The Carolina Mudcats (Brewers) executed the hidden ball trick, one of baseball’s oldest ruses, when they hosted the Buies Creek Astros of the Class A Advanced Carolina League on May 3. In the top of the seventh inning, the Astros, with runners on first and second, pulled off a successful double steal when the Mudcats’ […]
Someone once said, “Patience is the mother of all virtues.” That certainly holds true in the baseball sense. Every major league and minor league manager and bench coach needs to show patience in certain situations to maximize the benefits of the rule book. As we saw last week, Reds’ interim manager Jim Riggleman showed his […]
Confusion reigned in the first inning yesterday, May 9, 2018, at Great American Ball Park, where the Mets batted out of order in their game against the Reds. Before we look at what happened, a fundamental point of the rule is, when a batter bats out of order and it’s appealed, the batter who failed to bat […]
The Orioles pulled off a strange triple play at the expense of the Red Sox in Boston’s 5-2 win on May 2. With runners on first and second and no outs in the bottom of the eighth, Jackie Bradley Jr. skied a popup behind shortstop. O’s shortstop, J.J. Hardy, called off right fielder Joey Rickard before the ball fell between […]
According to rule 5.06 (G), when a wild throw by an infielder goes out of play or under a bench, the umpires must distinguish if it’s the “first play” or “second play” by the infielder. Remember, by rule, the fielding of a ground ball, line drive or fly ball is not the “first play.” What […]
The Reds and Indians played in Cleveland on May 23, 2017, when the Reds’ Zack Cozart was called for batter-runner interference. Cozart was clearly out of the runner’s box but did Indians’ pitcher Carlos Carrasco have a good throwing lane to first base? And even if he did, does it matter since Cozart was clearly […]
Before we look at a couple of recent batter-runner interference plays, let’s review the provisions and “interpretations” that cover rule 5.09 (a) (11) and the 45-foot long, 3-foot wide runner’s box that has been around since 1881. Keep in mind that the rule is designed to protect the fielder “taking” the throw, not “making” the […]
The Yankees and White Sox played on July 5, 2016, at U.S. Cellular Field. The Yanks had Brett Gardner on second base in the top of the ninth with no outs when Ronald Torreyes hit a high chopper toward first base. White Sox pitcher Michael Ynoa ran toward the ball to make a play but […]
You cannot assume your players know even the most basic rules. Take what happened at Fenway Park on May 1, 2018, when the Red Sox hosted the Royals. In the top of the 10th inning with the score tied 3-3, the Royals had runners on first and second and two outs when Sox catcher Christian […]
Prior to the 2017 season, a runner’s baseline (excluding a rundown) was restricted by the fielder’s tag attempt with ball in glove or hand and extended toward the runner. This season, however, there is a rule change. A fielder no longer has to have ball in glove or hand extended toward the runner to restrict […]