As former big league catchers, Bob Melvin and Bruce Bochy certainly had their fair share, and the current managers were playing at a time when big clashes with runners looking to score were simply part of the game.

The rules have changed over the years to protect catchers, but runners are now sometimes safe and collision-free even after being substituted. That’s what happened to Melvin’s San Diego Padres and Bochy’s Texas Rangers this week.

San Francisco’s Blake Sabol was originally drafted in the fifth inning on Wednesday night against the Padres. The call was changed after a long re-examination and Sabol was declared safe when catcher Gary Sánchez was reported for blocking the plate. Melvin called it “one of the worst calls I’ve seen this year.”

Bochy took Melvin a step further, calling a similar play in Rangers’ 6-7 loss to the Chicago White Sox the previous night “absolutely one of the worst calls I’ve ever seen, and it was executed by repetition.”

Like Sánchez, Texas catcher Jonah Heim stood as he made a sweep change. Elvis Andrus was called out first, which would have ended the eighth inning with a game still tied, but the White Sox challenged the day and Heim blocked the plate.

Why is there a rule in MLB that prevents catchers from blocking the plate?

To prevent injuries that may result from collisions between baserunners and catchers. In 2014, MLB introduced a rule designed to prevent avoidable collisions on home plate.

Rule 6.01(i) is officially listed as Collisions at Home Plate, but is also referred to informally by many as the Buster-Posey Rule.

This rule not only prohibits catchers from blocking the plate without possessing the ball or just catching the ball, but also states that runners must not deviate from their direct path to the plate to make contact with the catcher or cause an avoidable collision cause .

Posey suffered a fractured fibula and torn ankle ligaments after the Marlins’ Scott Cousins ​​went shoulder-down in 2011 and hit the San Francisco catcher to score. That was a season after Posey was NL Rookie of the Year while the Giants won the World Series.

Detroit Tigers catcher Alex Avila was injured in game five of the 2013 American League Championship Series after colliding with Boston’s David Ross. Avila returned two days later to play Game 6.

Bone-shattering collisions at the slab were common earlier in the game. Among the most famous was Pete Rose, who smashed through Ray Fosse to hit the winning run at the end of the 12th inning of the 1970 All-Star Game, a play that left Fosse with a fractured shoulder.

Why was there a sudden spike in violations?

MLB sent out a memo to teams late last season about how the rule was enforced after several controversial plays at the plate.

Minnesota coach Rocco Baldelli was furious after umpires blocked Sánchez, then with the Twins, in what looked like an out in the 10th inning of a game against Toronto last season.

Enforcement of the rule was also discussed in spring training ahead of this season.

In both cases, the runners were called out by the on-field referees this week before the replay officials ruled otherwise.

Bochy said MLB officials told him about his catcher’s lineup, among other things. Heim had one foot on the side of the plate, but had the ball in his mitt before Andrus slid headfirst onto the open other half of the plate.

MLB said Heim’s “initial positioning was illegal and his subsequent actions while not in possession of the ball obstructed and impeded the runner’s path to home plate.”

WHY ARE TEAMS SO CONFUSED ABOUT THE ‘BLOCKING THE PLATE’ RULE?

The rule encourages runners to slide home, which is now fairly common. At the same time, catchers sometimes move to alter the runner’s expected path to the plate.

Catchers can legally stand in fair territory in front of the plate without possessing the ball. However, they may be called for an infringement if they do not have the ball and line up in foul territory, straddle the foul line or home plate, or have one foot on the plate or foul line.

There are also exceptions to the position of catchers when they need to move to make an incoming shot or when they are moving on a rapidly developing play such as a tie. B. a wild pitch or a hard-hit ball to a drawn throw, cannot get stuck in front of the plate. in the infielder. These exceptions, however, are decisions of the referee or retry officers.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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STEPHEN HAWKINS, Associated Press

40 minutes ago

Blake Sabol of the San Francisco Giants (bottom) reacts after scoring against San Diego Padres catcher Gary Sanchez (top) in the fifth inning of a baseball game in San Francisco Wednesday, June 21, 2023. Sabol was initially called out but ruled safe after the Giants contested the call. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

As former big league catchers, Bob Melvin and Bruce Bochy certainly had their fair share, and the current managers were playing at a time when big clashes with runners looking to score were simply part of the game.

The rules have changed over the years to protect catchers, but runners are now sometimes safe and collision-free even after being substituted. That’s what happened to Melvin’s San Diego Padres and Bochy’s Texas Rangers this week.

