The MLB will introduce new rules in the area of Pace of Play before the start of the Games in Spring Training. This was announced by Commissioner Rob Manfred on Thursday at the MLB Media Day in St. Gallen. Petersburg/Florida.
Manfred did not go into detail about the exact rules, but he made it clear:”There will be rule changes in the area of Pace of Play for the 2018 season” Manfred added:”You will know about these rule changes before the start of the jumping training games. Whether or not these changes will be a result of an agreement with MLBPA or not. It will either be a specific agreement on specific rule changes, or it will be the changes we introduced a year ago under the Basic Agreement that allows us to make these changes.”
Manfred is not afraid, however, that these changes will have an impact on long-term cooperation with the union “We have spared no effort to obtain input from the players. We have even hesitated to do anything at all in this regard. We made it clear from the outset that our strong preference was to reach an agreement with the players. We also changed our substantial positions based on the players’ input. This is the process of action. So it really shouldn’t be anything negative.”
In January, the players’ union had still rejected a proposal to introduce a 20-second pitch clock. The players agree that the speed of the games must be addressed. From their point of view, however, it would make more sense to do this by adapting the video evidence, more strictly observing the time between innings and the like. Players don’t want a watch, as ESPN reports.
Any changes to the rules also require the consent of the MLB owners, who will be able to withdraw their consent from the Bank’s Board of Managing Directors on 30 June 2009. January to 1 January Feb. 2, a quarterly meeting in Beverly Hills, California. The games of the Spring Training start on 23. February in Florida and Arizona.
This article was published without prior view by the Major League Baseball.