MLB fans react to memo clarifying pitch timer rules in regard to hitters: "So dumb to have all these rules" "Hitters were gaming the system"

MLB hitters have started taking advantage of the pitch timer rules, which the league has put a quick stop to. Rob Manfred sent out a memo to all teams clarifying the pitch timer rules in regard to hitters.

The memo states that any hitter attempting to gain an advantage with the pitch timer will be an automatic violation. It doesn't matter if the batter has one of both feet in the box. They must be ready to engage with the pitch before the eight-second mark.

This comes days after Kenley Jansen was given two violations in Boston's series with St. Louis. Willson Contreras duped Jansen into thinking he was ready, as Contreras had his bat up and looked at the pitcher. Howeever, he only had one foot in the box, leading to the quick-pitch violations.

People around the game believed this would happen when the announcement of a pitch timer became public. There are many instances where a batter has the advantage against a pitcher with the new rules.

MLB fans aren't surprised to hear the league is tweaking the pitch timer rules. The timer gave all the advantages to the hitters while rushing pitchers.

Other fans don't like the league changing the rules once again. Especially when pitchers like Max Scherzer have tried to find their way around the pitch timer rules.

MLB needs to get a handle on its rules

MLB needs to clarify its rules, and that needed to happen before the rules were set in place. Every sports league has to think about all of the possibilities that come from a rule before implementing it.

It would be a bad look for the league if the memos have to be sent out continually. Baseball fans would come unglued if this happens throughout the season and rule changes were made ahead of the postseason.

The league has to evaluate the possibility of anything else like this happening. They need the rules to be transparent and set in place so everyone understands them without confusion.

It will be interesting to see if any more rules get tweaked down the road. As Manfred said before the season started, the league is not handcuffed to any of the new rules as they are.

About the author

Jared "Bloomy" Bloom is a journalist covering Major League Baseball at Sportskeeda and a former college baseball pitcher from Illinois, who just graduated with a Master's degree in Sport Psychology.

A writer with over 3 years of experience, Jared is consistently more concerned with quality than quantity, thoroughly checking multiple sources of information, and prides himself in being knowledgeable not just about MLB, but the game of baseball in general. He loves breaking down plays and game-changing moments, as well as looking closer into players' statistics.

Jared is a die-hard Chicago White Sox fan, and one of his earliest memories is seeing his great-grandfather, a huge Sox fan, in his rocking chair watching a game. Jared started playing from the age of 5 with his grandfather coaching him early on.

Jared loved Tim Lincecum for his quirky delivery and looked up to him as a role model when playing. His current favorite is Phillies star Bryce Harper, an exciting player who doesn't let injuries hold him back. Jared's favorite sports moment is Mark Buehrle's opening day between-the-legs glove flip to first base in 2010.

When he is not watching or writing about baseball, Jared can be found racing BMX at his local Rockford BMX track or coaching his local youth travel baseball team.

Know More