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. […]
In the June 26 Braves-Pirates game I reported on a play in which there were two runners on the same base. Another play of this type occurred in the Rockies-A’s game played on June 30, 2015. Watch the play: June 30, COL@OAK, “Rockies get out after long rundown”
Clever base running by the St. Louis Cardinals’ Yadier Molina helped produce a run by gaining time for a preceding runner to score in the Cards 3-1win over the Oakland A’s on Aug. 26 in St. Louis. Here is what happened: In the bottom of the sixth, the Cards had Brandon Moss on third and […]
Athletics third baseman Danny Valencia had to leave the April 20, 2016 game against the Yankees in the fourth inning due to a strained hamstring, which left the A’s in a bit of a pickle because A’s manager Bob Melvin did not want to play first baseman Mark Canha at third base. So Melvin opted […]
Rule 5.08 (a) covers a “Time Play,” which is umpire lingo. The term “Time Play” is not found in the rule book. Generally speaking, when a third out occurs just before or just after a runner crosses the plate and the third out is not the result of a force out or the batter-runner being retired […]
MLB’s Playing Rules Committee allows for the “Neighborhood Play” at second base to protect middle infielders from injury. Yet, the reckless sliding rules in place allow the runner on force plays to slide into the base on a variety of angles and head hunt the fielder making the play. As long as a runner is […]