San Francisco’s Blake Sabol was originally drafted in the fifth inning on Wednesday night against the Padres. The call was changed after a long re-examination and Sabol was declared safe when catcher Gary Sánchez was reported for blocking the plate. Melvin called it “one of the worst calls I’ve seen this year.”

Bochy took Melvin a step further, calling a similar play in Rangers’ 6-7 loss to the Chicago White Sox the previous night “absolutely one of the worst calls I’ve ever seen, and it was executed by repetition.”

Like Sánchez, Texas catcher Jonah Heim stood as he made a sweep change. Elvis Andrus was called out first, which would have ended the eighth inning with a game still tied, but the White Sox challenged the day and Heim blocked the plate.

Why is there a rule in MLB that prevents catchers from blocking the plate?

To prevent injuries that may result from collisions between baserunners and catchers. In 2014, MLB introduced a rule designed to prevent avoidable collisions on home plate.

Rule 6.01(i) is officially listed as Collisions at Home Plate, but is also referred to informally by many as the Buster-Posey Rule.

This rule not only prohibits catchers from blocking the plate without possessing the ball or just catching the ball, but also states that runners must not deviate from their direct path to the plate to make contact with the catcher or cause an avoidable collision cause .

Posey suffered a fractured fibula and torn ankle ligaments after the Marlins’ Scott Cousins ​​went shoulder-down in 2011 and hit the San Francisco catcher to score. That was a season after Posey was NL Rookie of the Year while the Giants won the World Series.

Detroit Tigers catcher Alex Avila was injured in game five of the 2013 American League Championship Series after colliding with Boston’s David Ross. Avila returned two days later to play Game 6.

Bone-shattering collisions at the slab were common earlier in the game. Among the most famous was Pete Rose, who smashed through Ray Fosse to hit the winning run at the end of the 12th inning of the 1970 All-Star Game, a play that left Fosse with a fractured shoulder.

Why was there a sudden spike in violations?

MLB sent out a memo to teams late last season about how the rule was enforced after several controversial plays at the plate.

Minnesota coach Rocco Baldelli was furious after umpires blocked Sánchez, then with the Twins, in what looked like an out in the 10th inning of a game against Toronto last season.

Enforcement of the rule was also discussed in spring training ahead of this season.

In both cases, the runners were called out by the on-field referees this week before the replay officials ruled otherwise.

Bochy said MLB officials told him about his catcher’s lineup, among other things. Heim had one foot on the side of the plate, but had the ball in his mitt before Andrus slid headfirst onto the open other half of the plate.

MLB said Heim’s “initial positioning was illegal and his subsequent actions while not in possession of the ball obstructed and impeded the runner’s path to home plate.”

WHY ARE TEAMS SO CONFUSED ABOUT THE ‘BLOCKING THE PLATE’ RULE?

The rule encourages runners to slide home, which is now fairly common. At the same time, catchers sometimes move to alter the runner’s expected path to the plate.

Catchers can legally stand in fair territory in front of the plate without possessing the ball. However, they may be called for an infringement if they do not have the ball and line up in foul territory, straddle the foul line or home plate, or have one foot on the plate or foul line.

There are also exceptions to the position of catchers when they need to move to make an incoming shot or when they are moving on a rapidly developing play such as a tie. B. a wild pitch or a hard-hit ball to a drawn throw, cannot get stuck in front of the plate. in the infielder. These exceptions, however, are decisions of the referee or retry officers.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

The post Overturned outs are prompting confusion, frustration over MLB’s blocking-the-plate rule appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

In the first 66 games of the 2023 Major League Baseball season, the Arizona Diamondbacks are among the biggest upsets. With 74 and 52 wins respectively in the last two seasons, the team has already won 40 games. She leads the National League West by 3 1/2 games over the Los Angeles Dodgers despite underspending compared to the rest of the division.

The Diamondbacks have $114.9 million in total wages, ranking 21st below the league average, while the San Diego Padres are third in the MLB with $246.9 million; The Dodgers rank fifth with $228.1 million, the San Francisco Giants 11th with $183.7 million, and the Colorado Rockies 14th with $179.5 million .

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Of course, the D-Backs are spending significantly more than last season’s $86 million and they’ll be looking to improve the team through the Aug. 1 close, according to general manager Mike Hazen. This spending comes while awaiting a decision from Diamond Sports Group on whether Bally will exit his $1.5 billion, 20-year contract with the regional sports network.

“We look to invest in the team when we think we have a better competitive opportunity,” managing partner Ken Kendrick said recently, “and we think this is one of those years.”

