When is a Catch not a Legal Catch

Todd Frazier

As I watched the video of the Met’s Todd Frazier catching/dropping the foul

ball against the Dodgers
on Monday night, two things came to mind. 1) How was Frazier so quick to
switch balls and, 2) How did the umpire not realize the ball Frazier showed
himwas fake?
Watch the video here:

https://www.sny.tv/mets/news/icymi-mets-frazier-fooled-umpire-on-diving-
catch-monday-night/293426932

I also thought back on all the amazing catches made where the fielder winds
up in the stands, or the bullpen and the umpire had no way of knowing
whether or not the fielder actually held onto the ball.

The thought of a missed call, that is possibly a rules infraction, led me to
check out the rule.

I read the 2018 MLB Official Rules and this.came to my attention.

Under section 5.09: Making an Out, subparagraph (a) Retiring a Batter,
the rule book states... “A batter is out when:

1. His fair or foul fly ball (other than a foul tip) is legally caught by a fielder.

The rule book adds a comment as follows:

   Rule 5.09(a)(1) Comment: A fielder may reach into, but not step into, a
dugout to make a catch, and if he holds the ball, the catch shall be allowed.
A fielder, in order to make a catch on a foul ball nearing a dugout or other
out-of-play area (such as the stands), must have one or both feet on or over
the playing surface (including the lip of the dugout) and neither foot on the
ground inside the dugout or in any other out-of-play area. Ball is in play,
unless the fielder, after making a legal catch, steps or falls into a dugout or
other out-of-play area, in which case the ball is dead. Status of runners shall be as described in Rule 5.06(b)(3)(C) Comment.

Now, it seems to me that every player who makes one of these exciting,
amazing catches should have caused the ball to be ruled a “dead ball”

I have included a link to the rule book so that you, the reader, can read and
interpret for yourself.

http://mlb.mlb.com/documents/0/8/0/268272080/2018_Official_Baseball_
Rules.pdf

Here are the catches in the past that seem to have been called incorrectly:  

Derek Jeter's catch in 2001:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQGmWv57klQ

Derek Jeter

Austin Jackson's amazing home run robbery in 2017: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQGmWv57klQ

Collection of great catches. Of the 29 on the video, 6 of them seem to have been called incorrectly. If you care to count, #s 2, 6, 10, 11, 26 and 27 should have been called a "dead ball"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Qb6TCXOXO8

Josh Hader 1st All Star Game Marred by Twitter Police

HADER GIVES UP GAME TYING 3 RUN HOME RUN IN ALL STAR GAME

Josh Hader, of the Milwaukee Brewers, spent the week basking in the glow of selection to his 1st All Star game! During the first half of the 2108 season, Hader struck out 89 batters in 48 innings of work while recording 7 saves. The Brewers reliever has struck out 157 batters in 95 and 2/3 innings on the mound in his MLB career. Quite the accomplishment you say...we need him on our team you think. Well think again!

On in relief in the 8th inning, Hader gave up a 3 run home run home run to the Mariner's shortstop, Jean Segura. Bad enough you thought but the twitter crazies wanted to find out more about Hader. They checked his Twitter account and found tweets from 2011 where Hader, at age 17, posted things that are deemed Racist, homophobic, derogatory to women and supported (in the minds of the mob) the white power movement.

While neither condoning nor condemning Josh, I would like to add my comments to the seemingly demonic Tweets.

Mr. Hader was 17 at the time of his tweets. Excuse...no, but a reasonable explanation. He was a very young man whose views at the time were very malleable. Merriam-Webster defines "malleable" in the following way. "Capable of being altered or controlled by outside forces or influences".

Lets take a look at a few of the songs that topped the Billboard top 100 list in 2011.

     "F-you, forget you" by Cee Lo Green
     "Tonight (I'm F-ing you" by Enrique Iglesias (with Ludacris and DJ Frank E)
     "F-ing Perfect" by Pink

Influence, peer pressure, pop culture?

