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A16 sports
Tuesday 9 april 2024

Gerrit Cole says MLB, union bickering over ered” and termed Clark’s evolved because of tech-
“a
combative nology in ways that are
remarks
pitch clock sounds like 'divorced parents' statement” that was “nar- damaging to pitchers’
row” and “doesn’t include health.
all the other factors that “We have the ability to
may have also contributed teach more break and
to it, as well.” teach new pitches and
MLB instituted a pitch clock we can do it within one
for the 2023 season set at month,” he said. “But what
15 seconds with nobody on kind of effect does that
and 20 seconds when there have on a pitcher going
was a baserunner. The av- forward, like in terms of one
erage time of a nine-inning year out, two years out,
game dropped to 2 hours, three years out? We don’t
40 minutes, a 24-minute de- really know. What we do
crease to its shortest since know is when guys were
1985. The 11-man competi- more healthy, we weren’t
tion committee decided in able to go to a pitching lab
December to cut the clock and concoct a new pitch
to 18 seconds with baser- and then use that at a 35%
unners, a change that was clip for the next six months
opposed by the four players and only have practiced it
on the body. two months before we roll
Cole said the sport has it out.”q

Major League Baseball Players Association Executive Director Tony Clark answers a question
during a news conference in New York on March 11, 2022.
Associated Press

By RONALD BLUM ing reporters, he went to should not dismiss the play-
AP Baseball Writer the dugout to watch the ers’ concerns. He said he
NEW YORK (AP) — New York solar eclipse. Players’ as- felt he was gassed early
Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole sociation head Tony Clark in some starts last year be-
faulted Major League Base- in a statement Saturday cause of the clock and
ball and the players’ associ- claimed a shorter pitch would like MLB to show “em-
ation for bickering over the clock — which MLB insti- pathy.” “Rob cares about
pitch clock last weekend, tuted despite player oppo- the players. He’s supposed
comparing their behavior sition — has contributed to to care about players, he’s
to divorced parents. a series of pitcher injuries. supposed to really deeply NCAA President Charlie Baker speaks to reporters Friday,
The reigning AL Cy Young Cleveland’s Shane Bieber, care about them, like that Feb. 23, 2024, in Washington.
Award winner and former Atlanta’s Spencer Strider, is his job,” Cole said. “I don’t Associated Press
member of the union’s the New York Yankees’ know if he wrote that state- NCAA president hopeful women's
eight-man executive sub- Jonathan Loáisiga, Miami’s ment, I don’t know who
committee spoke about the Eury Pérez and Oakland’s wrote that statement, but teams rewarded for appearance
union’s statement Saturday Trevor Gott are among the did anyone put a name on in tournament like the men
that questioned whether pitchers recently diagnosed it? At least Tony did.”
the clock caused pitcher with elbow injuries. Cole said MLB and the By DOUG FEINBERG son to give women's teams
injuries and MLB’s response MLB said the union’s claim union need to listen to and AP Basketball Writer financial compensation. The
dismissing the concerns. “ignores the empirical evi- speak with each other. CLEVELAND (AP) — De- NCAA signed a new eight-
Cole has been sidelined dence and much more “It’s shortsighted,” he said. spite huge TV ratings and year deal with ESPN worth
since spring training by right significant long-term trend, “We are going to really unprecedented attention for $115 million per year for 40
elbow inflammation. over multiple decades, of understand the effects of women's basketball, teams sports.
“I’m just frustrated it’s a velocity and spin increases what the pitch clock is in the NCAA Tournament "We just signed a new con-
combative issue,” he said. that are highly correlated maybe five years down the don't cash in like their male tract with ESPN and women's
“It’s like, OK, we have di- with arm injuries.” road, but to dismiss it out counterparts. basketball is a big and im-
vorced parents and the The league said it is under- of hand I didn’t think that NCAA President Charlie portant part of that deal,"
child’s misbehaving and going a research study into was helpful to the situation. Baker is hoping that will Baker said Sunday prior to
we can’t get on the same causes of increased inju- I think the players are obvi- change as early as next tipoff of the women's na-
page to get the child to ries. It cited an unpublished ously the most important season. tional championship game
behave, not that the play- analysis by Johns Hopkins aspect of this industry and Under the current system, won by South Carolina. "It
ers are misbehaving, but we that “found no evidence to this product and the care men's teams that make the will also send a huge signal
have an issue here and we support that the introduc- of the players should be of tournament are rewarded to women's basketball gen-
need to get on the same tion of the pitch clock has utmost importance to both with financial performance erally about the fact you
page to at least try and fix increased injuries” and “no sides. MLB did nothing il- dollars — known as units. play in the tournament, you
it.” evidence that pitchers who legal by pushing the pitch It has been estimated that do well, you will benefit fi-
Cole spoke for about 20 worked quickly ... or sped clock. They have unilateral teams in this year's men's nancially as well as in the
minutes after throwing for up their pace were more rights to create whatever field can make millions, the other ways."
the first time since he was likely to sustain an injury rule they wanted to. value increasing the deeper The NCAA still needs to
diagnosed with the elbow than those who did not.” “I know it’s not black and they go in the tournament. figure out how units would
injury. The 33-year-old right- Cole said players feel white like both of the state- While nothing has been be distributed, how much
hander is on the 60-day “caught in the middle” of ments,” Cole added. He approved yet, Baker said they would be worth and
injured list and hopes to re- the squabble and main- said players felt “our opin- the finance committee is how conferences would be
turn in June. After address- tained Manfred and MLB ion has not been consid- targeting the 2024-25 sea- involved. q