Nice story about the possibility of a pitch clock from Andy Martino, who found some potential supporters in Yankee moundsmen Brandy MCarthy and Chris Capuano (who, granted, are smarter than your average moundsmen) ...
The actual rule 8.04, seldom enforced, holds that “When the bases are unoccupied, the pitcher shall deliver the ball to the batter within 12 seconds after he receives the ball. Each time the pitcher delays the game by violating this rule, the umpire shall call Ball.”
McCarthy sees 12 seconds as unrealistic, and believes a pitch clock would need to be somewhat longer (“Whatever Mark Buerhle is [15.8 seconds, according to a Yahoo! Sports], add two or three seconds on to that,” he says).
“I don’t think any of us really knows or understands what that means to have a certain type (of time to deliver a pitch),” Capuano says, which is why he wants to experiment with it during spring training.
Love these guys! McCarthy's idea is great; if Buehrle can pitch every 16 seconds, every other pitcher should be able to pitch in 20 seconds. In fact, 20 seconds seems like a long time to me. Are there really guys not doing that, regularly? And Capuano's thought about spring training is spot-on. Or if not spring training, then certainly the minor leagues. Baseball should be doing a lot more experimenting, and there's no shortage of test beds.
Of course the existing rule is ridiculous, both because it's not enforced and because it's unenforceable; you can't ask, let alone make, the pitchers throw within a dozen seconds when every batter and his mother is stepping out of the box before every pitch and adjusting everything adjustable.
Of course there's supposed to be a rule about that, too. Also unenforced, and perhaps unenforceable.
It's a big mess. But at least people are talking about it.
