Roger Clemens's Reaction To New MLB Pitch Clock 

Watch old baseball footage. The pitcher got back on the mound and the batters got back in the box quick. New baseball has become a slow slog of waiting for the batter and pitcher to slowly decide who is icing who. That's a new thing. The pitch clock forces things back to old baseball. Get the ball and huck it, get in the box and hit it.

Looking at TV replays of World Series games from the fifties I noticed that pitchers got rid of the ball very quickly and hitters didn't waste time either. Few will miss Bryce Harper taking 40 seconds to prepare for the next pitch or hitters readjusting their gloves after every pitch (even when the bat never left their shoulder!)

As a Cardinals fan hearing Clemens put Bob Gibson and Nolan Ryan in the same sentence is so satisfying. People know Gibson was a great pitcher I just never hear people talk about him enough though.

Adam doing a monologue when a 10 word question will get the job done.

Everyone knows this man is a Hall Of Famer....you knew in the 80s...the 90s...and ever since. #21

The only reason we need all the "extra entertainment" to make things "interesting" today is because: the game sucks today. And that's on the front office, it's on the sabermetrics, it's on the coaches and it's on the players. And above all, it's about the attitude - or the attitudes. I've watched the old baseball games here on YT. I'm glad they were saved for posterity, that is some of the best baseball you will ever watch.

Damn Roger is a fantastic story teller!

Baseball player interviews from my time growing up are the best. Could you get Kenny Lofton on the show? He’s great in podcasts

thank god for baseball and the old school guys

The game was so much better when Roger played. Baseball had the LeBrons, Stephs, and Giannis.

Yo Adam. Here's how to actually answer that question: "What are your thoughts on the new pitch clock in baseball?"

This is GOLD. Can't get any more important insights on pitching than this guy. Love the Big D story, too.

I haven't played baseball since high school but this dude is hypnotic to listen to.

MLB wouldn't be in this situation if the batters stayed in the batters box and be ready for their job to hit. I hate the banning the shift because if they truly are hitters they would just hit the other way from the infielders

They should have simply made it an 18 second clock with no one on, and a 24 second clock with runners on. That would speed things up just a little, while still allowing some strategy and nuance.

The key to the pitch clock is going to be if pitchers can make it work for them, like Scherzer is experimenting with. I really see offense going down this year and will continue to be down with the one time rule per at bat. Say for example you’re a pitcher, you’re facing a pull hitter, first pitch you go outside edge- if it’s a strike looking now you burn a pitch, but hold till below 8 seconds on the clock, that hitter isn’t going to be comfortable and call time. Now it’s 1-1 but they have no way to stop the at bat. Fast pitch once, then slow pitch the other.

I think the pitch clock should be used with nobody on but once a runner gets on base it needs to be increased or removed , with nobody on you can have the clock but soon as runner reaches base the strategy of baseball comes in.

Speeding up the game at the expense of higher level play can only ever be a negative change.

I'm an old man and I've watched and played baseball for multiple decades - I say that because I have SOME perspective and I'd offer that blaming changes on 'shorter attention spans' and not an attempt to address a fundamental flaw in baseball is a bit of a cop out. Baseball has some of the best action in sports once it actually occurs, but it also has some of the longest periods of inaction in sports which has slowly made the game inaccessible to folks that have a less-than-3.5-hour allocation of time for their favored sport..

He makes some interesting points, but players will adjust accordingly. 15 and 20 seconds is plenty of time to get yourself to pitch. Games were under 3 hours for most of baseball's history, so there's no reason to yell at clouds about the pitch clock.

"Pace of play" is a totally overblown issue. As much as people talk about "batters adjusting their batting gloves between every pitch," actual pace of play on the field hasn't changed much over the last few decades. Games are a bit longer than they were a few decades ago, but that is the result of two main factors. 1) Over 10 minutes of commercial time was added between innings since 1984, and 2) during the '80s the use of situational pitching changes started to increase, and has continued over the years. Those extra 10 minutes of commercials and the added time for more pitching changes account for the vast majority of the added length of games since the '70s. When the players are actually on the field playing baseball, the game usually flows along at a perfectly reasonable, natural pace. Baseball is not meant to be played at warp speed at all times.

Scherzer is working this to his advantage. The batter gets one time out. he's ready to pitch and can freeze him if he wants.

Honestly one of the biggest issues with baseball is a lot of people don’t understand the mental aspect. And what the goals are. I think the tv broadcast could do a better job at explaining what the pitcher is trying to do and all the mental games that go along. The avg person thinks it’s just a guy throwing and another guy blindly swinging. If people understood how much goes into a pitch and how much you study hitters. There’s a lot of entertainment value there but you gotta really understand the game to truly appreciate it.

You either like the game or you don't like the game. People have been complaining about the speed of the game for a long time. Yet still millions love and watch baseball. There is no reason to change the game for the few who don't appreciate the game for what it is.

A 1-0 pitchers duel in the ninth is not likely to have been 3 hours long even before the pitch clock.

Love the Drysdale story. We loved him here in LA.

