The Skinny Guy in the Pittsburgh Pirates Cap

Warning. I’ve been drinking. A lot. This could get ugly

What? Wait..No, not that kind of drinking! Drinking in memories. Drowning in remembrances. Drunk on stories from the old days. Thinking of a skinny guy in a Pirates cap who we lost  a year ago.  Heck, maybe a bit of the “Irish wine” is not such a bad idea at a time like this. Ray and I’ve shared a fair bit o’ the Bushmills in our time.

Some of you long time readers remember me talking about Baseball weekend being my gateway drug into the game? You know, that time in October before the MLB Channel when you could watch four post season games in one weekend from the comfort of your couch. You weren’t allowed into Baseball Weekend unless you could recite the infield fly rule. (The infield fly rule, it actually came into play last season several times and has been modified so brush up, girlfriends.)  Ray was one of the three founders of Baseball Weekend along with The Boyfriend and The Baseball Buddy. It was only later that Girlfriends (me and Miz Jennifer) starting scootching onto the couch and mixing up the pheromones. Trust me, that’s when baseball got really fun.

I shared baseball with Ray in other ways. During a couple bluegrass festivals, I remember clearly Ray and The Boyfriend throwing a baseball in the dusty gravel field of the Cantwell Festival. The Boyfriend kept a ball and glove in the trunk of his 1968 Plymouth Valiant for just such occasions, the thwack of a ball against a leather glove with a banjo/fiddle sound track in the background. I got my own glove from the Boyfriend not too long after that. That’s when I knew it was love.

During one beautiful Fairbanks summer, taking advantage of the midnight sun, a bunch of us would play regularly play softball in the baseball field behind a church that also backed up against a friend’s house.  We did a lot of damage to ourselves- sliding, running, throwing, showing off, and barely able to walk the next day. (Or was that due to dancing to the jukebox at the Boatel until 5 a.m. in the morning? Ray was an important part of my wayward youth and an exceptionally good two-stepper.) 

Someone took a great picture of us gathered in that field-- a motley, young, joyous crowd in baseball gear with the Baseball Buddy down in front holding on to Fred the Best Dog in the World. Ray is dressed in a Hawaiian shirt and his hat, with the Prominent Pirates P clear as a bell.   

We played softball in that field regularly until the pastor from the church came out and checked on us.  He said it was fine we used the field and chatted us up a bit. Then he asked if some of the single people from the church could join us for this nice wholesome activity. He, of course, was looking directly at the very attractive Meg and Sue, who happen to be also killer on first base and right field respectively.  We, of course, said yes, all the while hiding our Miller Lites behind our leather gloves. We never went back to the field after that. (But we did continue to frequent the jukebox and do damage at the Boatel for a few more years.) 

In so many ways, Ray was our Captain even back then. King of the Crew. King of the Krewe.

Ray and his extensive family were from McKeesport, Pennsylvania. I thought of him a lot last season when the Pirates were was so close to making it into the Series. This was going to be their year.  But then it wasn’t and they lost to the Cardinals.  Baseball will break your heart.  The people you love will break your heart even more when you lose them.

As I drink in these old memories, I feel like I am sitting in a huge baseball stadium.  It might even be Three Rivers Stadium, where I hope to go some day with the Boyfriend and drink Rolling Rock and watch the Pirates win in front of the home crowd.

It also feels like there’s been a big crack, and those giant lights all went out, leaving me sitting in the dark after the end of the ninth inning after a stunning unexpected loss, staring at the field, trying not to look up and accept the score.  Knowing that nearby, close to the field, is Jen, sitting alone.  Behind her are Karen and Steve.  And Bob-oh, Eric. And the Pirate crazy Garrity clan with Pittsburgh roots. Emily. Smokey. Meg. Jane. Scotty.  Jeff. And so many others. There are a lot of us scattered about, sitting with our thoughts in the dark on this anniversary. Remembering. Drinking in memories.  And over there, in a silent duo of a silhouette are The Baseball Buddy and The Boyfriend. Short of a trinity.

We wanted this game to go into extra innings. One more run around the bases. We wanted one more Baseball Weekend with The Skinny Guy in the Pirates Cap.

