We have our first Red Sox player to openly complain about the pitch clock

You knew it was going to happen eventually, but it's finally happened. A Red Sox player has blatantly and openly criticized the new pitch clock.

And obviously, said player thinks the clock is moving too quickly for him. That would be Red Sox starter Nick Pivetta, who was actually a bit of a surprising source for the complaint, because he pitched really well on Monday night against the Tampa Bay Rays.

As much as I could call Pivetta a selfish a-hole for complaining about the pitch clock right after a good game (Mike and Tony took care of that), I actually give him credit. He could've easily said this after pitching poorly, which would have made him look like a sore loser, a petty excuse-maker. But Pivetta pitched five scoreless innings, allowing only three hits and striking out six, and STILL worked in his take about the pitch clock after the game. Such salt, I kind of respect it.

“I mean, I think the pitch clock’s way too fast,” Pivetta said. “I think with how the game’s going, it’s going quick, but I think there’s times where pitchers need to be able to slow down. Luckily we can kind of manipulate some things here and there. But I felt good for the most part. I was able to compete in the strike zone and do my job.”

Pivetta isn't even complaining too loudly, just sharing his honest opinion on the matter. But the annoying part is the "manipulate some things here and there" comment. He's openly admitting he wants to exploit the rules as much as he can to slow the game down for his own benefit. Shouldn't he recognize that he might be better off being forced to work quickly? It obviously helped him Monday night.

It also helped the fans and their overall viewing experience. The game, which the Sox lost 1-0, zipped by in just two hours and six minutes. Not every game will be THAT fast, but it's been a refreshing increase of the tempo across the major leagues to begin the 2023 season. Pivetta doesn't seem to care about that. Not that he should preoccupy himself with the fan experience, but they ARE the main reason he gets to make more than $5 million to throw a baseball.

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Hopefully, Pivetta just continues to pitch well, because that certainly matters a lot more than whatever he says into a microphone after the game. And hopefully he minimizes the screwin' around with the pitch clock and just accepts the rules, because it's not going to change for him. Fans have lives, too.

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Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @realmattdolloff. Check out all of Matt's content here.