Pitch clock should be 8 seconds from the time the pitcher catches the ball until he throws again If you have to stay on a BULL for 8 seconds….

Always love baseball content. Greatness sport in the world.

I could listen to these guys talk baseball for days

Hank Aaron: “Drysdale was tough, you know. If you didn’t hit him, he would hit you.” And: the manager once called for an intentional walk with Drysdale on the mound. He hit the batter because he didn’t want to waste four pitches to do what he could with one. (Of course, you actually had to pitch 4 balls intentionally in those days.) Different times.

Make the clock shorter for no men in scoring position, longer for men in scoring position, get rid of the clock in the 9th.

Adam waves his hands around more than a Yellowshirt on the flight deck.

One of the best things about baseball is the slower pace

It's throwing people out on base that I'm concerned about and that takes time and strategy.

I remember couple times standing in the batters box waiting for a pitcher to pitch, while he was playing around with his Rosin bag, taking his hat off, stepping off the mound, clearing his cleats. It's long overdue for pitchers to pitch. They hold up the game more then anything.

The psychological aspect of the game has been taken out. This generations attention span is as short as tik tok. People who really love baseball aren't looking at how long the game is. Their actually watching the game. The game within the game.

The only issue I have is the limiting of pick offs… I feel like it eliminates that whole aspect of the sport b/c the base runner can lead off as much as he wants if the pitcher throws over once

let's hope that pitch clock doesn't get ahold of PEDs and perform at a faster speed

Roger Clemens not understanding how pitching works? He says "Pitchers will become throwers with the pitch clock." Hmmmm....Nolan Ryan pitched without a pitch clock and pitched quickly. So did Warren Spahn, Tom Seaver, and Lefty Grove. And Greg Maddux pitched quickly. All of those pitchers would have comfortably been able to pitch the same way they did in real life if there had been a 20-second pitch clock. So, they were just "throwers?" The misconception about the pitch clock is that it "changes the game of baseball." It's not a CHANGE...it's a necessary mandate to get the pitcher vs. batter element of the game BACK TO THE PACE IT WAS FOR MORE THAN 100 YEARS. From the 1870s to the 1970s, pitchers pitched without a pitch clock, but they didn't need one because they understood that pitching rhythm is important, and that doesn't mean holding the ball and overthinking every pitch as if it's the seventh game of the World Series. I shouldn't be surprised that a tone-deaf person like Clemens, who defrauded the public and needed illegal drugs to stay in baseball, doesn't understand the difference between a rule that returns baseball to what it was, and what he says it will be. Why does anyone actually listen to this joker anyway?

Damn, Roger really let himself go. Dude should be in the HoF already.

A short attention span is not a bonus, it should be removed, not encouraged...SMDH...

America's past time, like America itself, moving toward more rules and less freedom.

It's a goddamn shame that this guy is not in the Hall of Fame.

Most of these pitchers grew up with pitch clocks in college and travel ball. I pitched in college in the 2000’s and we had pitch clocks on every single summer league tournament, travel hall tournaments or college invite tourneys. I’m not sure why it would be an adjustment ?

I see it benefitting someone like Verlander. He seemed to like going at a quicker pace.

I can throw a ball 180mph.

On the fence with it. Had it my way,old school baseball. No replays either

Next up Barry bonds…. Holt shit Roger Clemens

Love your passion for baseball Patrick good to hear your perspective Rocket 🚀

I think roger is wrong in his assessment. He’s talking about how he pitched, how he played the game…but the thing is he’s one of the guys that caused 2.5 or 3 hr games to take an extra half hour. His generation started it. Pitchers will be fine they just have to adjust. That’s what high level athletes do.

The problem isn't the pace of the game. The problem is MLB's inaccessibility. You can't watch the games unless you have cable or a MLB streaming service. God forbid you live within 4 hours of your team because they'll be blacked out anyway. NFL is on every tv screen. They promote themselves. They let the fans actually watch the games without forking over MORE of their hard earned money. MLB needs to take a look at that and not the length of the games. Look at what Disney has done with the marvel movies. It's the same 3 hour movie with a different title, but people still go watch that. The MLB doesn't value their fans, yet they are surprised the ratings are dropping. Changing the game is only going to drive away the fans that are still watching

-Stop the clock after the 7th inning & during playoffs... let the moments breath. Compromise is Always the Right Answer!

The new rules suck they were implemented to appease people who aren’t true fans

FYI - the full video link in the description is privated. The real link is at the end

Why would Adumb want to know about this if he didn’t know if it’s been in the game prior?

"I thought it was the ball !"

Enlarging the bases is the change they should be discussing. Otherwise, forcing disrespectful fools to curtail their silly, grandstanding is a good thing...sad, that it requires establishing a formal rule to bring a-holes into line but what else is new

They should give the amps AR glasses with the strike zone so they can call the right call every time and save some time and fights

I'm thinking with rushing the pitchers you're going to see a lot of home runs !

I think cranky pitchers throughing balls at people who are having to much fun is the biggest problem with baseball.

How can we make A circle rounder ?

