Gerrit Cole is among the pitchers who think MLB should at least reconsider its pitching clock, now in its second season.
“I’m frustrated by the fact that the players aren’t the main focus and I don’t feel like player care is the main focus,” Cole said Monday.
The latest public spat between MLB and the MLBPA over a possible link between pitching clocks and pitchers’ arm injuries erupted on Saturday, with executive director Tony Clark saying the team is issued a statement saying that concerns about the situation had “intensified.” See MLB’s own statement pointing to a Johns Hopkins University study that ruled out a possible link between pitch clocks and injuries.
“When I read the response from MLB, I didn’t think it was that thorough,” Cole said. “It’s short-sighted to say that something you introduce in one year won’t have an effect. You probably won’t really see the effects of a pitch clock until five years from now. To dismiss it right away is short-sighted. I didn’t think it would help the situation.”
Cole, who was involved with the union for the first 10 years of his major league career and has been sidelined since March with an elbow injury, said both sides need to reject that statement.
“My first thoughts on the argument between the two were [sides] I was really disappointed,” Cole said.
The veteran right-hander said it’s important to focus on a number of factors, including increased effort on each pitch, improved speed and movement, and a pitch clock that was cut by two seconds by the league this season.
“It would be irresponsible for either side to say it doesn’t affect a pitcher’s elbow or shoulder,” Cole said. “That doesn’t help.”
He said he wants “empathy or something” from the league, adding that he doesn’t believe the pitch clock was to blame for the inflammation in his elbow that will sideline him until at least June.
“We want higher performance, but we also want durability,” says Cole. “What we want is [Shohei] Pitcher Ohtani, we want Shane. [Bieber] throw. …If there’s one thing we all have to be on the same side of, it’s having the best players possible. ”
Cole and Yankees manager Aaron Boone said there was no clear answer on what to do about the number of elbow injuries, with Cole, Ohtani, Bieber and others suffering arm injuries.
But what bothered Cole even more was the fact that the league didn’t seem to be taking the association’s concerns seriously.
He noted that MLB has the right to implement the clock in 2023 and reduce it starting this season, but he did not agree to that.
“I think the most important thing in this industry and product is the players,” Cole said. “And player care should be of paramount importance to both parties.”
That’s why Cole said “both sides” have a responsibility to address the situation.
He also took aim at MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred.
“Rob is supposed to care about his players,” Cole said. “That’s his job.”
Cole asked if Manfred had signed MLB’s statement rebutting the MLBPA’s opening salvo.
When told that no one signed it, Cole replied, “At least Tony did.”
