What did players learn about MLB's new 支配するs this spring?

• e-mail

PHOENIX (AP) - It was the defining moment of the recently finished World Baseball Classic: Japan's 星／主役にする 投手 Shohei Ohtani vs. 部隊d 明言する／公表するs 強打者 マイク Trout. Ninth inning. Two outs. One-run game.

Team USA 投手 Merrill Kelly said the storybook scene was just as 劇の for the players in the dugout as it was for fans watching. But he also 認める there was a thought that crept through his 長，率いる.

"How are we かもしれない going to put a pitch clock on a 状況／情勢 like this?" Kelly said.

井戸／弁護士席, we're about to find out.

Major League Baseball's new 支配するs 一括 is 始める，決める for its 正規の／正選手-season debut Thursday when all 30 teams play their first game. For many fans, it'll be the first time seeing the sport's sizable 名簿（に載せる）／表（にあげる） of 支配するs changes, 含むing a pitch clock, 限界s on 内野 転換s and bigger bases. They've been 実験（する）d in spring 展示s but weren't used in the WBC.

"This is the next level - having the 支配するs 適用するd in games that 事柄," said Diamondbacks three-time All- 星／主役にする Evan Longoria. "Nobody's getting numbers stamped on the 支援する of a baseball card during spring training.

The pitch clock runs as New York Mets' Daniel Vogelbach (32) warms up on deck during the fifth inning of a spring training baseball game against the St. Louis 枢機けい／主要なs, Saturday, March 25, 2023, in Port St. Lucie, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

"I think this is going to be a 抱擁する 調整."

The good news for baseball is that the 支配するs changes have been 広範囲にわたって 賞賛するd during spring training. Games move at a noticeably crisper pace: MLB says spring games 普通の／平均（する）d about 2 hours, 35 minutes through the first three weeks, 26 minutes shorter than spring games last season.

The 制限s on the 内野 転換 港／避難所´t been a 特に big 関心. The bigger bases - which could help 抑制（する） 衝突／不一致s and in 陪審／陪審員団s - have hardly been noticed.

MLB has also shown a 乗り気 to listen to feedback from players. Last week, the commissioner's office sent a 覚え書き trying to 明らかにする some 支配するs 問題／発行するs from spring training.

But everyone knows the real 実験（する） begins Thursday.

"I think there will be a lot more gamesmanship during the 正規の／正選手 season," Cubs 投手 Drew Smyly said.

Some of that showed in spring training. New York Mets エース Max Scherzer and other 投手s tried weaponizing the pitch clock, hurrying hitters or waiting them out within the bounds of the 15-second timer - 20 seconds with someone on base - to mess with their タイミング.

"Really, the 力／強力にする the 投手 has now - I can 全く dictate pace," the three-time Cy Young Award 勝利者 said.

The cat-and-mouse game between 投手s and would-be base stealers will be 特に intriguing during the season's 開始 weeks. 投手s can only 解放する／撤去させる from the rubber twice in each at-bat, meaning 限られた／立憲的な chances for pickoff 試みる／企てるs. If a 投手 解放する／撤去させるs a third time and doesn´t 記録，記録的な／記録する an out, a 妨げる is called and all 走者s 前進する one base.

Stolen bases and stolen base 試みる／企てるs during spring training 増加するd about 50% over the numbers from last year's spring games.

And they could jump again in the 正規の／正選手 season.

"We didn't want to tip our 手渡す, to be honest with you," D-支援するs 経営者／支配人 Torey Lovullo said of his team's running 戦略. "But 信用 me, we're working on things behind the scenes."

The 強調 on athleticism is at the 核心 of what MLB wants in its 2023 games, and the sport has been 積極的な in its marketing. A 最近の ビデオ on MLB.com - with the cheeky 肩書を与える "Get that 転換 ... outta here!" - featured `Breaking Bad´ actor Bryan Cranston celebrating the changes.

So far, it seems players and coaches are 慎重に 楽観的な the 支配する changes will be a good thing.

Los Angeles ペテン師 エース Clayton Kershaw said the idea of a pitch clock was much more scary than the actual pitch clock.

"I find myself 星／主役にするing at it and thinking about it more than I probably need to," the three-time NL Cy Young 勝利者 said. "As we get going into the 正規の／正選手 season, I don´t think it will 影響する／感情 me."

San Francisco 巨大（な）s 経営者／支配人 Gabe Kapler said he 推定する／予想するs the new 支配するs to take some of the mind games out of baseball.

"Before you could step out of the 乱打する´s box and catch your breath, look up at the sky, take your time getting 支援する in," Kapler said. "The worst you would get is the umpire 説, `Let´s go´. Now there is a real 刑罰，罰則 for it.

"Taking all the thoughts out of your 長，率いる. I think it will be most advantageous for the 競技者s."

The Ohtani vs. Trout 対決 in the WBC - which ended with Ohtani striking out his Los Angeles Angels チーム仲間 to 保存する a 3-2 victory for Japan - wasn't 支配する to this year's 支配するs.

Would the pitch clock make that 状況／情勢 move a little more briskly? Sure.

But Lovullo - the Diamondbacks 経営者／支配人 - said the good of the new 支配するs outweighs the bad. He was watching the U.S. play Mexico during the WBC a few weeks ago when he felt the game dragging a little. At first, he thought it was the eighth inning.

Then he realized it was just the third.

Suddenly, a pitch clock didn't sound so bad.

"I've adjusted and I think everyone's adjusted," Lovullo said. "I think the 支配するs are really good."

___

AP freelance writer Gary Schatz in Arizona 与える／捧げるd to this 報告（する）／憶測.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/中心/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Los Angeles Angels' Shohei Ohtani runs to first as he 飛行機で行くs out during the sixth inning of a preseason baseball game against the Los Angeles ペテン師 Sunday, March 26, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/示す J. Terrill)

< div class="image-wrap">

部隊d 明言する／公表するs' マイク Trout celebrates after hitting a two-run 選び出す／独身 against Colombia during the fifth inning of a World Baseball Classic game in 不死鳥／絶品, Wednesday, March 15, 2023. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. V?squez)