With opener looming, Kirk and Blue Jays must master new, ‘confusing’ rule now

DUNEDIN, Fla. — With one out within the fourth inning Friday evening, Blue Jays starter Alek Manoah wanted a bit extra time.

Darick Hall of the Phillies was on the plate with a full rely, and Manoah wished to make sure he threw the best pitch. With the pitch clock counting down, Manoah realized he was operating out of time to get on the identical web page as catcher Alejandro Kirk.

But beneath baseball’s new guidelines, pitchers can’t step off the rubber when the bases are empty — an interruption in play should be initiated elsewhere. Realizing this, Kirk known as time, and it was granted by dwelling plate umpire Brennan Miller.

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The downside was, Kirk stayed the place he was as a substitute of beginning to transfer towards the mound — a violation of the brand new guidelines. Miller, a first-year umpire who’s well-acquainted with the pitch clock from his work within the minor leagues, did what he ought to beneath the circumstances. The violation resulted in an computerized ball, permitting Hall to achieve first on a stroll and prompting Blue Jays supervisor John Schneider to jog out of the dugout in quest of an evidence.

In the tip, a spring-training stroll is comparatively innocent. But the incident illustrated the changes gamers are nonetheless making to MLB’s new guidelines, and — most significantly for the Blue Jays — it confirmed that after arriving late to camp, Kirk nonetheless has some changes to make earlier than the video games really matter.

“In this case, I asked for time out but I stayed there for maybe a second or two,” Kirk mentioned afterwards by way of interpreter Hector Lebron. “That’s why it was ball four.”

“To tell you the truth, it’s a little bit confusing with the speed of the game,” Kirk added. “You’ve really got to be thinking ahead (in case) anything happens, but I feel pretty good right now with the rules.”

An analogous subject occurred earlier in spring, however after all that’s why Grapefruit League video games are performed. As supervisor John Schneider sees it, so long as Kirk has a full grasp of the foundations by Opening Day on Thursday, the Blue Jays might be tremendous.

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“It’s good it’s happening now,” Schneider mentioned. “I feel it’s occurred twice with Kirky in three-ball counts, the place it’s ‘all proper, you bought to name time and make a mound go to.’ He known as time, but it surely took him some time to get on the market. So it’s simply initiating with the mound go to versus calling time and ready a bit bit. So, nonetheless working by way of the foundations a bit bit, particularly Kirky. He received a late begin on camp (because of the beginning of his daughter), so it’s good that it occurs now.”

Afterwards, Manoah agreed that that is the best setting for any miscommunication to happen. At the identical time, he expressed some frustration with the stroll, remarking: “these rules are getting a little out of hand.”

Regardless, the foundations are right here to remain at this level and whereas there’s a level of umpire discretion concerned, gamers should assume that any infractions might be known as by the e-book. Under these circumstances, Manoah desires Kirk to name day out at any time when the pitch clock’s at three seconds or much less and so they have but to agree on an indication.

“This pitch clock’s kind of a new thing,” Manoah mentioned. “He hasn’t had as a lot recreation motion to appreciate ‘OK, we’re down to a few seconds.’ Once we get to a few seconds, there’s no time for even him taking the prospect of calling one other pitch and it not being the best one, as a result of even whether it is (the one Manoah desires) I’ve like one and a half seconds to react after which throw.

“So I think just him having that awareness the more and more he plays and more and more he understands that pitch clock. We’re all trying to still learn this thing. I just learned that rule.”

MLB is anticipated to permit pitchers to proceed calling their very own video games with PitchCom gadgets worn on their gloves. But for pitchers like Manoah, preferring a extra conventional strategy to recreation calling, there’s stress to agree on a pitch shortly.

Thankfully for the Blue Jays, Kirk and Manoah have a powerful understanding of each other, having labored collectively 30 instances throughout the common season final yr, plus as soon as extra within the All-Star Game and once more within the playoffs.

“That helps,” Kirk mentioned. “We’ve almost always on the same page. Yet of course there are going to be days with the new rules that we probably won’t be on the same page, but I’d say we’ll adapt to that and we’re going to be fine.”

Whenever they aren’t in settlement, the answer is easy: Kirk should name time and instantly head in direction of Manoah. It’ll price the Blue Jays considered one of their allotted mound visits, however as Manoah mentioned: “It’s better than ball four, you know.” And higher to make  these errors now so long as it means avoiding them later.

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