MLB Fans Furious After Ump’s Pitch Clock Call on Cody Bellinger

The violation has been called the worst of the season after the MLB rule changes.

The significant Major League Baseball rule changes for the 2023 season, largely aimed to speed up the game, have been broadly popular so far this year. The pitch clock is probably the most significant in shaving down dead time in the game, and for that, fans are usually quite thankful.

However, there are some moments that baseball should still let breathe. Cody Bellinger’s return to Dodger Stadium was certainly one of them. The former Dodgers star, now with the Cubs, got a pretty touching standing ovation from the L.A. faithful on Friday night … until the moment was abruptly soured by a pitch clock violation call, putting the count at 0–1 in favor of pitcher Noah Syndergaard.

In 99% of at-bats, the pitch clock works as intended and fans are usually grateful to have a game run closer to two hours than the occasional four that would take place prior to the rule. Still, some moments should be given some extra time, and fans and members of the baseball media are largely in agreement that Bellinger’s at-bat was one of them.

After the game, Chicago manager David Ross said the call “wasn’t [his] favorite thing of the night,” per Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune. Bellinger addressed the moment himself after the Cubs’ 8–2 win:

“Really cool. I got super emotional during it. It brought back a lot of memories that I remembered, so it was a good ovation,” he said. “I was surprised [by the violation] but rules are rules, I guess, at the end of the day. So once I got dinged, I just locked it in and was competing from there.”