Why the pitch clock is good for Cincinnati Reds baseball

The pitch clock in is in full effect now as the first handful of games have been completed. A topic that was a hot discussion during the offseason led fans of the sport to have varying opinions. Having had an entire spring training and a weekend's worth of games to digest the new feature, is the pitch clock really that bad?

As someone who has both been to a game, and watched a game on television this season, I've been able to see firsthand the new feel to the game. The pitch clock was one rule change I wasn't sure of before the season began. After seeing it live, this new rule has the potential to be a positive for the game of baseball.

During the Cincinnati Reds first three games of 2023, the games have lasted three hours and two minutes, two hours and 16 minutes, and two hours and 24 minutes. Opening Day's three-plus hour affair featured 15 walks. Being at the game, it felt long, but for a pitching performance that featured two runs scoring on bases loaded walks, it could have been much longer.

The pitch clock will end up being a positive for Reds baseball.

The game of baseball has tried finding new ways to bring more attention to the sport. Having a game that can be advertised as just a little over two hours long is a step in the right direction.

The biggest misconception with regards to the new pitch clock, has been that it takes away from the originality and purity of the game, or that it rushes the game along. In reality, when you step back and look at it objectively, all the clock does is cut out the unnecessary "dead-time" during the game.

Fans have also used the new pitch clock to find enjoyment and involvement while at the game. This weekend, in a game between the Cleveland Guardians and the Seattle Mariners, the fans started counting down the pitch clock; much like you would see in the student section at a college basketball game. Might fans of the Cincinnati Reds embraces the same mentality?

The pitch clock will be something that keeps fans dialed into the game. For some Reds fans, the clock is hardly noticeable already. For others, give it time and you'll think the same thing. Little kids at the game won't be asking, "how much longer?" nearly as much. For a rule that I was on the fence about at the start, it has shown to be not that bad.