With the new pitch clock format coming into play, pitchers have had their thoughts. This time we get to hear from New York Yankees starter Masahiro Tanaka.
By the time you finish reading this piece, a New York Yankees pitcher will have to hurl the ball towards home plate. In the case of Masahiro Tanaka, it’s a little ridiculous.
Spring training has highlighted the 20-second pitch clock that pitchers must abide by. The announcement of that pitch clock usage came on Feb. 22 for the entirety of spring training.
Tanaka was unable to make his first start due to a rainout on Tuesday but he was able to express his emotions regarding the new timepiece during spring training.
“As players, we have to abide by the rules,” Tanaka said through an interpreter, as reported by Pete Caldera of NJ.com. “But, personally, I’m not a fan of the 20-second rule.”
Well, this is nothing new. Many players have expressed similar sentiments, including Jon Lester.
Tanaka’s stink about the pitch clock is that he uses that time to his advantage, to keep the hitter guessing in regards to what type of filthy pitch he might throw.
“During that time, I’m thinking about what to throw next and…the hitters are thinking about what’s coming,” Tanaka told reporters through interpreters. “There’s that certain time that makes baseball fun.”
Tanaka has some dirty pitches and imagine being a hitter up at the plate. With that shortened amount of time to think over what might be to come, the batter has the advantage, not the pitcher.
While Tanaka historically takes his sweet time in between pitches, this type of clock might not be as big a deal for some other MLB pitchers. For Tanaka, it will be the enemy.
At least this is just a spring training thing for the time being. But Tanaka might want to get used to it just in case this becomes a bigger thing in the majors.