Baseball purists lamenting the addition of a clock to monitor time between pitches and innings may have an Opening Day respite at Hadlock Field.

The three clocks provided by Major League Baseball arrived at Hadlock on Monday and, as of Wednesday afternoon, had yet to be installed.

Two will be offset behind home plate and another placed in center field.

If the clocks are not installed and fully functioning by noon Thursday, they will not be used when the Sea Dogs open their season Thursday night against the Reading Phillies, according to Sea Dogs General Manager Geoff Iacuessa.

Local contractors Sign Concepts and Campbell Electric are working on the installation, which is paid for by Major League Baseball. All 60 Double-A and Triple-A ballparks are being similarly outfitted to test whether the clocks can help speed the pace of play without being overly intrusive.

Iacuessa said he is one of the seven Sea Dogs employees trained in operation of the clocks, which will count down from 2 minutes, 25 seconds between innings and down from 20 seconds between pitches.

Only warnings will be issued for violations in April games. Beginning May 1, the penalty for pitchers who dawdle will be a ball awarded the batter. A batter who fails to beat the clock will have a strike called on him.

“I think it will be minimal impact,” Iacuessa said. “The guys will get used to it.”


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