Former Dodger Cody Bellinger Dinged for Pitch Clock Violation During Standing Ovation Tribute in LA Return

Longtime Dodgers outfielder and current Cubs center fielder Cody Bellinger received a video tribute and standing ovation when he returned to Los Angeles, but found himself called for a pitch clock violation by HP Umpire Jim Wolf when he failed to be alert to the pitcher at 8 seconds, because he was acknowledging the fans that were applauding him in his first plate appearance at Dodger Stadium since leaving the team.

MLB's pitch clock rules state that batters must be in the batter's box and alert to the pitcher at the eight-second mark of the countdown timer, while pitchers must begin their delivery or disengage prior to the expiration of time. Bellinger wasn't yet alert to Dodgers pitcher Noah Syndergaard at the eight-second mark, and HP Umpire Wolf thus called him for a violation of the batter's pitch clock requirement. No matter for Chicago, which nonetheless won the game, defeating the Dodgers 8-2.

Since baseball revises and tweaks its rules in response to events that may occur during gameplay (e.g., the so-called Max Scherzer rule instituted in Spring Training declaring that a pitcher may not come set prior to the batter becoming alert in the box), will the extenuating circumstance of a player simply acknowledging a crowd giving them a standing ovation on their first at-bat since returning to a former team's city qualify as an event that causes the sport to add an exemption to the pitch clock rule?

Only time will tell | Video as follows:

Alternate Link: Bellinger's thanks to the fans turns into pitch clock violation in LA (CHC/LAD)