But it’s not a balk. Those are different rules, and they’re written differently.
Yeah, balk gets a whole rule section to itself. But I find this note in the balk rule persuasive:
Rule 8.05 Comment: Umpires should bear in mind that the purpose of the balk rule is to prevent
the pitcher from deliberately deceiving the base runner. If there is doubt in the umpire’s mind, the
“intent” of the pitcher should govern.
Emphasis added.
Change pitcher to runner and you’ve got it. Yelich’s intent was to start to second until he realized the outfielder got the ball cleanly off the bounce. That’s why his left leg crossed the line and carried him mostly into fair territory after he ran the base path down the foul side of the line. He did NOT “return immediately to the base” per the rule.
Was it a little ticky-tack? Sure - completely agree. Was it the right call? Yes, I think it was.
I say it was the right call, the duck the left is a move towards 2nd.
I agree. The rule leaves a lot up for interpretation, but for me it was enough of a lean/step toward second base for him to become a runner. He was correctly tagged out.
It’s a funny look. His momentum from dodging the tag sent him a bit towards second, but he obviously had no intention of heading there. The replay leaves out one of the fielders tagging him before he returns to the bag, hence the review.
Agree on the Judge play, he made a weird left turn but not an attempt to advance to 2nd base.
Weird how the all star game has a DH but the AL won’t be using it because of Ohtani! It’ll make for some interesting decisions to avoid any other AL pitcher having to bat
From what I heard this morning, Ohtani will be hitting in the leadoff spot – as he’s likely to only pitch an inning or two anyway, it ensures that he’ll get an at-bat, as well.
The All-Star rosters are deep enough, and pitching changes frequent enough in All-Sar Games, that I would imagine that the AL manager will just use a pinch-hitter every time the pitcher’s spot comes up in the order.
There’s been a rules tweak - they’re doing away with “the DH is surrendered when the pitcher leaves the game”. It’s a smart move that highlights the game’s biggest star and eliminates the confusion for the casual fan. Ohtani is essentially playing 2 positions - pitcher and DH.
It’s just astonishing that Ohtani is doing just ridiculous things and is the obviously most valuable baseball player in the universe, and ohbytheway the same team also employs the best baseball player of the last decade, and come October they’re not going to be in the playoffs, again. I feel like this is a crime against baseball and the Angels upper management should be fired, rehired, and fired again.
I don’t know what the appropriate punishment is for whomever designed these uniforms, but it can’t be harsh enough
I tuned in for about 20 seconds and yeah, those uniforms are wretchedly bad. I think they were inspired by a leisure suit design.
The MLB all-star game used to be the best all-star game; it’s getting weaker and weaker. I can’t be bothered to watch this shit now.
Watching Vladdy Jr. just plakata the absolute shit out of that baseball filled me with glee, though. Despite the Underoo uniforms.
Of course they haven’t actually had Mike Trout most of this season, which has cost them a couple of games right there, so only if he and Ohtani are great and healthy next year would we actually see two epically great players on the team and see if they can make the playoffs.
I wonder what the most 1-2 talent a team ever completely wasted was? Or 1-2-3 talent?
The Chicago Cubs of the late 1960s had, at their peaks at the same time, Fergie Jenkins, Ron Santo, and Billy Williams. But they won nothing. The 1982 Montreal Expos have to take the one-year prize though; that year they had three Hall of Famers having peak years (Gary Carter, Andre Dawson, and Tim Raines) but they also had Al Oliver who that year won the batting title and the RBI title, and somehow they went 86-76 when they should have gone like 106-56.
Let’s not forget the 1994 Expos, who were, ahem, canceled.
Every year I get more disappointed in the All Star Game. This year’s gripes:
1- Part of the majesty of the game used to be seeing the players line up in all their different uniforms for the introductions. Now they put them in god-awful uniforms that are the same with slight modifications for each team. Why? So they can sell replica jerseys?
2- I bitch every year how rude it is of Fox not to show the playing of O Canada. Since Toronto isn’t actually playing in Canada this year, it would have been cool to play Buffalo Gals and have the players dance like the white guys in Blazing Saddles, or maybe it’s just me.
3- Back in the day, we got to hear the local PA announcer introduce the players. Of course, Fox can have none of that and we have to suffer through Joe Fucking Buck.
4- The network intruded far too much in the game. Really, having a reporter next to the third baseman and conversing with him right as the game is about to begin? Or wiring a player and asking him what pitch he’s expecting as he’s getting ready for the pitch?
Terrific team for 114 games, but that doesn’t prove much. They did have two Hall of Famers, though Pedro wasn’t Pedro yet at that point.
You don’t like that?! I find it fascinating, and an awesome insight into the game. They did it a lot during spring training the last few years, and I get the impression that the players really enjoy it (especially if the person on the other end in the booth is a former player). Baseball has a real identity problem, and there aren’t a lot of chances to see the players’ personality come out (and when they do, the usual sticks in the mud throw a fit that they’re not playing the right way).
I thought last night’s game was awesome. The game itself was competitive and interesting, and the broadcast team did a great job filling up the time with interviews and miked up players/coaches. The uniforms sucked, but who really gives a shit about that?
Why interfere with a player getting ready for the pitch? And the freaking catcher is listening! Sure, tell the catcher what you’re looking for, that trick always works.
Meh, it’s the ASG. It’d be different in the World Series.
I don’t mind FOX and MLB trying things like this to bring the fans closer to the game. Maybe it’ll test well and maybe not, but they’re trying something. The idea of feeling close to the action on the field does appeal to me, for one.
The uniforms, though, were horrifying. I get that they want more jerseys to sell, but those jerseys will not sell. No one wants them.
The irony is that we are in an era of terrific uniforms. MLB has never had better uniforms. They fit better than they used to, and they’re striking and colorful, but they’re not as ugly as they were in the 70s and 80s. Look at a pic of Shohei Ohtani in his Angels home uniform - the red just bursts out but the uniform is very classic. My Blue Jays have never had better uniforms; they’ve ditched a lot of ugly looks for just an excellent combo of their classic blue and white, with the best logo in MLB. Truly classic, excellent uniforms like the Yankees and Dodgers remain the same but with modern materials. Check out a photo of a REd Sox road uniform in the mid 80s versus today; the former looks like it was stitched together that morning by someone using whatever they could get at Michaels, while the latter looks both modern and somehow also classic at the same time. Most teams have arrived at a really nice balance of color and classic appearance and lines now (with some exceptions - looking at you, Arizona.)
So why not show the fans the good stuff, which is ALSO the stuff the fans have an emotional connection to? And it just looks fuckin’ cool.
The uniforms were jarring, that’s for sure. I hope that’s the end of that experiment, but MLB, like anyone else, wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to sell merch.
I’m cool with players mic’d up in the ASG. I didn’t know Ohtani doesn’t take BP before games. That’s interesting.