We were all big fans.

Baseball Origami -- You Gotta Have Wa

There’s something about the Japanese and baseball.  They are nuts about it. Check out a look at  Japanese baseball culture in Robert Whiting’s book You Gotta Have Wa.    But the Japanese have other baseball talents.  Take haiku—there tons of baseball haiku out there (Check our previous posting   Love and Baseball in Seventeen Syllables for proof.)  Then I wondered. What about origami?  Could I write a whole post on baseball origami?  Abe Lincoln says yes.

So let’s start at the beginning.

First I guess we need a ball. We will start easy. How to make a ball. How To Fold a Ball.   Before you blow it up, take a red marker and draw in baseball stitching just for fun. 

Now the glove is an easy one, This is one that you could do in the middle of seventh inning stretch, or during a slow stretch in the game to amuse your friends and the people around you. You can do this one with a newspaper.  Baseball Glove    or if you prefer a moving tutorial  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRB3HeMfhtw

But as you can see,  it just takes a bit of imagination to recognize it as a glove so again, I suggest using a marker to add on the stitching.  This would be a good one for the middle of the 5th and 6th innings when thing get slow at the game.

Of course, you got to have Baseball Uniform.   This one gets me thinking of the amazing and wonderful Diane Palmer, who created the most awesome bowling shirt origami this spring (Bless her heart and long live the Bourbon Brunch.)   Here’s the link. http://en.origami-club.com/clothes/baseball/index.html    Draw in your own team’s logo or use them for party invitations or favors during your next baseball weekend.

Have to have a baseball cap to go with that uniform. You can go cheesy with that cap   http://slangoman.blogspot.com/2008/02/paper-baseball-cap.html   or a bit more involved. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YK1giCsXkpw

Okay, can’t have baseball without a bat.   This is the lamest origami I’ve seen, but I love this kid. ( "Hi, guys. It’s Norman…") http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VI5v4wVnHk8.  See anyone these days can have an internet channel (or a baseball blog).

All this folding and work is making me thirsty.  Beer here!  Beer Cup   or   http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Paper-Cup-by-Folding

Could I get a dog with that beer?   The works please and sauerkraut if you got it. Hot Dog 

All right.  You get the idea.  And if you really want to impress your baseball friends,  let’s go back to the Abe Lincoln wearing a baseball cap.    I tried this one and showed it to The Boyfriend.  He stared at it with a deer in the headlight look, then said, “Okay?”  Which means I had to explain what it was.  Which means that my first attempt didn’t look like the illustration. Then he said,  "I hope you are going to unfold that.”   

He’s on to something. A great way to carry around your beer money, no?  It is always good to make the beer vendor laugh.   Now that’s wa, my friend.

http://img.wonderhowto.com/img/60/42/63431213400694/0/make-abe-lincoln-look-like-b-boy-5-dollar-bill-origami.w654.jpg

 

Stapled to the Bone: Tommy John and His Amazing Elbow

I woke up the other day and felt a familiar achy twinge in my shoulder which I often sleep on the wrong way. I rotated it a bit to loosen it up and thought, "Maybe I need that Tommy John surgery."

Then I thought , "I don't even know who this Tommy John is! Why am I thinking of him in bed as The Boyfriend is sleeping soundly next to me?"

Tommy John turns out to be a real live person who was the one of the first to have an experimental surgery which turned out to be a procedure that has given many pitchers a second chance at the mound. He was a pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the surgery was first performed in 1974 by Dr. Frank Jobe, who just died this spring. The surgery was named after TJ but it's true name is ulnar collateral ligament (ULC) reconstruction.

Turns out that "Tommy John surgery" is not rotator cuff surgery as I had always believed, but elbow surgery and it's wild. It is "a surgical graft procedure in which the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with a tendon from elsewhere in the body." Basically, holes are drilled in the ulna and humerus bones (there's some crossword puzzle words for you) of the elbow and a tendon is woven in a figure eight pattern through those holes and anchored to the bone. That harvested tendon comes from the other arm or down by the knee or even from a cadaver. It takes at least a full year to recover for pitchers ,though they can be throwing after about 16 weeks.

