From ESPN.com: MLB tweaks rule to prevent stalling.
On June 20, 2011 the Rays were playing the Milwaukee Brewers and had a 5-1 lead. Sam Fuld pinch hit for JP Howell and the Rays went on to score 3 runs to take an 8-1 lead. Maddon had planned to use Joel Peralta in the bottom of the 8th but with a comfortable lead he wanted to save Peralta and use Cesar Ramos. Ramos needed extra time to get ready so Maddon sent Sam Fuld out to the mound to take his warm-up pitches. After he had completed his warm-ups he went to the mound to make the pitching change.
The change is to Rule 3.05 and now includes:
The change will "prohibit a manager from sending his current pitcher out to warm up with no intention of having him pitch because a relief pitcher is not ready to enter the game."
Sam Fuld shows good form (have to navigate to MLB.com to view).
Joe Maddon had not heard about the change until asked about it last week and said:
I know this, that all the odd kind of moments that occur during the season regarding umpiring, that they do write them down, and they'll talk about it at the end of the season. So, it doesn't surprise me. And it also indicates that they're on top of things, so I kind of like it," he said at the Rays' spring training camp.
"That was an anomaly. That'll probably never come up again," he added. "The other thing with Sammy. That was just something that we pulled out of our hat, just to try to make sure that we got everybody warmed up and ready to go."
Joe Maddon and my favorite managers Earl Weaver, Sparky Anderson, and Billy Martin all have rule changes which have occurred because of their keen knowledge of the rule book. A tip of the hat to Joe Maddon for joining the elites on this front.
This post was written by a member of the DRaysBay community and does not necessarily express the views or opinions of DRaysBay staff.
0 recs | 9 comments
Well he already joined Martin by picking his lineups out of a hate 169 times a year and fighting a marshmallow salesman after too much merlot
Sandy Kazmir - February 22, 2012
Billy was great
The lineup out of the hat was a great story.
Weaver was putting a pitcher in at DH and putting in whoever he needed when the time came. League told him that this would not be allowed…and we at Draysbay should love this….because it was interfering with the historical pinch hitting statistics. Weaver couldn’t believe a rule was being changed to protect baseball precious stats.
Sparky had a play where runners were at 1st and 3rd with 1 out.
Fly ball caught for out.
Runner on 3rd leaves early and scores. Runner at first leaves late and is tagged out at 2nd for 3rd out. Back then, no appeal play after 3rd out of the inning.
MrNegative1 - February 22, 2012
I love the story of Weave starting the game with his best pinch hitter leading off at SS then pulling him after his first at bat to put
an all glove-no hit player at SS. Billy was always a personal favorite of mine. I read “Damned Yankees” at a young age, a gift from a baseball-loving grandmother, and absolutely fell in love with his style.
Sandy Kazmir - February 22, 2012
great move by Weaver
he would only do it in September and when the team was on the road. I thought we might see Maddon do that this September.
Guy was looking for any and every edge he could get. He did that switch on a seasoned guy like Belanger so it took brass balls to do it.
I haven’t read Damned Yankees but it will be on my Amazon Ship to list by end of day.
MrNegative1 - February 22, 2012
Someone told me on Twitter they changed the rules so you can't pull the Belanger swap anymore.
I guess the closest thing now would be to start a LOOGY if the other team trots out three-straight lefties. Then go to your normal starting pitcher in the second.
R.J. Anderson - February 22, 2012
I think the Belanger swap is still legal
I don’t know how it couldn’t be legal, as long as the first player actually hit. And if you weren’t going to have hit in the first, why would you do it?
nomoredevil - February 22, 2012
It doesn't make sense that it wouldn't be legal
There are other legitimate reasons for doing the same thing, say if a guy pulled his hamstring after his first at-bat but before fielding. It’s not as if baseball distinguishes between injured and uninjured players in games like football does.
If only MLB would actually make the rule book publicly available. I have no idea why they don’t.
Brickhaus - February 23, 2012
The feuds between Billy and the Boss and Lou and the Boss are just amazing to read, though reading it as a youngin probably has something to do with it
http://www.amazon.com/Damned-Yankees-No-Holds-Barred-Account-Steinbrenner/dp/0446515442
Sandy Kazmir - February 22, 2012
just purchased
thanks,
MrNegative1 - February 22, 2012
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