the Arizona Fall League, it was enforced for all games in the Majors, beginning with the 2015 season. That coincided with a 20-second pitch clock (with runners on base) for Minor League games.

Last season, MLB refined the replay process and put a limit on non-pitching change mound visits.

Matthew Moreno is a journalist from Whittier, Calif., who is a credentialed reporter and is currently the Managing Editor of DodgerBlue.com and LakersNation.com. In addition to covering Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angels Lakers, Matthew has a strong passion for keeping up to date with the sneakerhead culture. It began with Michael Jordan and Air Jordan shoes, and has carried over to Kobe Bryant's signature line with Nike. Matthew previously was the lead editor and digital strategist at Dodgers Nation, and the co-editor and lead writer at Reign of Troy, where he covered USC Trojans Football. Matthew graduated from California State Long Beach University with a major in journalism and minor in communications. Contact: matt@mediumlargela.com