MLB analyst finds himself at loose ends as new rules result in abridged games: “The pitch clock gonna have me late night reading books and sh*t”

The MLB pitch clock began as the brainchild of a 11-member "competition committee" that was assembled by the league's commissioner Rob Manfred.

As part of the negotiations that led to a last-minute deal between the MLB and the players association before the 2022 season, the committee was established to examine changes to the game.

Alongside restrictions on defensive shifts and larger base sizes, the pitch clock was conceived to stimulate offense and shorten games. With the average MLB contest lasting over three hours in 2022, it was clear to the league that a length of that size is not ideal for a multitude of reasons.

Thus, the pitch clock was enacted. Under the rules, pitchers have 15 seconds to deliver their pitch to the plate, or 20 seconds if there is a runner on base. Likewise, batters will need to be ready to hit when the clock hits eight seconds.

Failure to abide by the clock results in balls being called against pitchers and strikes against batters.

According to The Athletic, the clock has been resoundingly effective at realizing its intended goal of shortening games. Over half of the opening day games in 2023 lasted under 2:49, which was the shortest opening day game length in 2022.

Jared Carrabis, a popular MLB analyst, is feeling the effects of the clock first hand. The Boston Red Sox fan took to Twitter to share how shorter games are affecting his life as a full-time baseball fan.

"I can’t believe it’s not even 12:30am on the east coast and the whole MLB slate is done. The pitch clock gonna have me late night reading books and shit" - Jared Carrabis

For Carrabis, the shortened average game time has opened up a world of new possibilities. Whether or not he will be able to shift his interest in the absence of late-night baseball remains to be seen.

Carrabis is not the only person to be affected by the controversial new feature. In a recent game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Manny Machado of the San Diego Padres was caught out by the clock, and subsequently ejected for arguing the call.

"Manny Machado struck out because a pitch clock violation and then got ejected for arguing" - B/R Walkoff

Like it or not, the MLB pitch clock is a part of our lives now

With Manfred confirming that the clock is here to stay, players, managers, fans, and now even analysts will need to adapt accordingly. Thankfully, in theory, shorter games mean more free time for Jared Carrabis.