- Chris Smith, former MLB pitcher with the Detroit Tigers, the Yankees, Nationals and the Blue Jays discusses Spring Training & the Pitch Clock
- Chris is now in real estate and working on a business plan to help baseball players find investments and properties around spring training facilities.
- Pitchers and catchers have started reporting for spring training.
- The World Baseball Classic, (WBC), is coming up & will impact Spring Training rosters
- The Dominican Republic team is expected to be strong, with many players showing national pride.
- Notable players both past & present on the Dominican Republic team include Big Papi, Pedro Martinez, Manny Machado, Vlad Jr., Wander Franco, and Julio Rodriguez.
- Encourages listeners to visit Spring Training baseball parks.
- Pitch Clock: 15-second pitch clock rule and how batters and pitchers can take advantage of the rule's eight-second allowance.
- Batter Behavior: Expresses dissatisfaction with batters' behavior, including putting up their hands to the umpire two or three times with one at-bat, which disrupts the pitcher's rhythm. Batters can have a 1 strike penalty
- Impact of Pitch Clock: Different pitchers have different routines that may effect timing
- Old School vs. New Rules: Admits not being a big fan of the new rules but acknowledges the need to attract more fans.
- Stealing Bases: New rule of 2 toss overs will limit the pitcher's opportunities to pick-off runners who want to steal base
- This rule and the larger bases will impact the game's strategic plays, as players will be more likely to steal base, examples Jon Berti of the Marlins, & Tampa Bay Rays, Randy Arozarena
- Can you imagine how many more stolen bases would Ricky Henderson would have made with the new rules?
Special thanks to Chris Smith for sharing the pitcher’s perspective.
Chris can be reached For Real Estate in 502-523-9461 or Chris.Smith@Compass.com
Resources:
MLB 2023 Rule Changes:
https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-new-rules-for-2023-faq
https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-network-on-new-baseball-rule
World Baseball Classic Brackets:
https://www.mlb.com/world-baseball-classic
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Special thanks to XTaKeRuX for the music "Rocking Forward"
Some Show Note edits based on ChatGPT
