Adding pitch clock on 'priority list' for owners

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With the labor dispute behind them, Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred stressed that players and owners need to work together to deliver the most entertaining product for fans.

During the spring training season, the pitch clock was a topic of discussion among the players as they met with the commissioner.

I don't want to judge the process as a whole. The pitch clock has been used extensively in the minor league. It helps the pace of the game. The way the game is played, meaning more action, is something that remains high on the priority list of ownership.

We get complete input from the players on rules changes, that's what he wants to make sure.

A committee made up of four active players, six members appointed by MLB and one umpire will decide on rule changes under the new collective bargaining agreement. The league used to have the authority to make rule changes if it gave the union a year's notice.

The pitch clock, larger bases and rules limiting infield shifts are potential changes for the future.

The average nine-inning game lasted a record 3 hours, 10 minutes in 2021, up three minutes from 2020, 15 minutes from 2011 and 31 minutes from 1984, the last season that average lasted less than 2 hours, 40 minutes. Increased time between pitches is the main factor in the increased length of games.

The minor league has used pitch clocks for a long time. In the low-Class A West League, baseball had a 15-second clock with no base runners and 17 seconds with runners on. The average game in the West League lasted 3 hours, 2 minutes before and 2 hours, 41 minutes after the clock went off.

Triple-A will use a 14-second clock with no runners on base and 19 seconds with runners on.

The new device will help speed up the game, according to the man. The catcher can signal to the pitcher through a listening device using a pad on his wrist.

The technology is an anti-sign-stealing device, but also has a pace-of-game effect.

Baseball is expected to continue its growth because of legalized gambling.

We see it as a way of increasing fan engagement. He said that in-game betting is going to be a significant component. I think if you talk to people who are experts in the field, they don't see outcome betting as a major growth area. In-game betting, also known as prop betting, is going to be the growth area. Most of that betting will be done on mobile devices.

The season will start a week later than it was originally scheduled. The season will start on Thursday to make up for the difficult winter fans had.

The most important thing is to make sure we have a good season for our fans.