At the time of the original surgery, Dr. Jobe put the chances of full recovery at 1 in 100. Today the chances of complete recovery is more like 85 to 92 percent. You can hardly name a team that doesn't have at least one pitcher who has had TJ surgery. Atlanta has 8 in the last four years. The exception is the Milwaukee Brewers who have an excellent record so far this year. Perhaps beer has restorative healing powers? But I digress.

They say the best way to avoid injury to pitchers is to just not to let anyone pitch. The human arm elbow and shoulder are amazing pieces of architecture and a baseball pitch from a major league player is a thing of amazing beauty. But it takes its toll. Pitchers are pitching faster than ever and more pitchers these days these day can pitch up to and even past 100 mph. Teams are more conscious of pitch counts and usually a pitcher, no matter how well he is doing pitches no more than 100 to 110 a game. Still, not only are pitchers throwing at a tremendous speed, they are throwing curves and sliders demanding subtle twist and turns in the body, arm and wrist. Torque, baby, lots of torque.

The Glue Gun Goddess of Ketchikan sent me a great video called "Why Chimps Don't Play Baseball"

though I will now refer to it as "Why Chimps Will Never Require Tommy John Surgery." Here is the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jq6dCFCMGq4&feature=youtube_gdata_player

At some point in our evolution, Grok threw a rock at his son Grunk and he caught it and threw it back and baseball was born. Then Grok threw a spear at a woolly mammoth and the barbecue was born and ever since we've been combining the two and meeting in the backyard for cookouts. And ever since we've been trying to throw the ball harder and more precisely and put a funky spin on it so it looks like it is going one place but really it is going another. And now we call it Major League Pitching.

So what causes the damage that requires Tommy John surgery? The UCL can be stretched or torn or frayed as the result of the tremendous repetitive stress of the throwing motion. A hard throw pushes the UCL to its maximum ability and repeating that motion and "balls to the wall" torque puts tremendous demand on the ligament.

There is a lot of demand on the modern pitching arm. High pitch counts, high velocity throws, sometimes

poor pitching form, earlier and earlier Little League pitching pressure on young pitchers. Like most things, it's probably a combination of all of these things. One article even suggests that there is a bit of an epidemic going on. You can't catch elbow injuries from another pitcher, but Tommy John surgery is seen as so successful that more and more pitchers are opting for the surgery earlier in their injuries. So far in 2014 alone according to basebzllheatmaps.com, there have already been 14 Major League pitchers that have undergone Tommy John surgery just this year. Some of them for a second time. Of course, not for the Brewers. Another IPA over here, please.

Some folks think that TJ surgery might even help them pitch better, like the Bionic Man back in the 70s. Before Tommy John had his surgery, he won 124 games. After his surgery, he won another 164 games. He retired in1989 at age 46 and ranks seventh all time among left handers. Not bad for a 1 out of 100 chance of recovery. There's such faith in the surgery now that some Little League parents have even approached surgeons about bringing their young sons in for the surgery to get an edge. Any surgery that opens up your arm, wraps ligaments around a joint, and puts screws in your elbow is not to be taken lightly. (I am thinking a screw needs to be tightened somewhere beside in that kid's arm.)

So next time you see your favorite pitcher throw a fast ball like a rocket down the middle of the plate, watch the torque he puts on it with his whole body, and appreciate the not so humble and amazing work of all those ligaments, bones and nerves. Then multiply that by 100 pitches in a game. And the other hundred or so pitches that leads up to that game and the thousand of pitches that shoulder and elbow has thrown over a lifetime. It makes you also appreciate the sports medicine professionals like Dr. Frank Jobe behind those elbows and arms and harvested ligaments wrapped in figure eights and stapled down to the bone.

It might make you want to go have another beer as well. Go Brewers.

Nicky’s Guide to Her First MLB Game

I was out celebrating a birthday earlier this spring when talk turned to baseball with the Drummer Dude from Homer who is a big Detroit Tigers fan.  “Yeah I’m hoping to take Nicky to a game when we go back east this summer.  She’s never been to a MLB game.”  Nicky sitting across the table piped up, “What’s MLB?”   She was serious. 

