The pitch clock was a bit polarizing at first but people have generally come around to it given the increased pace of play and clock violations becoming more and more rare.
While adjustments are still being made by players, the pitch clock has been more of a positive than a negative thus far.
New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor discussed how he feels about the pitch clock as both a player and a parent on the “Mets’d Up” podcast this week.
“First of all, I like it because games are much faster. As a parent, I’m only imagining what I would go through when I take my daughters to a baseball game if I were taking them a few years ago,” Lindor said (4:50 in player above). “Getting home at midnight because the game finished at 11. By the time they get to bed, shower them, and go through homework, then they got to get up at six in the morning to go to school.”
Lindor is now a father of two after his wife, Katia, gave birth on June 17th to their second daughter. Although Lindor is years away from being a spectator rather than a player, he sees the issues that the average fan had with games regularly lasting over three hours.
“Why would I go through that?” he continued. “So now that the games are a little faster, that’s one point of view where I see I can appreciate that.”
Lindor appreciates the pitch clock as a parent but is still going through some adjustments as a player in the batter’s box.
“It was tough in the beginning, and it’s still challenging at times. I’m focusing on my plan, my approach, what I want to do in the batter’s box,” he said. “I’m paying attention to the pitcher and then all of a sudden the clock hits zero, I look at the clock, then I try to get back into the box, into the moment. It was tough. It was tough to adapt.”
The Mets have had several prospects get playing time this season and they’ve been able to make a smooth transition as the pitch clock has been used in the minors for a few years now.
“That’s why you see a lot of the guys that were coming up from the minor leagues with the clock were having success earlier because guys knew what was happening.”
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