The hitter put his left foot on the batter’s box. After hitting home plate, he spun his bat and entered the plate. And the referee shouted. “One Strike!”
It may be a sight to see often in the major leagues this season. In the first year when the ‘pitch clock’ was introduced in the major leagues, Manny Machado (San Diego Padres) went down in history as the first victim, even though it was not a regular season.
On the 26th (Korean time), San Diego played against the Seattle Mariners in their spring camp in Peoria, Arizona, USA.
A large digital clock installed behind the gunner stood out. It is ‘Pitch Clock’. The clock runs from the moment the pitcher catches the ball thrown by the catcher. The pitcher must throw the ball within 15 seconds if the bases are empty and 20 seconds if there are runners. Unleashing your foot or even checking is limited to two per at-bat. The hitter must also be ready to hit within 8 seconds.
Machado entered the major leagues by being drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in 2010, and was called up to the big leagues in 2012. It is already the 11th year of his big league career. He is also a superstar representing the league. 카지노
However, as an ‘unprepared hitter’, he experienced the absurdity of getting a first strike before even entering the plate, let alone swinging the bat. Referee Ryan Barkley pointed at Machado’s left wrist, announcing the first pitch-clock violation in American baseball history. Machado laughed after the game, saying, “I think my name will go down in history. This year, there will be many at-bats starting with a ball count of 0-1.”
Baseball is a sport with no time limit. However, the MLB secretariat established such a rule this year to increase the influx of fans by reducing game time as much as possible.
It’s harsh on both pitchers and hitters. It can be painful for hitters with various routines. In the case of fastball pitchers, there are many cases where they take deep breaths for a long time to correct themselves, but it is a formidable rule even for them.