For more than 150 years, professional baseball stood apart from all the other team sports. There was no clock! This meant that games were played with leisure. There were no restrictions on how long a player could rest between the pitches, and games could even go beyond four hours. But things changed in 2023 when MLB’s Rob Manfred introduced a pitch clock. So, now the pitcher had to throw within 15 seconds when bases were empty and 10 seconds when runners were on base. If not followed, then there were penalties that players had to face.

While Manfred received praise, he was also the victim of plenty of backlash. Manfred was bashed for modifying the sport by the traditionalists. Some even complained that making the game fast-paced would lead to more injuries. They said that players wouldn’t have time to rest or even strategize. However, Manfred has found a prominent backer—Alex Rodriguez–who has openly appreciated the change. 

“Wonderful” – Alex Rodriguez backs Rob Manfred and the pitch clock

A stellar New York Yankee player, Rodriguez has played a lot of long stretches. So, his support is like a breath of fresh air. Alex Rodriguez said that Rob Manfred should be inducted into the Hall of Game just for implementing that change. “He deserves to go to the Hall of Fame just for this one change he did alone, which is the time clock. You’ve gone from three and a half hours to under two or two and change. That’s been wonderful. I’m probably in the minority, Jason, and where I’m incredibly bullish on baseball long term,” Rodriguez said on Bloomberg Podcasts.

Moreover, the stats back Rodriguez. In 2023, the average timing of a nine-inning game dropped to two hours and 40 minutes, the shortest since 1985. This reduction, compared to the usual four-hour-plus games, also contributed to increased attendance. Fan attendance rose by over six million.

This leap is the largest since the 30-team era began in 1998! Even Gary Cohen, the SNY announcer for Mets games, told SBJ, “I consider the pitch clock to be the second greatest invention in history — right behind fire.” However, while A-Rod is all supportive of the pitch clock and it breathing new life to baseball, he is still not in complete agreement with all of Manfred’s decisions. 

The need for storytelling in MLB

There is one area that the former New York Yankee player wants the MLB to change—storytelling. Alex Rodriguez thinks that the MLB isn’t doing their best to promote players. According to A-Rod, metrics aren’t everything and to be able to take the helmet off the players and showcase the stories of players is crucial. “Look, you have Otani, you have Judge, you have so many wonderful stories. But I think over the next three to five years, baseball should start changing the conversation and really taking the helmets off these great players so we can be invested in them, so then we can cheer for them.”

A-Rod mentioned other sports like the NFL, which used a personalized marketing approach through their show Hard Knocks. Now this show is geared towards storytelling. It’s a documentary-style show where each season a team of cameras follows an NFL team through training to the regular season. This behind-the-scenes series is exciting and helps connect the fans to the players more. Let’s not forget that F1 and NASCAR saw a huge increase in their global fan base after launching their respective shows. 

A-Rod believes that MLB needs more than just a faster game right now. Fans need to know more about the day-to-day journey of the highs and lows of their favorite players. He even mentioned how people know more about Anthony Edwards with his Netflix documentary coming out rather than Shohei Ohtani or Judge. “These guys are world-class, historic players, but we need to invest in marketing these players and getting to know them,” said Alex Rodriguez.

Well, Alex Rodriguez is definitely being himself—never shying away from speaking the truth. Whether it supporting something others might not or pointing out something brutal, A-Rod is not shy to call out. Do you agree with his thought? Let us know in the comments.