My eyes lit up.  Nicky was a Girlfriend waiting to happen.

“Don’t worry, Nicky.  I got your back on this one.” I told her. 

So this guide is for her and anyone who isn’t into baseball and is going to their first game in a Major League Stadium. Follow these guidelines and you can have a fabulous time even if you don't know anything about baseball.

Rule #1:  Realize that going to a game at a Major League Park is not the same as watching baseball. Trust me. You can see the game better on TV. This is about going to the Park and having a tribal experience. MLB parks are much more devoted to the fan enjoyment these days than in the past. Soak it up. A baseball stadium can feel like a cathedral. Especially enjoy that moment when you first approach your first view of the field. It will take your breath away.

Rule #2: Get a program.  This does two things.  It gives you the roster for the teams so you can get to know the players and it also gives you a glossy magazine to read and look at during slow innings.

Rule #3:  Locate your scoreboard.  The scoreboard keeps track of the most important things for you— Runs, strikes, balls and outs,  who is batting, who is pitching, the batting order, statistics. There are usually some scoreboards are located around the park so all the fans can see them from their seats. Look at it every once in awhile. They often list fun trivia about the players and a bit of bio.  Makes it feel like you are rooting for your high school team. 

Rule #4:   Watch the Jumbotron.  Always play the games up there such as the boat races or the hat trick. Text your answer to the music trivia quiz.  Look for kiss cam or the dance cam.  Watch the blooper reel. Cheer for the guy who just turned 100 years old. Every park does it differently but every park does it.  

Rule #5:  Do the wave. Old timers and serious baseball fans barely lift their finger when the wave hits their section but ignore them. At my first Red Sox game at Fenway, we had a marginal seat in the bleachers behind a column, but the highlight of the game for me was participating in my first Wave.

Rule #6: It goes without saying that you need to be there in time to sing “The Star Spangled Banner” before the game starts and  “Take me Out to the Ball Game” or whatever they sing at Comerica during the 7^th Inning Stretch.

Rule #7: At some point, take a walk all the way around the park but don’t do it until the 4^th, 5^th or 6^th inning.   You  don’t want to blow your wad right at the beginning so save it when the game gets a little draggy and boring in the middle. It is fun to see the different perspectives of the field from the different section and check out what the stadium has to offer.  The Boyfriend and I once walked around AT&T Park in San Francisco and happened to be by the back wall looking at the water and watching the sunset, just as a Giants home run came sailing out of the park and into the water.  We got to see a kayaker pursue chase and fish the home run ball out of the water.  Now that’s a true San Francisco experience!

Rule #8:  Download out a baseball stadium app.   Now don’t spend your time with your nose in your phone. You should be looking around, not down. That being said, there are some fun apps to help you get more out of the experience.  MLB has one called At the Ball Park which gives you information about all the MLB stadiums.  For Comerica Park, I found that there’s a list of favorite tunes by Tiger Players you can purchase,  that standing on ballpark seats is prohibited,  and that Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions, is just across the street.  You can Facebook a selfie of you and The Drummer Dude from the Park in front of those big cool Tigers out front. And, you can start a check-in list of which ball fields you have been to.  One down, my friend. 

Rule #9:   Don’t be an asshole.   (Not that you ever would, Nicky.  You are too nice for that.) But some folks need reminding.  Even if none of these rules help, and you are having a miserable time-- don’t badmouth the game, talk on your cell phone, complain that you are bored, or get too drunk or pick a fight with your companion.  People really love baseball and we Alaskans so rarely get a chance to get to a real live stadium. So don’t spoil it for the folks around you.  

Rule #10:  Wear your team colors.   If you got gear, put it on.  Get a baseball cap.  Heck, get a big puffy finger if you want.   It will help get you into the crowd “wah”.   I know you both are members of the Krewe of Gambrinus, so dig out your navy, white, and orange Mardi Gras beads.  (It’s okay, it is for baseball, not Mardi Gras so you can wear them out of season. )

Rule #11:   Wear sunscreen if it is a day game.  I forgot one sunny day in Seattle and I ended up with the most scarlet arm and left cheek in the city. We were sitting behind third base.

