After the game tonight, they were talking about who the Yankees were going to activate to replace Teixeira. I know you didn’t used to be allowed to do this. In fact you couldn’t use anyone in the postseason who wasn’t in your 25 man roster on August 31st (before the Sept call-ups).
So in game 5 or 6 of the World Series, my pitcher pitches a complete game and isn’t going to be pitching again. Why aren’t they always “injured” and replaced on the roster?
Because a replacement has to play the same position; and because it has to be approved by the commissioner of baseball. Presumably the latter rule will prevent shenanigans.
It’s the 25-man roster plus any players on the not-counted lists (who would presumably otherwise be on the big-league roster, and might be again by the end of season play), plus, in case of postseason injury, basically anyone else in the organization who can play that position.
Colibri, so i bring up a relief pitcher which might clearly be useful in game 7. And yes the Commissioner could rule, but I’m surprised no one has tried. How cold you tell the pitcher wasn’t injured?
Spark240, I was talking about the rules some time ago. When Ray Chapman was killed by a bean ball in the 1920 season, after September 1st, the Indians got a special dispensation to replace him for the series.
That’s not necessarily true. Many teams have used pitchers, who’ve made recent starts, in relief. They reckon the games are important and the off-season is coming soon.
I know. I thought it might be helpful to state the present rule.
And I answered your other question too, but deleted it on edit because Colibri seemed to have it covered. But my understanding is that the petition to the commish must include physician certification of a bona fide injury. The commish is under no particular requirement to approve the petition in any case, and replacing a recently-used starter with a rested young (minor league roster) reliever, on the theory that the starter could have been inserted as a reliever in the next game, had he not been injured at just that moment is awfully transparent.
How does it work then? Every team, every year has their game 5/6 starters injured? Pretty dubious. The pitcher is generally unusable without replacement anyway. But he can still pitch in relief in the game 7 you mention. Why would you want a lesser pitcher who wasn’t good enough for the 25-man roster available for game 7 and not a pitcher you trusted to start what is always a crucial World Series game?
What would be the point? These teams all have 7 or 8 relievers on the roster, not to mention any starter who can go an inning or two. Do you think that they are going to throw their 9th or 10th best option in a world series game 7?
If an player is removed from the roster for an injury, real or fake, he is ineligible for the next series as well (Teixeira wouldn’t be eligible for the WS even if healthy). That is a strong disincentive for a team to play those games.
Players can be replaced *between *series without impact on eligibility, though.