The 2023 season has now been launched for two days in MLB, and clearly, we can already see the impact of the pitcher dial on the duration of games. The meetings are shorter, but it is mainly because there is a little more rhythm.
I’m not ready to say I’m totally sold yet, but the impact is already tangible.
On the other hand, the great fear with the dial of the launchers, it is that its presence prevents from letting the tension rise before the great moments. Imagine a World Series game in which a heavy at-bat ends in a dial violation. That would be a bit bitter, right?
However, MLB seems to be aware of such a possibility, and it seems to be flexible on the subject. Rob Manfred has effectively claimed that the league doesn’t want to set foot in stone on this.
The solution? Manfred opens the door to letting the umpires determine whether the timing is worth stopping the pitcher dial for an attendance (or a few attendances).
The commissioner therefore seems to want to rely on the judgment of the referees to let these great moments develop. In fact, the idea is not bad, but there is one thing that annoys me a bit:
What, exactly, is an important moment?
Clearly, not all referees have the same answer to this question, and it could greatly influence the course of a match (and perhaps even a club’s season if the moment really matters).
And I dare to believe that arbitrary decisions like this could give players and managers headaches, who wouldn’t really know what to expect in advance.
If MLB determines a definition of what such a moment is and asks its umpires to apply it, that seems to me to be the ideal solution. I really like the idea of the dial being off for important moments to let the tension build, but it’s the way it’s implemented that frustrates me.
In short, we will have to see how the file will evolve, but I can’t wait to see how MLB will handle the file. I hope we don’t leave all of this (only) in the hands of the referees, but obviously it seems to be a possibility.
