MLB changes a few rules for 2007
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Feb 17, 2007 
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Major League Baseball changes a few rules for the coming season. Check out this story.
A few of the highlights:
* When a game is tied in the bottom of the fifth inning or later and is called because of weather, it will be suspended and resumed before the next scheduled game between the teams at the same ballpark. If no more games remain between the teams at the same ballpark, it will be resumed when the teams meet at the visitor’s ballpark. If it is the final scheduled meeting between the teams, it will be replayed from the start if it is needed to determine a postseason berth.
* With no runners on, a pitcher will be required to pitch within 12 seconds, the timing starting when the pitcher is in possession of the ball and the batter is in the batter’s box, alert to the pitcher.
Not a big fan of #2.
Yeah number 2 is a real stinker. We’re talking about poop right?
Look at it this way…..with Trachsel now in Baltimore, they need #2 or there is now way Orioles-Yankees games finish in under 4 hours.
Whelan, being pitcher throwing like catcher should like the rule about not having to stop in the stretch with no one on.
We better hope that Jose Veras doesn’t get called up this year, or else he is in trouble with #2.
Pete’s #2 or articles #2?
“Another change is, a batter who hits an apparent game-ending home run with less than two outs would be allowed to circle the bases if a runner ahead of him doesn’t continue to home plate, thinking the game is over. If there are two outs when the play begins, however, the runner who abandons trying for home plate would be the third out and the home run would not count.”
I don’t really follow this. Can someone explain it to me like I’m a six year old?
What happens if a pitcher doesn’t pitch within 12 seconds?
The suspended game rule makes sense when it is not the last scheduled game of a series. However, what happens if there is a two month gap between games? The rosters could conceiveably be extremely different, and one team could have more available players.
Say the Yankees-Blue Jays game on May 30 ends in a tie. The Yankees next game at the Blue Jays is August 6, after the trade deadline. If say Miguel Cairo, let’s say, was used in the May 30 portion, but was traded, hurt released by August and Alberto Gonzalez was the Yankees new back-up infielder , they’d essentially play the rest of the game with a one man advantage. At that point, it would be better to start a new game instead of playing the remainder of the game.
This rule also leaves open the possibility that two players traded for each other could play in the same “game.” Say Phil Hughes started on May 30 and was traded at the deadline for Pujols (unlikely, but I’m making a hypothetical) and Pujols played first in the conclusion. Very wild!
So, I think the rule needs tweaking in order to maintain the spirit of the game.
Is the umpire going to stand there with a stop watch????? I agree the game might need to be sped up a bit, but why not focus on the players stepping out of the box after every pitch adjusting their batting gloves for five minutes???
Rafael Betancourt from the Indians is screwed cause of #2
“Another change is, a batter who hits an apparent game-ending home run with less than two outs would be allowed to circle the bases if a runner ahead of him doesn’t continue to home plate, thinking the game is over. If there are two outs when the play begins, however, the runner who abandons trying for home plate would be the third out and the home run would not count.”
So I’ve been forced to figure this out on my own, apparently. The only real thing that makes sense to me is if, by “apparent,” they mean it’s not actually a home run. The only other thing I can think of is if they mean a guy hits a home run and the other runner just celebrates instead of rounding the bases, which I don’t think I’ve ever seen.
Chris,
Thats exactly what it means. If the runner(s) does not round all the bases, then that will be the third out. Only when there are 2 outs though, if less then 2 outs they don’t “technically” have too circle the bases, but they will because they always do on a walk off homer. The best part of the walk-off is running into the celebration awaiting at home plate, and obviously winning the game.
If the runner doesn’t round the bases, he’s out. If there happens to be 2 out, he’s the 3rd out – inning over. If there’s one out, the runner becomes the 2nd out of the inning, so the inning is not over, and the home run hitter is permitted to continue his home run trot.
I figure the 12-second rule will be sort of like a loosely-enforced restaurant dress code: rarely observed but available in case of unusually obnoxious behavior.
My question is, what happens if the pitcher takes longer than 12 seconds? A ball is added to the count?
Reminds me of a back-page SI article I read maybe 15 years ago about a minor league (?) park which had a prominently-displayed game clock. If the pitcher took too long to throw a pitch, a ball was added to the count. If the batter took too long to step into the box, a strike was added to the count.
i think the penalty for the 12-second rule will be simply a warning on the first offense, “alert to the pitcher”. the 2nd will probably be up to the umpire at that point, but most likely the team will be forced to change pitchers.
not a big fan of continuing tied games.