Brian Snitker doesn’t sound happy about Braves game ending thanks to pitch clock rule

Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker didn’t sound happy about the team’s spring training game ending on a pitch clock violation.

Teams around baseball are struggling to adapt to MLB’s new pitch clock rule, which is designed to speed up the game as we know it. Overall, it should have a positive impact on the league and its viewership, which hardly has the time or patience for a 3.5-hour baseball game.

On Saturday, the Braves spring training game against the Red Sox ended in a 6-6 tie, as Cal Conley was called for a pitch clock violation with the bases loaded. Initially, Conley started walking towards first base, assuming the Boston pitcher had been called for the violation. Instead, it was Conley who was the culprit for walking outside the batter’s box. Conley wasn’t ready to hit at the eight-second mark.

“The umpire said I was looking down,” Conley told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I was looking down at the catcher as he was standing up. Not really sure if the pitcher was ready to go, (but the) catcher definitely wasn’t.”

Braves: Brian Snitker didn’t sound happy after the game

In the end, it’s only spring training — but Atlanta would rather have a real chance to win the game instead of the result being stripped from them.

“I don’t think this (rule) was intended for a game to end like that,” Snitker said, per The Athletic.

Were this to happen in an important regular-season contest, let alone a postseason game, there would be an uproar from just about every fanbase.

“I don’t think that’s going to happen during the season,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “But I mean, I saw it yesterday, in an LSU (college) game. So that’s why I’m not surprised. We were talking about it this morning. And guys have to be ready.”

In the end, players have to adapt. If not, umpires have the right of way to make such an important decision.