Major League Baseball has implemented a new rule that they believe will help players avoid pitch clock violations if they take extra time getting to the batters box. 

After Seattle Mariners outfielder Teoscar Hernandez received a standing ovation from fans during his return to the Rogers Centre in Toronto, he was not issued a violation when he failed to enter the batters box with at least 8-seconds left on the pitch clock. 

Following the game, Blue Jays manager John Schneider revealed that MLB teams can submit a request to league offices 24 hours in advance if they know a player is going to potentially receive an ovation. 

Teoscar Hernandez No Pitch Clock Violation

That raised a few eyebrows because already this season, there have been a TON of instances with the pitch clock and the umpires making the wrong call in issuing violations.

In early April, Cody Bollinger was issued a pitch clock violation when walking up to the plate in his first game back at Dodger Stadium. 

Cody Bellinger Pitch Clock Violation

Drew Maggi, who finally made his major league debut last week after 13 years in the minor leagues get hit with a pitch-clock violation in his first at-bat. 

Drew Maggi Pitch Clock Violation

Clearly, something needed to be changed but to have this be the amendment to the rule seems pretty ridiculous. 

I can’t believe that Rob Manfred and company actually took the time to add this amendment to the rulebook in the first place.

This was the top priority for Major League Baseball? Funny. 

Plus, the fact that these umpires can’t use their own discretion to figure this type of shit out and now you’re requiring teams to make a “guess” and notify Major League Baseball that this could happen in a game 24 hours in advance is ridiculous. 

If the MLB wants to turn umpires into robots, this is definitely the step in the right direction. You mean to tell me that umpires can’t figure this out on their own? If I was an umpire, I would be pissed that the league thinks I’m an emotionless shell that can’t figure this type of thing out on my own.

Either that, or they simply want nothing to do with making this type of call and are just lazy, emotionless shells already? I don’t know but point being, this shouldn’t be too difficult to figure out and the amendment doesn’t seem very thought-out to begin with. 

How about a curtain call after a clutch home run or hit to give the team the lead?

What happens of Trea Turner hits for the cycle and steps up to the plate again in front of a sold out Philadelphia Phillies crowd at Citizens Bank Park?

Bryce Harper should be returning to the Phillies lineup this week. That’s definitely going to cause a significant delay in the baseball game on top of the fact that every single baseball fan absolutely LOVES the type of theatrics any player brings during their walk up song. 

Bryce Harper Walk Up

If I was the Phillies organization, I would be notifying the MLB every single game that something could happen the next game. They should just hire someone to make that phone call for all 162 games during the regular season and throughout the entirety of the postseason. 

They should have a guy in a small little room at Citizens Bank Park with an alarm that goes off 24-hours in advance of the next game and boom, he’s there to call in the notice. Are there any rules saying you can’t do that? Is there a limit for how many times you can make the call? 

I have no idea and after doing some quick research this morning, it really doesn’t seem like anyone has the answer.

If it wasn’t for John Schneider spilling the beans on the new rule, I don’t think anyone would have known this was even a possibility to begin with. 

At the very least, it looks like everyone is finally waking up to the issues with the new MLB rules and we’ll see some actual changes to stop the chaos.

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