Nonetheless, as the age of the pitch clock begins, production teams and announcers have had to fundamentally change the way they present the game to fans. Orlins has a basis for the claim: the pitch clock was tested in the minor leagues last season, and violations dropped dramatically as players got more accustomed to the rule.

But I do think it’s going to naturally ebb and flow to where it becomes more routine as time goes on - for, players, and fans.”

“Obviously, it feels like a dominant storyline during Spring Training, and I think it’s going to feel like an important storyline the first couple of weeks of the season. “Whenever there are big rule changes like this, every has to address and deal with documenting the action as the primary goal and using your discretionary time to the best of your ability,” says ESPN VP, Production, Phil Orlins. Although the new rule - one of several intended to improve the pace of play this season - has forced pitchers and hitters to dramatically rethink their routines, broadcasters like ESPN are having to alter their approach to covering the game. The first pitch of the 2023 MLB season has yet to be thrown, but much has already been made of the new pitch clock.

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