Rule #12:  I don’t know much about the Detroit Stadium and its location but make sure to catch the ambience outside and around the stadium.  Walk to the game if possible and stop in a sports bar along the way. Soak up the fan vibe and people watch as others walk to the game.  Check out the colorful characters that a game brings out.  Seattle has a great stadium for this guideline. We try to walk from downtown as the crowds start the migration. There’s a great tiny bar about a block from the Stadium call the Triangle  (Yup, two great bars in the world called the Triangle) and we always stop, order their Rainier special and watch people walking to the game.  The Boyfriend especially likes nodding to the rowdy Red Sox fans as they walk by in a sea of polite Mariner aficionados.

Rule #13:  Observe basic baseball etiquette.  Wait to leave or head back to your seat until between batters.  Don’t talk on the cell phone because you are bored.  Keep your peanut shell mess located beneath you and not in your neighbor’s space. Pass the hotdogs or the change down to the person in your row to whom it belongs. Don’t hold a big sign that blocks anyone’s view.

Rule #14:  Watch out for flying balls and bats.  The better your seat, the more likely you are in foul territory.  You are an athletic type, so feel free to jump for it. Drummer Dude seems like the type who would also dive for the ball.  Wimps like me look around me to see who brought their mitts and will provide protection. Remember, like in airplane exits, the nearest saviors may be located behind you.   Or you can reference my column on foul balls and sneak a cafeteria tray into your knapsack.

I am sure readers have other suggestions as well.  I'd love to hear them.

And yes, security is going to check your purse or bag before you go into the park, so be discreet about your tampons. Have an awesome time. Facebook us all a picture with those awesome Tigers!

Waiting in the Dugout

Baseball is a game of waiting.  The pitcher waits for a sign from the catcher.  The catcher waits for the pitcher to agree with the sign, and then waits for the throw. The pitcher waits for the batter to be set. The batter waits for the ball. The outfielders wait for a ball to come to their section of the field. And the fans wait for the beer guy to come back to their seats.

If you are a player and not actively playing or on deck to hit, you do your waiting in the dugout.  Dugouts are designated places in a ball park where teams wait when they are not on the field. Most dugouts sit slightly below ground level so the fans can see over the top and get a good look at home plate.   It’s the place that all the equipment is stored (bats, gloves, catcher’s equipment, batting helmets) and the dugout for each team is connected by tunnel to its respective clubhouse.

 

Dugouts in Major League Parks are located along the first and third base sides, though there is no “official” placement of the home team dugout.   A majority have the home team dugout on the first base side.  Some say that is because there are more close plays at first so that dugout is preferred to enable a better view.  Some home team dugouts are on the third base side and some say that’s because in the past when the manager also served as the third base coach, he didn’t have to walk as far between innings.  Some teams picked the dugout that was connected to the better clubhouse. 

But no matter where it is, baseball has rules about it.  Think you can get a good seat up front because you know someone on the team?  Uh uh. Back in your bleacher seat, girlfriend. The only ones allowed in the dugout during play are the players not on the field at the time – managers, coaches, ball boys and ball girls, trainers, and players on the disabled list. The folks on the DL can only watch. They can’t get on the field or help the team in anyway once the game has started.  

The dugout can still be a factor when the ball is in play. A fielder may reach into a dugout to catch a fly ball as long as one or both feet are on or over the playing field, and no foot is on the ground in the dugout when he makes the catch. If his momentum takes him in there, it is still live. But if he falls into the dugout as a result of a legal catch (which is much more likely because he is probably going over a rail) the catch is allowed but baserunners advance one base.

Okay, that being said, while you are waiting for this flying fielder to make a spectacular leap into enemy territory, what are you gonna do while you’re waiting?   What you can’t do is provoke the spectators or cat call pretty girls in the stands. No, no, no. Or else you can get ejected from the field.   You can’t try to cause the pitcher to mess up by yelling immature things like  “your fly is open!”  Or else you can get ejected from the field. You can’t distract the batter. Everyone else in the stands can be waving a terrible towel, but you can’t.  Or else you can get ejected from the field.  You get the idea. Umpires make the final decision but you need to refrain from misbehavior. So you watch the game, check out the all-you-can-eat sunflower seed and Gatorade buffet, and chat with your fellow teammates.