Why do people feel the need to check through 7 years of a person's Tweets? Because he gave up a home run? Didn't anyone in the MLB look through his Tweets?

Hader was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in June of 2012. Why didn't they check his social media pages? Traded to the Astros in 2013 and again no look into his past. Finally in July of 2015 Josh was traded to the Brewers. By 2015 there were numerous stories of sports figures in trouble for Tweets by them or about them. And yet, one can only assume that the Brewers organization doesn't bother to check every player's social media account.

I can hear the keyboards of every MLB, NBA and NFL in every office clattering away under the finger tips of the newly hired social media account researcher. What a racket...both figuratively and literally.

Josh has apologised to his team mate, Lorenzo Cain, to MLB and to his fans. There is nothing more he can do.

He can go back and delete the Tweets and tell all his team mates to check their accounts for anything that the thought police may find objectionable. Other than that?

If the fans in Milwaukee, or any other MLB city boo him when he takes the field or protests him with harassment, they should be ashamed of themselves.

Do The MLB Playoffs Need To Be Changed?

The talk around major league baseball these days, mostly from Pirate and Cub fans, is the need to revamp the current playoff system to make it more "fair".

As it stands today, the Pirates and Cubs, the two wild card teams in the National League, will face off in a one game play-in to see who gets to continue on in the playoffs. These two teams have the 2nd and 3rd best records in the league, both records better than either the Mets and Dodgers, the Division Champions of the East and West. Alas, the rules were set up this way to give one more team a chance at the World Series.

Some call the current system a watered down version of what a World Series should be about, a wild card team with a low won/loss record can become the World Champs. We need to face reality. The only way to ensure that the best two regular season teams reach the World Series is to go back to, dare I say, the way it was when the winner of the American League faced the winner of the National League in the World Series. That will never happen again. Money, read TV contracts and additional gate receipts, has changed that forever.

My take on the playoff system is this. If the wild card is the best way, let's take the example of the NBA and take the eight teams with the best records and seed them accordingly. The plan I propose would have a best-of-three 1st round with the #1 seed taking on the #8 seed and so forth with all three games played in the ballpark of the team with the better record.

With single travel days between games of a series and playoff rounds, the World Series would still be decided within 31 days from the start of the first round.

To accomplish my idea, three teams would have to be added to the current format.

The National League has the controversy this year so I'll use them for my example. As it stands now the Cardinals, Pirates and Cubs all have better records then the Mets or Dodgers. Add the Giants, Nationals and the Diamondbacks to the playoffs to make an eight team playoff.

The teams would be seeded like this: Cardinals #1, Pirates #2, Cubs #3, Mets #4, Dodgers #5, Giants #6, Nationals #7 and the Diamondbacks #8. Yes, the Diamondbacks are under .500 but this can happen and must be allowed for the format to work.

The 1st round would be a best-of-three, all in the stadium of he team with the better regular season record. One would hope this scenario would keep all eight teams fighting to win the most games possible. This would also give the team with the better record a decided advantage.

One travel day would be allowed between the last game of the season an the start of the playoffs. The games in my fictitious playoff would begin on the 4th of October. The 1st round would be played on consecutive days. All teams, in both leagues would begin and end on the same days.

Television would have 6 regional games and 2 national games to broadcast on each day.

After completion of the 1st round on the 6th of October, or a day earlier if the series is won in 2 games, a travel day is scheduled and the 2nd round of the payoffs would begin on the 8th of October. These best-of-seven series would again give the advantage to the team with the better record. There would be 2 games at home, 2 games away and then 3 games, if necessary, at home. With travel days between the sets of games the series would be over by the 16th of October.

A league championship round would begin on the 18th and, with the same 7 game format, be concluded by the 26th of October.

The World Series would begin, after a travel day, on the 28th and the World Series Champions would be crowned no later than the 6th of November.

