Jill Weisleder/Los Angeles Dodgers
By Jon Weisman
I first noticed on Saturday that Pedro Baez had just about become his own commercial break, taking around 30 to 40 seconds between pitches — something that was a bit excruciating to watch but that I chalked up to the sudden pressure of protecting what had once been a 4-0 lead in the eighth inning.
It stood out less Monday, when nearly every pitcher in that marathon 10-7 affair seemed to be carrying a boulder on the mound, but it didn’t escape the notice of Don Mattingly, who said today he spoke to the former infielder about his pace.
“That’s rough,” Mattingly said. “He was feeling all right. I talked to him today, and it was like, ‘If you were playing third base, you’d be going crazy.’ It’s just tough on guys.
“To me, it shows a lack of confidence in what you want to do. I’ve played behind guys like that, and it’s like they walk around, and they wait around. To me, you give the hitter a chance to think, let him settle down. Whatever count he’s in, everything kind of slows down for him. Guys that got the ball, that are in your face, that throw a strike and then are back in your face, to me, are tougher.”
Baez has had mixed results in his six games since returning from the disabled list. He’s had three innings in which he faced the minimum, and three innings (2 2/3 to be more precise) in which he allowed runs.
“Now obviously Petey, his tempo’s always been a little slow, so you don’t try to force that,” said Mattingly. “But 30 seconds is a little over the top.”
The day might soon come to the Major Leagues when going 30 seconds will cost you more than your peace of mind. A 20-second pitch clock is already being tested in Double-A and Triple-A this year, with a violation causing a ball to be called against the pitcher.
After Monday’s game ended shortly before midnight, you could tell Mattingly was concerned about pace, even though the Dodgers had won.
“You guys stayed for that?” Mattingly asked reporters as he entered the interview room.
“The pace was bad tonight,” he added. “Using a lot of pitches, throwing a lot of pitches. To me, those are the kind of games where people don’t want to come to the game. … It’s something you really work on, because it’s hard to play defense in games like that.”
Michael Green
For years, baseball folk have pointed out that fielders are on the balls of their feet in anticipation, and the long wait between pitches makes them relax and takes the edge off. Really, we do need to enforce a 20-second clock and the rule about getting in and out of the batter’s box. Umpires don’t push it because they know their bosses won’t back them up when, inevitably, the teams complain.
oldbrooklynfan
It’s even tougher when you’re watching the game from the east coast. I didn’t get to bed until after 2:30 AM ET.