God help you, though,  if you have to sit next to that same guy  you had sat next to last time who has to relive that awesome hit off the back wall stand up double that brought in two runs in the first inning.  He is the guy you see on tv who is intensely chewing the ear of that quiet right fielder. (Think Dustin Pedroira of the Red Sox)  He is that intense guy who shoots words at you like a machine gun.  So you might choose to go find someone else to spit seeds and talk with. 

But don’t talk to the pitcher.  Leave him alone, Chatty Cathy.  He is breathing through his eyelids trying to channel some zen because the meat of the batting order is coming up.  Or worse, he was taken out of the game because he walked three batters in a row and that same meat of the batting order came up right after that and he doesn’t want to talk to anyone about what happened.

So you go over to stand with your buddies at the rail and check out the action.  You cheer on your teammates and study the pitcher and slap guys’ butts as they come back into the dugout to wait.  And sometimes you get to be on television in that great shot that I love to see, at home watching and waiting in my own dugout called the couch. The batter hits a fast ball and it rockets out of the park for a home run and in the instant replay, the television shows the view of the players hanging over the rail watching and waiting.  I call it the  “Look-Up-Stand-Up-Straight-Follow-The-Ball-With-Your-Eyes-Wait-For-It-----Pump-Your-Fist!” shot.     Look for it. I bet you see it in the next game you watch.

The Boyfriend knows that when I’m bored with the game, I start to make up my own dialogue about what is being said in the dugout.  Sometimes when the manager heads to the phone to call the bullpen, I instead imagine him ordering takeout for the boys.  “Yah, can we get one of those chicken ranch deluxe pizzas, and a salad for the pitcher (he’s lactose intolerant) and a couple of nacho boats?  But leave it outside the door ‘cause you can’t come in here.”

And if you are allowed in there, you have to stay there.  If you come out on the field when you aren’t supposed to, the umpire can throw your sorry ass off the field. He doesn’t always do that (such as when a manager comes out to argue a play) but he can.  When a player or a manager (or I guess even the ball girl) gets thrown out of the game, he (or she) gets thrown out of the dugout too.

Unless you think you can sneak back in without anyone noticing.  Bobby Valentine, long time manager most famously of the New York Mets, thought he had the perfect way to sneak back into the dugout without anyone noticing—NOT.   Check it out at   http://m.mlb.com/video/v8852885/mlb-network-remembers-bobby-valentine-in-disguise   

You also can’t lose it and pound up the phone like David Ortiz after what he thought was a bad call. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5Ga-S8XRvc     Ouch.  Ortiz got ejected from the game right before that little tantrum that almost took out the phone. But the phone took a licking and kept on ticking. Something to be said for having a land line.  In case you want to order a nacho boat or something for the boys while they wait.

Scouting Report from the Drummer Dude: The Roaring Detroit Tigers

NOTE: As of this posting, Detroit comes out of the gate strong with a 5-2 record and boasting 1st in American League Central Division

Scouting Report from The Drummer Dude from Homer

When you think of the Detroit Tigers these days you think of Miguel Cabrera chasing his second triple crown; that is the highest batting average, number of home runs, and runs batted in (RBI) over a full regular season. Looking at Miguel’s preseason numbers he is on track compared to his 2012-preseason stats when he achieved his first triple crown. Miggy is also injury free at the moment. Last year he was bothered by injuries. This winter Miggy underwent major core muscle surgery and arrived at spring training with focus and drive. 

The 2014 Detroit Tigers have a new look with the loss of some notable losses due to the letting go of eight free agents. Overpaid Prince Fielder is out no doubt due to his lack lustered post-season performance of the years freeing up some cash to keep MVP Cabrera and Cy Young winner Max Scherzer. Jhonny Peralta is no longer, after being suspended for 50 games towards the end of the season to doping charges by the MLB. 