So what would this accomplish? First, the "wild card" teams would have a three game series rather than the current one and done concept. Secondly, the teams with 1 or 2 excellent pitchers cold have them pitch the first game of the 1st round and have them available to start the first game of the 2nd round and again in game four of that series. Thirdly, the fans would have playoff baseball almost constantly for a month. Fourth, this would eliminate the stupidity of the All-Star game deciding home field advantage for the World Series. And finally, the team with the better record would have more home games to eliminate the lower seeded teams.

There you have it. I only hope that Commissioner Manfred reads this and gets the team ownership, players association and television to institute my plan for the 2016 World Series. Not to worry Commissioner, just mention my name, and my blog site when you make the announcement.

Most Clicked on 2014 Stories on Yahoo Sports

It's that time of the year when we look back 2014 to remember the sports stories we all came to love/hate.

Here is 2014 in retrospect byYahoo Sports

Dodgers Sign Brett Anderson

The LA Dodgers have signed former Colorado LHP Brett Anderson to a 1 year, 10 million Dollar deal sources said.

Read the ESPN story here.

Jason Motte to Sign With Cubs

Jason Motte, who has played his entire career with the St. Louis Cardinals, has agreed to a 1 year deal with the Chicago Cubs for a reported 4.5 million dollars.

Motte missed the entire 2013 season after undergoing "tommy john" surgery.

In 2012, Motte had 42 saves and an ERA of 2.75

MLB Signings of Note This Week

Chase Headley is reported to have signed a 4 year 52 million dollar contract with the NY Yankees. Headley was traded to the Yankees prior to the deadline in 2014 and hit a combined .243 with 13 HRs and 49 RBIs last season.

The Chicago White Sox have signed free agent, Melky Cabrera to a 3 year 42 million dollar contract. Cabrera hit .301 with 16 home runs, 73 RBIs and 81 runs for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2014.

Bryce Harper and the Washington Nationals have avoided a grievance hearing by agreeing to a 2 year 7.5 million dollar contract. In an injury plagued 2014 season, Harper nit .273 with 13 HRs and 32 RBIs.

Yoenis Cespedes to Tigers

The Boston Red Sox have traded Yoenis Cepedes to the Detroit Tigers for starter Rick Porcello.

Between the Oakland Athletics and the Red Sox, Cepedes hit 22 home runs and drove in 100 runs. Porcello had his best year at 15-13 with a 3.43 ERA

Read the ESPN article here.

Some Details of Jon Lester's 6 Year 155 Mil Deal With the Cubs

By now, everyone knows about Jon Lester signing a 6 year 155 million dollar deal with the Chicago Cubs. Here is a paragraph from the ESPN article on the deal as told to Jayson Stark.

Among other incentives negotiated by Lester and his agents, Seth and Sam Levinson, the deal includes a signing bonus of $30 million to be paid over the life of the contract and a full no-trade clause. Lester will earn $145 million between his base salary and signing bonus and receive either a $10 million buyout after six seasons or a $25 million vesting option for the 2021 season that could bring Lester's total take to $170 million, a source familiar with terms of the contract told ESPN.com's Jayson Stark.

Congratulations to you Mr. Lester. Read the ESPN article here.

Phillies Trade Jimmy Rollins to Dodgers

ESPN and Yahoo Sports are reporting that the Philadelphia Phillies have traded shortstop Jimmy Rollins to the Los Angeles Dodgers. There is no mention of who the Phillies will get in return for Rollins.

Here is the Yahoo Sports article.

Indians Trade for Brandon Moss

The Cleveland Indians have acquired Brandon Moss from the Oakland Athletics for minor leaguer Joey Wendle.

The 31-year-old Moss batted .234 with a 25 homers and 81 RBIs in a career-high 147 games for the A's. The left-handed hitter drew 67 walks and scored 70 runs. Moss hit .268 with 21 homers in the first half of the season to earn his first All-Star selection, but a nagging hip problem cut into his production.

Infielder Joey Wendle hit .253 for Double A Akron last season.

