Controversial Tag Play at the Plate
The Cubs beat the Pirates 1-0 at Wrigley on May 18, 2024 in a game that ended in a controversial tag play at the plate in the bottom of the ninth. The play that was unsuccessfully challenged by Pirates manager Derek Shelton focused on the TAG rule, not the home plate collision rule. Here is…
MLB Rules Questions and Answer September 2023
On-Deck Interference? QUESTION: In the Pirates-Cubs game on September 19, 2023, interference was called on the on-deck batter. Was that the proper call? Can you explain what happened? ANSWER: The Pirates and Cubs played at Wrigley on September 19, 2023 In the bottom of the sixth, Patrick Wisdom was batting with the bases empty and one…
July 2023 MLB Rules Question and Answer
Play No. 1 QUESTION: There was a question in a recent Pirates game as to whether or not an outfielder made a legal catch in left field. Can you explain what happened? ANSWER: The Pirates and Marlins played at loanDepot park on June 24, 2023. Jon Berti led off the bottom of the fifth inning…
You Make the Call!
There are three different scenarios in this report and I am challenging you to make the call for each one which may not necessarily concur with my opinion. Play No. 1 The Brewers and Mets played at Citi Field on June 28, 2023. In the top of the eighth, the Brewers had runners on first…
McCutchen Creates Time Play
The A’s and Pirates played at PNC Park on June 5, 2023 when the Bucs’ Andrew McCutchen played smart Ruleball to help the Pirates win the game. Here’s what happened. In the bottom of the sixth, the Pirates had Austin Hedges on third, McCutchen on second, and Bryan Reynolds on first and one out when…
Coach Interference
Rule 6.01 (a) (8) governs base coach interference. It reads, “It is interference by a runner when in the judgment of the umpire, the base coach at third base, or first base, by touching or holding the runner, physically assists him in returning to or leaving third base or first base.” This rule that seldom…
May 2023 Question and Answer
Extra Innings Rule QUESTION: Say we go to extra innings and our No.6 hitter made the last out in the bottom of the ninth. We come to bat in the bottom of the 10thinning, and we put our No. 5 hitter on base, because we know he is much faster, and we want to try…
Defending Matt Stairs
This classic baseball instruction video comes from back in 2003 with Cincinnati Reds bench coach, Ray Knight. Reds broadcaster Chris Welsh asks Ray about Pirates slugger Matt Stairs coming to town and how the Reds will try to defend him.
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