Faster, Smarter, Quieter

What Baseball Gained—and Lost—on the Way to Getting It Right

We got rid of dead time, added tech, and made smarter decisions. But somewhere in the progress, baseball forgot how to breathe. (I know, I know, this is a big theme for me… and I will be hammering this home all season.)

They said they were saving baseball. And in a lot of ways, they were right.

The pitch clock trimmed the fat. Batters stepped in, pitchers sped up, and suddenly nine innings stopped feeling like a hostage situation. You could watch a full game without wondering if your grandkids would be born by the bottom of the seventh. It was smart. Necessary even.

And I’ll be honest, I like it. Mostly.

I like that there’s movement. I like that a routine Tuesday night Dodger game doesn’t drag past midnight for me, like we’re all in on some endurance test. I like that young fans can sit through a game without needing a fifth snack and a TikTok break. I like that the stolen base is back. That pitchers can’t game the clock. That hitters can’t step out for a full existential crisis after eve…