Nick Markakis to the Atlanta Braves

Nick Markakis, formerly of the AL East Champion Baltimore Orioles, has reportedly signed a 4 year 45 million dollar contract with the Atlanta Braves. The Orioles declined the 17.5 million dollar club option and instead paid Markakis a 2 million dollar buy out option.

the Orioles lost slugger Nelson Cruz to the Seattle Mariners earlier in the week.

Nelson Cruz Signs 4 Year Deal With Mariners

It is being reported that Nelson Cruz, he of Biogenisis connections that resulted in a 50 game suspension in 2013, has signed a 4 year deal with the Seattle Mariners worth 57 million dollars.

Cruz played for the Baltimore Orioles in 2014 and was the only player in the majors to hit 40 home runs. The three-time All-Star holds MLB records for most home runs (six) and most RBIs (13) in a single postseason series (2011 ALCS).

Read the ESPN article here.

Raul Ibanez One Of Three Candidates Left For Rays Job

Raul Ibanez is one of three people remaining in the hunt for the Rays managing position. Raul is a very personable player who is said to have been a great influence in the locker room. He has 19 years playing experience including this year with the Kansas City Royals but, Ibanez has never coached at any level.

The other two candidates for the position are Kevin Cash and Don Wakamatsu. Cash played in the big leagues as a catcher for 8 years and was the bullpen coach for the Cleveland Indians in 2103 and 2014.

Don Wakamatsu has the most experience among the 3. He managed the Seattle Mariners from 2009-2010 and although he wound up with a losing record (127-147) the payroll was small and there were no star players. He was the Bench coach for the Rangers from 03-06, Athletics in 08, the Blue Jays from 2011-12 and the Kansas City Royals in 2014.

The Rays are no longer considering Dave Martinez, bench coach under Joe Maddon for the past seven years. for the job.

"The decision on Dave Martinez was especially difficult," Rays president of baseball operations Matt Silverman said in a statement. "He's played a key role in our organization's evolution, and he's done all he can to put himself in position to be a manager. In the end, we determined that our clubhouse would best benefit from a new voice that will add to our already strong and cohesive culture."

If Ibanez is chosen to replace Maddon, it will be for monatery reasons only in my opinion. There are many, more experienced options available to the Rays. They need experience as they compete in the toughest division in the league

Red Sox Make Offer To Sandoval

The Boston Red Sox have offered Pablo Sandoval, of the World Champion San Francisco Giants, a 5 year 95 million dollar contract.

Sandoval would immediately solve the third base problems for the Sox. Pablo hit 16 home runs and drove in 73 for the Giants in 2014. The hitter friendly Fenway Park would suit Sandoval's line drive spray hitting style. The Sox have offered a 5 year deal while Sandoval and his agent would prefer a 6 year contract.

They Giants have said they would love to keep Sandoval but they let him explore free agency without making him an offer. The team most likely wanted to know what the market would see as an appropriate price for Sandoval. Now the Giants see approximately what it will take to keep Pablo on the Giants roster in 2015.

The Blue Jays and the Padres have both shown interest in the career .294 hitter.

Royals' Butler Signs With Oakland Athletics

Billy Butler, a free agent from the World Series Kansas City Royals , has agreed to a 3 year 30 million dollar contract offer from the Oakland Athletics. Butler hit .271 with 9 home runs and 66 RBIs for the Royals in 2014. He is a career .295 hitter, an All Star and a Silver Slugger Award winner in 2012.

MLB's Cy Young Award Winners Announced

As if there was ever a doubt about who would win the National League Cy Young Award, let the arguments rest. Clayton Kershaw of the LA Dodgers, is this years winner, his 3rd Cy Young Award. He had a 21-3 record with a 1.77 Era while striking out 239 batters in just 198 1/3 innings. Kershaw spent most of April on the DL. Kershaw was a unanimous choice for the Award.

