Understanding the Time Clocks

Most everything at a Fresno Grizzlies’ game this season now runs on a clock.

Teams and pitchers have 2:25 to begin a new inning, which includes warming up. That also means the team has that amount of time to do their entertainment between innings (with a few exceptions).

Pitchers have 20 seconds to get into their throwing motion. If they don’t do it within the time frame, they’ll get a ball called against them. Grizzles’ pitcher Tommy Shirley says he’s only had to make minor adjustments.

"Probably just coming out for the inning,” says Shirley. “I like to give my catcher some time to get out there. I’ve always taken a lot of time in between innings to catch my breath but [now] a little bit quicker. [The clocks] inbetween pitches is fine with me because I like to work quick."

Hitters have between 20 and 5 seconds to get in the batters’ box. If a batter leaves less than 5 seconds for a pitcher to throw their ball, the batter will have a strike called against them.

The bigger complaint from batters, though, is that they can see the clock as it winds down for the pitchers. That can be distracting when they’re trying to focus on the pitch that’s about to be thrown.

"You know it’s kind of in the corner of your eye,” says Grizzlies’ infielder Matt Duffy. “So between pitches it’s tough not to get distracted by watching 10, 9, 8… counting down.”

The player consensus among the Grizzlies is that they haven’t had to change too much in what they do.

Upstairs at Chukchansi Park is where the clocks are run. The Grizzlies had to create a new position. Steven Hammond presses a button every time the clock needs to be reset. Over the course of a baseball game, that happens a lot.

"I have to focus on the game,” says Hammond. “The umpires on the field get the chance to close their eyes, walk away. I’m zoned in for 3 hours, 2.5 hours, 4 hours. Whatever it’s going to take.”

For now, the new time clock rules have only shortened the games by a few minutes.

If a minor league baseball player commits one of these violations right now, nothing will happen to them because April is a trial period. Punishments for the infractions will not go into effect until May 1^st.