Mets' Max Scherzer infuriated rules didn't allow full warmup
Max Scherzer found a new reason to be mad about the pitch clock.
This one came between innings, as the Mets right-hander wasn’t allowed to throw his usual eight warm-up pitches before the top of the fifth inning in Thursday’s 4-2 win over the Phillies at Citi Field.
Home-plate umpire Tripp Gibson told Scherzer that the clock would expire if Gibson let him throw another pitch, since MLB rules prohibit any warm-up pitches once the clock between innings is below 30 seconds.
“You’re supposed to get eight warm-up pitches and I had seven,’’ Scherzer said. “I asked Tripp if I could have the eighth pitch. ‘Can I do my normal routine to warm up?’ And he’s telling me, ‘It’s the clock. It’s the clock.’ That’s what’s so frustrating.’’
Scherzer’s warm-up had been delayed in part because catcher Francisco Alvarez made the last out in the bottom of the fourth.
Max Scherzer (r.) speaks with umpire Tripp Gibson before the top of the fifth inning of the Mets’ win over the Phillies on June 1. AP
Max Scherzer pitches during the Mets’ win over the Phillies on June 1. Corey Sipkin for the NY Post
“Look, I’m doing my normal routine,’’ Scherzer said. “Why do we need to step through the game and have the umpires change routines when it’s not my fault for what’s going on here? I’m talking to Tripp and he’s sitting here saying he can’t do anything about it. If he lets me throw the pitch, MLB gets mad at him.”
Which is why Scherzer took issue with the rule and not with Gibson.
“This goes back to, why do we need a pitch clock for that situation?” Scherzer said. “If I throw one more pitch, what is it, one second slower? Why can’t the umpire have discretion in that situation to allow a pitcher to throw his eighth normal warm-up pitch? Why do we have to be so anal about this to have a clock shoved in everybody’s face to snuff out every single second that’s going through the game?”
Scherzer pointed out that the situation is bothersome to umpires, and not only to pitchers. He believes umpires should have more control over the game.
“It’s situations like that that are really frustrating not only for pitchers and players, but even the umpires,’’ Scherzer said. “Tripp’s handcuffed. Why is Tripp handcuffed to not allow a normal routine? Why can’t Tripp make that call? Umpires want to have that discretion. They want to allow the game to be normal. The umpires are as frustrated as we are that the game’s not normal and we’re living and dying by the clock. We’re way too far thinking about the clock in every single situation instead of having players have their normal routines.”
Max Scherzer walks back to the dugout during the Mets’ win over the Phillies on June 1. Robert Sabo for the NY Post
While Scherzer was upset, he managed to retire the side in order in the top of the fifth and allowed only two runs — one earned — in his seven-inning outing.
Source: New York Post
