Starting this year, Double-A starting pitchers – those on the 40-man roster with a majority of their time spent at Double-A – cannot participate in winter ball if they threw 140 or more innings. The previous threshold was 155. Similarly, Double-A relievers cannot have appeared in more than 45 games, while in years past it was 55.
Pitchers also are ineligible if their workload in games or innings grew 25 percent over the prior season. The caveats: They must've reached 60 percent of the games-or-innings threshold the previous season, and players switching from the rotation to the bullpen or vice versa don't count.
Instead of a 502-plate appearance threshold for major league position players, those with up to 552 now can play winter ball. Moreover, the past procedure of declaring a "physical incapacity" – teams simply had to provide documentation – now has strict rules. Unless a player finishes the season on the disabled list or spent 60 days on the DL (including 15 over the final 60 days of the season), a team cannot declare him physically incapable. The exception is pitchers who have undergone major surgery in the previous 18 months. — Jeff Passan, MLB reaches deal to allow players to participate in winter leagues
I generally don't like all these restrictions MLB and teams put in place, but these at least seem reasonable. Except for the relievers. I don't understand that at all, but I also don't understand why teams refuse to use relievers more effectively than they do.
Comments
I feel like relievers are generally wasted, especially in the National League where they aren’t always double-switched in and have to be pinch-hit for the inning after entry. Managers need to be more creative with their reliever usage.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
This is actually sort of weird:
http://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2013/10/13/4833656/wrigley-field-foul-pole-anomaly
Sorry about the BCB link (my bad) and I’ll look up the actual rule because I don’t know it, but there’s a non-zero chance that Yellon might have a point.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ Rice Cube:
Rule 2 doesn’t really address this but my understanding is that if a ball were to glance off the foul pole, it’s considered fair no matter which side of the pole it clanked off of.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Rice Cube wrote:
You’re dead to me.
Suburban kidQuote Reply
@ Rice Cube:
Um, isn’t there a distinction being made with the white paint – i.e., where it’s white, it’s the same as the line on the field, it just happened to be painted on the base of a pole. Where the pole is yellow, its a foul (fair) pole.
Suburban kidQuote Reply
@ Suburban kid:
Rule 2.00 here:
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/official_rules/definition_terms_2.jsp
It mentions the foul pole but doesn’t address specifics. Makes me think it’s just a given, like the catcher collision non-tag thing.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
You guys can Paypal me donations for MB’s legal defense fund:
http://gawker.com/drunk-man-gives-cops-a-grateful-dead-writers-ticket-st-1444560014
GBTSQuote Reply
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jofNR_WkoCE
WaLiQuote Reply
Did someone swap Boston’s bats for defective ones?
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
@ Rizzo the Rat:
i’m enjoying this a little too much, i think
GWQuote Reply
Probably a Top 5 All Time Baseball Gif
[img]http://cdn2.mocksession.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/DISAPPEARING-TORII-HUNTER.gif[/img]
GBTSQuote Reply
That was an epic comeback I recently enjoyed.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
@ GBTS:
Yeah. Hunter and the cop are both just perfect. That would have been an epic catch. So close.
On the replays from other angles, I love how the bullpen catcher catches it so easy, like no big whoop.
Suburban kidQuote Reply
@ Suburban kid:
Oh that’s the catchers mitt, I thought it was his head.
WaLiQuote Reply
neue scheisse: http://obstructedview.net/minor-leagues/minor-league-roundtable-part-2-breakouts-and-busts.html
sitrickQuote Reply