Former Atlanta Braves pitcher Kris Medlen discusses the new pitch clock
The new rules surrounding pitch clock resulted in shorter games during the 2023 MLB season.
With adding the 20-second clock between pitched, game lengths on average shortened around 30 minutes a contest, to an average of two hours and 37 minutes according to CBC Sports. That's over 80 hours a season for an MLB team when stretched over a 162-game schedule.
Former Atlanta Braves pitcher Kris Medlen join our podcast, The Braves Today Podcast, to discuss his thoughts on the first season of the pitch clock and how it would not really have impacted his game.
"Every team has an entire crew of people who are like, 'This is what we're doing. This is the game plan.' And they're like, screw the runner, that's fine," Medlen said. "We're going for strikeouts. We're going for swings and misses. And that wasn't my style. I was like, two seamer, change up pitch to contact pitch quick. So you talk about the pitch clock, me being happy to be there, obviously, I was ready to get it over with. I'm ready for a couple of beers. I enjoyed the moment when I was there, but I was like, "Let's go. You're out. You're out. Oh, base hit. Cool, you're out." You're either going to get a hit or I'm going to get you out. Let's not delay this. I'm enjoying myself, but my goodness, let's go. So I don't think the pitch clock would totally affect me and my mentality, but me, as a fan, I do enjoy 45, 30 minutes shorter games."
In 2024, the MLB will reduce the pitch clock from 20 seconds in between pitches to 18 seconds. In 2023, pitchers began their pitches with an average of 7.3 seconds remaining.
Last year, Jonny Venters opened the doors to Legacy Sports Complex in Suwanee, GA after recognizing the growing demand for a sports and fitness training facility that would provide quality training for all age groups, especially kids.
Last week, he announced the addition of Medlen to the company's ownership group. “Kris’ passion for health and fitness, coupled with his knowledge and experience in collegiate and professional sports, aligns perfectly with the ethos of our team,” said Venters of his former teammate and new business partner. “We’re looking forward to working together and continuing to offer a five-star sports and fitness experience to all.”
The announcement comes less than two months after Venters welcomed former Atlanta Falcons Mohamed Sanu, Christian Blake, Sean Weatherspoon, and Elijah Wilkinson to the ownership team.
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