Oakland A’s

Expert Analysis

Catcher’s Interference: A Potential Game-Changing Decision for a Manager

Topics: Appeal, Base, Base Awards, Baseline, Batter, Batter Interference, Catcher Interference, Coach, Expert Analysis, Interference, Manager, Official Baseball Rules, Placing Runners, protest, Quick Pitch, Rules Controversy, Umpire, Uncategorized

Perhaps the most impactful catcher’s interference call of the 2020 season occurred in the deciding game of the White Sox vs. A’s series in Oakland. With the score tied 4-4 in the bottom of the fifth, Tommy La Stella was batting for the A’s with Sean Murphy on first base and two outs when La…

Expert Analysis

Toronto Manager Trades Out for Run, then A’s Protest Game

Topics: Replay Review, Umpire Manual Rules

It isn’t often that the manager of the offensive team will argue and request a replay challenge for the purpose of adding an out to his team while they are at bat. But thanks to the age of video replay and knowledge of the force out rule, former Toronto manager John Gibbons did that on…

Expert Analysis

The New MLB Intentional Walk Rule

Topics: Blog, Manager, Pitcher, Rules Changes

The new MLB intentional walk rule has had little effect on the overall length of major league games. It was not a particularly bold move, but it does represent a changing of the mindset of those decision makers to speed up the pace of play. The estimated time shaving is around 35 seconds per game….

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