While Sunday Night Baseball allows teams to play on a national stage, there are also some hang-ups. That’s not exactly a referendum on the ESPN-produced product itself. Still, with Sundays generally being a travel day for teams across Major League Baseball, teams aren’t exactly probably looking to play four-plus hours of games.
That’s, of course, been alleviated by the pitch clock. While Major League Baseball has a bevy of other issues, the pace of play has not been one of them. You either love it or you hate it, and for broadcasters, it seems like the newfound pace is welcome — ask the voice of Sunday Night Baseball himself.
Ravech recently appeared on Jomboy Media’s Talkin’ Baseball podcast. And host Trevor Plouffe asked him about his experience with the pitch clock as a broadcaster, particularly if it’s impacted his on-air style. The former Minnesota Twins infielder turned podcaster expressed his enjoyment of the pitch clock on TV broadcasts.
.@karlravechespn says the pitch clock is the “best thing ever”
WATCH: https://t.co/N0dkMMCEFQ
LISTEN: https://t.co/YlFOm5nYdX pic.twitter.com/4eDZPGMkIy— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 15, 2024
At the same time, he questioned whether it might be diluting the in-person fan experience. With that, he asked Ravech for his perspective on the potential trade-off.
“I haven’t changed my style of broadcasting,” Ravech said. “Everything is a bit quicker. I will say that having done a couple of recent games on Sunday nights, they would’ve been four-hour games. They were three-hour games. They weren’t two hours and 10 minutes.
“I’ve seen some of those two-hour games. Do I think you’re getting ripped off (at the ballpark)? I think it’s a multi-layered question. I think ticket prices are too high, but I don’t think it’s the timing of the game that’s causing people to feel like they’re not getting their money’s worth…
“I think the pitch clock, universally, is the greatest thing ever; I really do. I just went and did a college baseball game in Nashville (Louisville and Vanderbilt). I was at Arkansas earlier for a Texas Tech-Arkansas game. And they have a pitch clock, which helps immensely.
“They don’t have the (3-batter) minimum and the number of mound visits; it’s literally like somebody came up, slapped me in the face, and said, ‘Remember? Remember what it was like?’ Oh my gosh, this is like paint drying. They need to bring these rules to the college game, too, because I think they’re great for the pace of play at the Major League level.”
While Ravech is open to discussing injuries and other factors, he highlighted a specific concern raised by managers. They’ve expressed worry about situations where a starter struggles early, like giving up three hard-hit balls and a walk in the third inning.
Even if the pitcher allows another hit when you come out to talk to him, the bullpen might not be ready yet. In such cases, managers are forced to stick with the struggling starter because they don’t have a viable alternative.
“Does it contribute? I’m sure,” he said. “If you broke it all down into a pie — it’s a slice of the pie. I don’t necessarily think it’s the biggest slice. I don’t know how big it is…The pitch clock is only one of them. I think universally, I love it. I absolutely think it’s changed the game for the better.
Those concerns aside, Ravech isn’t turning his back on the pitch clock.
[Talkin’ Baseball on X]