Leading the Diamondbacks are two of the best young players in the game in right-hander Zac Gallen and speedy outfielder Corbin Carroll. The latter signed an eight-year, $111 million deal ahead of the season. Lourdes Gurriel Jr., who came on an offseason trade from the Toronto Blue Jays, also had a stellar season, and Ketel Marte has bounced back from a downseason and established himself at second base and at plate.

This year’s new MLB rules fit Arizona’s small-ball style—putting the ball in play, stealing bases, and hitting bases. The D-Backs are fifth in MLB with 63 stolen bases and no other team in their division comes close. They came back from a two-run deficit in the ninth inning on Sunday, scoring four goals and defeating the Tigers 7-5.

In their current pay structure, the D-Backs pay the balance of Madison Bumgarner’s contract of $18 million for this year, $14 million for next season, and a $5 million annual deferred salary from 2025 until 2027. Hazen has decided to release the veteran. He was named left-handed pitcher on May 1 after posting a 10.26 ERA in his just four starts, continuing a slide that began after he was in time for the season Signed with Arizona as a free agent in 2020.

“In the end I was told [by ownership] doing anything to win baseball games,” Hazen said.

Since Bumgarner was drafted, the D-Backs have gone 24-12, capped off by a recent 5-0 away win by Washington and Detroit.

Manager Torey Lovullo patched up the bullpen and starting rotation. He was juggling fleet-footed outfielders including Jake McCarthy and Alek Thomas as neither youngster matched his weight. That earned Lovullo a contract extension through the 2024 season, which he signed on June 4.

“My job is easy every day,” said Lovullo, whose nearly seven-year tenure as manager of the D-Backs is already the longest in the club’s history. “It’s about being there for the players, continuing to grow and learn and do the best I can.” We’ve had some very lean years here, but we’re moving in the right direction and we’re coming at the other end out again.”

Local fans are starting to get it. The D-Backs’ total viewership of 706,873 ranks 19th in MLB and their average per game is 20,790 ranked 20th; A total of 96,399 viewers recently attended a tumultuous three-game series against the Atlanta Braves. Total attendance is on par with last year’s average of 19,817, but well above 2021’s 12,876 per game for the entire 81-game home schedule.

As Lovullo said, “We’re trying to win back the hearts and minds of these fans and we still have a long way to go.”

At the same time, Kendrick and President Derrick Hall continue to explore the future of Chase Field; The ballpark opened in 1998 for the club’s first expansion season and the current lease with Maricopa County expires after the 2027 season.

The building, which is the fourth largest in MLB with a capacity of 48,519, has numerous internal plumbing and electrical problems. The retractable roof, which has cable problems, was due for a $10 million repair during the offseason, but that didn’t happen. It still cannot be opened or closed while customers are in the seats.

The Arizona state legislature passed a bill in 2021 that would allow the D-Backs to levy an additional fee of up to 9% on tickets, concessions and merchandise sold at the park, around the $500 million Funding a $2 billion renovation of the current baseball stadium or the construction of a new facility at the heart of an entertainment complex that could cost up to $2 billion. That’s similar to the $2.1 billion development proposal from the NHL’s Arizona Coyotes that Tempe voters rejected last month.

The D-Backs are looking for another location near their current ballpark in downtown Phoenix, but are reluctant to require their customers to pay such a high occupancy fee for the remodeling or renovation. Decisions must be made on this front.

“Obviously we’re coming to a critical moment,” Hall said during a recent press conference.

Arizona won the 2001 World Series against the New York Yankees but has only made the playoffs four times since then, the most recent being in 2017 — the first year for Hazen and Lovullo in the franchise. On the field at least, the D-Backs are on track as the season nears halftime.

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The Texas Rangers waste no time seeing what they have in Jacob deGrom.

The ace right-hander, who signed a five-year, $185 million deal with Rangers during the offseason, faces Philadelphia’s Aaron Nola when the 2023 Major League Baseball season begins next Thursday.

All 30 clubs will be back in action that day for the first time since 1968.

This is deGrom’s fourth career start on Opening Day. The two-time Cy Young winner received the nod while fielding for the New York Mets in 2019-21. Texas was wary of deGrom during spring training after the 34-year-old reported a strain in his left side right before team training began in February.

So solid was his work over the past month that Rangers didn’t hesitate to make deGrom the seventh other pitcher to get the ball on the team’s opening day in the past seven years.

“We had to hold him back a bit in the beginning, but we think he’s ready,” said new Texas coach Bruce Bochy. “We have the day off after opening day so we can cover him. We’re not looking for him to really get deeply involved in the game or anything. So it all just makes sense in the world to us.”

Nola, on the other hand, is a staple of the Phillies. The 29-year-old will start for Philadelphia on the first day of the game for the sixth time. Only Hall of Famers Robin Roberts (12) and Steve Carlton (10) have started more season openers in Phillies history.