The voting was quite close in the American League. Corey Kluber, of the Indians, won the award over Felix Hernandez, of the Mariners. Kluber had a very good year for the Tribe, going 18-9 with a 2.44 ERA. He struck out 269 batters in 235 2/3 innings while walking just 51 for a better than 5 to 1 strikeout to walk ratio.

Abreu and deGrom Named Rookies of the Year in MLB

American League rookie sensation Jose Abreu, Chicago White Sox, has been named, unanimously, as the American League Rookie of the Year. Abreu hit .317 with 36 home runs and 107 RBIs.

Jacob deGrom, pitcher for the NY Mets, was chosen as the National League Rookie of the Year. He was 9-6 for the Mets with a 2.69 ERA and 144 strikeouts with just 44 walks on the year.

Read the Dave Schoenfield article here.

Silver Slugger Awards Announced

The Silver Slugger award is given annually to the best offensive player in each league. Baseball's coaches and managers determine who receives the award. Batting average, slugging percentage and on-base percentage are some of the categories used to determine a winner of the award.

Coaches and managers are prohibited from voting for a member of their team. The National League gives an award to the best hitting pitcher while the American League rewards the best DH in the league.

Barry Bonds has won the Silver Slugger award 12 times. Mike Piazza and Alex Rodrigues have won the award 10 times each. Rodriguez won 7 awards at SS and 3 times as a 3rd baseman. Barry Larkin won the award 9 times as a shortstop.

Here are the league award winners for 2014:

AMERICAN LEAGUE
1B: Jose Abreu, Chicago White Sox, (.317, 36 HR, 107 RBI)
2B: Jose Altuve, Houston Astros (.341, 7 HR, 59 RBI, 56 SB)
3B: Adrian Beltre, Texas Rangers (.324, 19 HR, 77 RBI)
SS: Alexei Ramirez, Chicago White Sox (.273, 15 HR, 74 RBI, 21 SB)
OF: Jose Bautista, Toronto Blue Jays (.286, 35 HR, 103 RBI, 104 BB)
OF: Michael Brantley, Cleveland Indians (.327, 20 HR, 97 RBI, 23 SB)
OF: Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels (.287, 36 HR, 111 RBI, 83 BB)
C: Yan Gomes, Indians (.278, 21 HR, 74 RBI)
DH: Victor Martinez, Detroit Tigers (.335, 32, HR, 103 RBI, 70 BB)

NATIONAL LEAGUE
1B: Adrian Gonzalez, Los Angeles Dodgers (.276, 27 HR, 116 RBI)
2B: Neil Walker, Pittsburgh Pirates (.271, 23 HR, 76 RBI)
3B: Anthony Rendon, Washington Nationals (.287, 21 HR, 83 RBI)
SS: Ian Desmond, Nationals (.255, 24 HR, 91 RBI, 24 SB)
OF: Andrew McCutchen, Pirates (.314, 25 HR, 83 RBI, 84 BB)
OF: Giancarlo Stanton, Miami Marlins (.288, 37 HR, 105 RBI, 94 BB)
OF: Justin Upton, Atlanta Braves (.270, 29 HR, 102 RBI)
C: Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants (.311, 22 HR, 89 RBI)
P: Madison Bumgarner, Giants (.258, 4 HR, 15 RBI, .286 OBP)

Raul Ibanez to Manage the Rays?

The Tampa Bay Rays have 8 potential managerial candidates, so far, to take over for Joe Maddon in 2015. Raul Ibanez is one of them.

Other possible managers include Dave Martinez, Rays bench coach for the last eight years, Manny Acta, former Indians and Nationals manager, Craig Counsell, Charlie Montoyo, currently a minor league manager, Ron Wotus, former Seattle Mariner manager Don Wakamatsu and Kevin Cash.

Rays President of Baseball Operations, Matt Silverman, has said the list will grow as the process continues.

When one looks at the experience possessed by most of the candidates, it is hard to imagine Raul Ibanez being picked to lead a major league team when he has no prior managerial experience and has only been out of baseball for a little over a month.

But as the saying goes, stranger things have happened!