Rob Manfred hasn’t been lauded for many decisions during his reign as MLB commissioner, but he definitely has a fan in Johnny Bench for implementing the pitch clock.
The pitch clock has been great for Major League Baseball this season. The players might not universally love it, requesting a rule change during the postseason, but fans like it, broadcasters recognize its value, and Johnny Bench seems absolutely over the moon about the increased pace of play. Bench joined CBS Sports Radio’s morning show hosted by Damon Amendolara earlier this week and he had an epic rant on hitters for delaying the game before the pitch clock was implemented.
Johnny Bench’s rant on baseball’s wasted time (and jock straps) is everything. pic.twitter.com/HGl8lpiknZ
— Damon Amendolara (@DAonCBS) July 12, 2023
“I love the pitch clock. I can’t even tell ya how much I love the pitch clock. I’m so tired of watching the celebrations,” Bench ranted. “And they have to fix their jock, twice. Buy another jock strap, put it over the cup, it will stay in place folks! If you youngsters are out there, especially you catchers, if you got a cup jock, put another one over it! I’m tired of you playing with your tool!”
Amazing. And just in case you have an argument to counter Bench’s gripe with players adjusting their jock strap, don’t bother, because the Hall of Famer doesn’t want to hear it. “Since I broke seven cups, I’m the authority,” Bench told Amendolara.
Bench might not get challenged on how to properly secure a jock strap or what lies beneath it, but it is possible to find critics of the pitch clock. David Wells recently ripped Manfred for the pitch clock during an appearance on The Dan Le Batard Show, alleging the MLB commissioner hates the game of baseball.
There are plenty of reasons to criticize Manfred, but the pitch clock isn’t one of them. The increased pace of play is fantastic and better resembles past eras of baseball. National play-by-play announcers Bob Costas and Joe Davis complimented the pitch clock earlier this year, and on the latest episode of the Awful Announcing Podcast, Wayne Randazzo echoed their sentiments.
