The Reasonably Set Pitch Clock Loophole & Alert Walk

We again saw a potential pitch clock loophole as HP Umpire Gabe Morales called Giants pitcher Jordan Hicks for a violation and automatic ball, resulting in a walk, as San Francisco complained that Nationals batter Joey Gallo failed to come set so that Hicks could pitch the baseball.

The issue here is the difference in pre-pitch requirements and restrictions for batters and pitchers between the pitch clock rules and the Official Baseball Rules which pre-date the pitch timer.

To refresh the pitch clock rules state, "Batters must be in the box and alert to the pitcher by the 8-second mark or else be charged with an automatic strike" while pitchers may not come set or begin delivery before the batter satisfies these criteria.

The pre-existing rules, on the other hand, further restrict the pitcher as OBR 6.02(a)(5) Comment (amongst other places) states, "A quick pitch is an illegal pitch. Umpires will judge a quick pitch as one delivered before the batter is reasonably set in the batter’s box. With runners on base the penalty is a balk; with no runners on base, it is a ball. The quick pitch is dangerous and should not be permitted."

Accordingly, a pitcher may not pitch to a batter before said batter is reasonably set, while a batter according to the pitch clock rules is not required to become reasonably set but only alert to the pitcher.

Alert is a lesser standard to achieve than "reasonably set" which means, theoretically, a pitcher may be entrapped into quick pitching a batter who is not "reasonably set" by the expiration of time (since the batter is not required to be).

Then again, perhaps the solution is to reinterpret "reasonably" to weed out any unfair gameplay.

Video as follows:
Alternate Link: Reasonably set, baseball's patchwork of rules don't speak the same language