Understanding MLB “Time Plays”: Three Real-Game Examples That Every Team Should Know
Play No. 1 The Twins hosted the Cubs on July 9th, 2025. In the bottom of the fourth, Harrison Bader was batting facing Cade Horton. The Twins had Royce Lewis on third and Matt Wallner on first with two outs when Wallner broke for second on a 0-1 pitch. Wallner got into a rundown between…
Keeping the Force Alive: Four MLB Plays That Show the Power of Smart Base-Running Rules
Play No. 1 Walker Keeps Force Alive The Braves hosted the Astros on September 19, 2025. In the bottom of the fourth, Atlanta had Ronald Acuña Jr. on first with one out when Blake Baldwin hit a ground ball to first baseman Christian Walker. Acuña briefly froze before retreating to first. Walker tagged Acuña, who…
The Baseline Rule: Understanding Runner Restrictions and Umpire Judgments in Baseball
Understanding the baseline rule can pay dividends on both sides of the ball. The Official Baseball Rules refer to the runner’s baseline as his base path under Rule 5.09 (b) (1). But I think there is a distinction between a base path and a baseline. When a runner is in a base path he has…
The Bizarre Walk-Off That Was Almost Ruined by a Dugout Celebration
In a Pacific Coast League game between Triple-A Reno (D-backs) and Albuquerque (Rockies) on May 21, 2025, at Greater Nevada Field, chaos ensued when the home team celebrated a bit prematurely. Here’s how the play was basically reported: With Reno trailing 4-3 in the bottom of the ninth inning and one out, Connor Kaiser delivered…
Batter Inference NOT Called
The Phillies and Diamondbacks played at Chase Field on September 19, 2025. In the top of the sixth, Nick Castellanos struck out looking on a 3-2 pitch from Jalen Beeks with Brandon Marsh on first base and one out. Marsh stole second on the pitch. After Castellanos struck out, he walked into the throwing lane…
Defensive Shift Violation
The Mariners and Royals played at Kauffman Stadium on September 18, 2025. In the top of the eighth, Dominic Canzone was facing Stephen Kolek with one out when he hit a ground ball to second baseman Michael Massey, who tossed to first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino for the apparent 4–3 out. But Mariners manager Dan Wilson…
Poor Time Play Execution
The Padres and Mets played at Citi Field on September 17, 2025. In the top of the sixth inning, the Padres had Elías Díaz on second and Fernando Tatis Jr. on first with two outs when Luis Arraez hit safely to right field. The ball was fielded by Juan Soto, who gunned down Arraez at…
When Basepaths Collide: Understanding Runner Interference and Baseball’s “Right of Way”
I once read that car accidents are often caused by a driver who didn’t see the other driver. I’m sure in some situations, neither driver saw the other. This is true in the game of baseball when a runner impedes a defensive player from making a play or a defensive player hinders a runner who…
Understanding “Time of the Pitch” in Baseball: How Umpires Determine Base Awards
There are several situations in the game of baseball when umpires determine the award of bases based on the last base touched by the runner’s position at the “Time of the Pitch,” which is defined as the moment the pitcher’s movements commit him to deliver the ball to the batter. A runner who attempts to…