A total of eight Cy Young winners will take the mound on March 30, including Corey Kluber, who will make his first start for Boston when the Red Sox take on Baltimore. Kluber is the first newcomer to start Boston’s first game since David Price in 2016.

Miami’s Sandy Alcantara will become the first Marlins pitcher to start four straight openers when he takes on three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer and the New York Mets. Alcantara, a unanimous pick for the NL Cy Young in 2022, will break with Josh Beckett (2003-05) and Josh Johnson (2010-12) for the most opening-day starts in club history. Scherzer is one of five pitchers since 1900 to have had 10 or more opening-day strikeouts at least three times in their career.

This is the second time in as many years that Cy Young winners will compete on Opening Day. Shane Bieber from Cleveland and Zack Greinke from Kansas City met last spring.

Angels star Shohei Ohtani, who just guided Japan to the World Baseball Classic title, will start for Los Angeles on his second straight opening day. Ohtani set career bests in wins (15), ERA (2.33), strikeouts (216), and innings (166) last year. Ohtani and the Angels begin the season against Oakland left-hander Kyle Muller, who will make his first start on Opening Day.

New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole will join CC Sabathia, Jack Chesbro and Mel Stottlemyre as the only pitcher in team history to attend four straight opening days when the Yankees host the San Francisco Giants.

Framber Valdez will start for World Series Champion Houston when the Astros host the Chicago White Sox.

The youngest starter on Opening Day will be Hunter Greene from Cincinnati. The strong 23-year-old will take on Mitch Keller and the Pittsburgh Pirates. Greene hit 164 hitters in 125 2/3 innings last season as a rookie. Greene also played 7 1/3 no-hit innings against the Pirates this past April, only to accept the loss.

Washington’s Patrick Corbin is hoping the opening-day start will result in a better season than what he experienced in 2021 and 2022. Corbin led the majors the past two seasons 9-16 with a 5.82 ERA in 2021, then 6-19 with a 6.31 ERA last year. But with Stephen Strasburg still out through injury and top contender Cade Cavalli out for the year following Tommy John’s surgery, the Nationals are turning to one of the few remaining portions of the 2019 World Series-winning team.

HOSKINS TO GET SECOND OPINIONS

Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins will seek a second opinion on his injured left knee, but the team believes Hoskins will miss the entire 2023 season.

General manager Dave Dombrowski said while Hoskins is being reevaluated he would be “shocked” if the 30-year-old Hoskins didn’t need surgery to repair a torn cruciate ligament.

Hoskins injured his knee Thursday while setting up a grounder. The Phillies will turn to Darick Hall to replace Hoskins. Hall, 27, hit .250 in 2022 with nine home runs and 16 RBIs in 41 games as a rookie.

“I feel comfortable saying that we like Darick Hall a lot,” Dombrowski said. “We think he’s ready to step up and become a big league player.”

GO THE EXTRA MILE(S).

No more contract uncertainty for St. Louis Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas. The veteran right-hander signed a three-year, $55.75 million deal with the Cardinals that will run through the 2025 season.

The new deal replaces his current deal, a four-year deal signed in February 2019 that covered the 2020-23 seasons and was set to expire this fall. Mikolas receives a $5 million signing bonus, payable July 1, and earns $18.75 million in 2023 and $16 million in each of the two subsequent seasons. Several award awards are available to Mikolas, including $250,000 for winning a Cy Young.

Mikolas is scheduled to start the second opening day of his career next Thursday when the Cardinals host Toronto. Mikolas went 12-13 with a 3.29 ERA last season while helping St. Louis to the NL Central title.

“Miles is among the best pitchers in the game today and has continued to provide us with a consistent presence both in the rotation and in the clubhouse,” St. Louis general manager John Mozeliak said in a statement.

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Gerrit Cole’s head was bowed as he walked toward the New York Yankees dugout at the conclusion of his final spring practice session on Friday when something — or someone else — caught his eye: Cole’s 2-year-old son, Caden.

The younger Cole made his way to the railing next to the shelter, forcing Cole to immediately switch from his typically hyper-intense hilltop behavior to good at just being a father. He patted Caden on the head and later got on one knee to chat with Caden’s younger brother Everett – born in January – and his wife Amy nearby.

“This is honestly one of the best moments of my career,” Cole told the YES Network after conceding a run in 5 2/3 innings with no walks and three strikeouts. “That was really something special. I look forward to more of these moments.”

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AP sports writers Dan Gelston and Stephen Hawkins and AP national writer Howard Fendrich contributed to this report.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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