Watch any superhero movie from the last 10 years and you'll understand why mlb thinks they need to speed the game up.

20 seconds is hardly enough time for Rocket to pull the needle out of his ass in between pitches. Don't talk to this guy about "honoring the tradition" of baseball.

If they want a faster game, drop the commercials and advertising

the bottom line with the new rule: some hate it. some love it. some dont care. the end.

The clock is stupid AF. The suits in the Ivory Tower have their heads in their butts. Look, if it ain't broken, don't fix it.

I have watched a game with a pitch clock and the game moves soooooooooo much faster!!!!!!!!!!

the rocket!!! I grew up watching him pitch!

The greatest starting pitcher ever. Hands down without a doubt. A complete joke that he’s not in

Do not try to fix something that is not broken. No need to try and get new fans because the real fans haven't left.

The thing that needs to change is to get rid of that insipid strikezone graphic. Who needs to be told where the strikezone is?

Who cares with Rodger Clemens thinks, he disgraced America's game.

I've always thought the at bat should belong to the pitcher. Meaning.. once the batter first steps into the batter's box for the first time it's now the pitcher's decision on how or when he throws the ball until the batter is out or gets on base and the at bat is over. if the batter steps out to get his bearings and the pitcher zings one in for a quick strike too friggin bad. Better be ready.

The game has changed for some time now.

Maybe the pitch clock needs 2 extra seconds, but batters do some ridiculous dances to get positioned ready to bat and the clock cuts all that nonsense. What we need is electronic home umps calling balls and strikes.

I've been enjoying baseball since the 70's. These new rules are going to ruin it.

Same people that implemented this pitch clock were probably the same dorks that thought putting FTX logos on all the umpires during Covid was a good idea. Stop changing the game

The pitch clock is not baseball at all but, I don't want 3 hour plus ballgames.

i cant wait for the game i love to be timed resulting in a shorter, lesser, easier-to-play product! if only ALL my favorite things would be cut down, shortened, and simplified!

The rocket, hated the guy growing up. Hell of a player though.

🐐🗣️

that is why I watch old baseball from the 90s and early 2000s on youtube. like collage football it is totally about money, production and just getting out the product without the soul of it. like everything else in this land the history has gone by the wayside.

OMG Adam , just spit the question out with out all the theatrics.

They’ve got ghost runners now, FFS… Baseball is dead.

MLb catering to fans who barely watch baseball in hopes of gathering more eyes or pleasing said ppl is ridiculous. If u wanna speed up the game then have less commercials in between innings and leave the game alone

Clemens was an amazing athlete, but his opinion on the clock turns pitchers into throwers is absurd. People adapt. Back in the day, pitchers worked much faster. I'm older than Clemens. My fave announcer was Jim Kaat and he was a fast pitcher. "Study long study wrong." was his big phrase. Clemens also cheated. He used PEDs for years. So he's got that on his record.

Most older people don’t understand how this will help the game tremendously by getting younger people more involved. Plenty of young people like baseball but aren’t going to sit down for over 3 hours of a game at home. Many of my friends watch multiple football games during football season and they’ll do the same with baseball now

Manny Ramírez was bat flipping against all them pitchers they didn’t do shit

Idk you rush a closer who miscalculates cause of a pitch clock and drills someone in the head won’t seem like a good idea

Soccer being a whole lot more boring than baseball manage to be the most popular sport in the world. Speeding up the game is not going to get the new generation interested. The game is not designed to be rigidly timed. This is about influecing the younger generation to be involed in the game, making kids want to be "like Mike" in basketball terms. NFL does a phenomenal job in marketing that the combine viewership makes a small market baseball team jealous.

For old fans that want baseball to go back to the way it was the pitch clock and banning of the shift is literally doing that. Quick games with more chances to show off the defense will make the game so much more exciting than it has for the past 20 years.

I don't watch baseball anymore! It's not the same game anymore!

You can play old school baseball with the pitch clock and the elimination of the shift. In fact, that IS old school baseball. The pitch clock will simply make the pitchers and batters stop their dancing and play baseball. I watched a video of the 9th inning of game 7 of the World Series from, I believe, 1968. The ENTIRE 9th inning was done in 15 minutes. That's old school baseball. I also watched a video where the ENTIRE half inning was completed in less time that it took for a reliever to throw his first pitch (2 pickoff attempts at 2nd, another bluff attempt, holding the set resulting in a step out by the batter, etc.) It was incredibly boring. Baseball has been more chess than action and I blame advanced analytics for that. Throw that crap out. It's time to get back to baseball.

The Yankees RUINED Roidger Clemens.

Is this podcast recorded in a bank vault? Lmao

Pitch Clock had to happen because today's players have become slow AF in everything they do. Go watch a game from the 70s and 80s and see how fast the game moves. This had to happen so we can return to something closer to how the game was played.

This is great for the game.

Baseball was made to be consumed & viewed live. But in a society that just wants to show up to take selfies and watch their phone, they had to go to a pitch clock.

Coming from a guy complaining about the rules 🙄😑💉

Now 2 strikes out and three balls walk please! It's sooooo boring right now!