 Also, gone are Doug Fister and Joaquin Benoit. A welcome loss is the closer Joaquin Benoit. Remember David Ortiz batting a homer out of the park? Set up man Jose Veras is also gone. Above all this there is a new manager in town, Brad Ausmus, replacing Jimmy Leyland. Brad is a rookie himself, having left baseball for three years before returning to manage a MLB team. Wow, he is only 44 years of age. He is noted for carrying a catcher’s glove everywhere and does not allow smoking in the clubhouse. He also noted for being cryptic regarding every decision he makes, similar to Jimmy Leyland. The new look for the team puts Ian Kinsler in at second base, a former All Star and perhaps a better defensive player than Omar Infante. With Miggy taking over first base from the loss of Prince, rookie Nick Castellanos will take the third base. The young wildcard is talked about rookie of the year. Time will tell. 

 The bullpen took a big hit with the loss of Fister. Drew Smyley moves into the rotation now and Joe Nathan will replace Benoit as the closer. The bullpen is a wide-open guess as to how it is going to fare through the season. Starters include the injury plagued Justin Erlanger, who threw a perfect game in spring training after core muscle surgery in January. And yes he and Kate Upton are dating again. 

Max is back along with Anibal Sanchez, Rick Procello, and Drew Smyly. Look for Luke Putkonen to step up and play a larger role this season. Victor Martinez back and healthy and expected to play the full season as DH. The outfield remains solid with Torii Hunter, Andy Dirks (out until June with a back injury), and Austin Jackson. Alex Avila returns to catcher along with Bryan Holiday from the Reds. 

Detroit looks weaker this year on paper, but so do the other AL Central teams. Expect them to take the AL Central and we will all see how the post-season drama plays out come September. Play ball!

New Rules-- Instant Replay and Collisions at Home Plate

Baseball is nothing if not a game of complicated rules and every new season brings some tweaks to those rules.  There are some big ones this season, so watch for them.  And of course, baseball is nothing if not a game where people have strong opinions about those new rules. 

The biggest change is the use of instant replay.  Baseball held out for a long time against instant replay as a way to challenge calls.  Fans were proud the game relied on the umpire skill and the “human factor,” which basically means sometimes the call goes in your favor and sometimes it goes against.  But too many plays (and games and championships) were lost because the field umpire didn’t have the same visual angle as the four television cameras focused on the same base—needless to mention the thousands of fans watching that same play over and over again on their screens at home.  

So baseball is still not embracing technology but is giving it a peck on the cheek. It will expand its use of instant replay as a tool for managers to challenge calls. Here are the highlights

• Managers can challenge a play and ask for a review.  If that challenged play (or any part of that play) is overturned, then the manager gets another opportunity to challenge another play during the game. No manager may challenge more than two plays in a game.

• There's a list of plays eligible for challenge. Strikes and balls are not eligible. Home run and boundary calls remain reviewable under procedures already in place  (In August 2008, MLB started using video to decide boundary calls such as home runs at the top of fences or near foul poles.)

Easy enough, except it isn’t.  It turns out to be a complicated process.  Challenges must be made in a timely manner. Managers can call from the dugout to a video specialist in their clubhouse for consultation and if they choose to challenge, must specifically say what part (or parts) of the call they are challenging. Plays are then reviewed by Replay Officials who are Major League Umpires at a “Replay Command Center” in New York. That’s where all the replay decisions are decided in a very high tech operation.  (Go to MLB Replay Command Center  for a peek inside.)    In addition, all home runs and plate collisions are subject to reviews at the discretion of the Crew Chief.

Which brings us to the second big change this season—the home plate collision rules.  There have been some epic collisions at home plate in baseball history.  Aggressiveness in base running is essential, and collisions between the runner and the catcher at home plate have sometimes been gruesomely violent.  One of these collisions happened April 25, 2011, when Scott Cousins of the Marlins barreled into Giants catcher Buster Posey with the go-ahead run in the 12th inning. Posey sustained injuries that kept him out of the rest of the baseball season that year. It wasn’t the only body slamming collision in baseball, but it was the straw that broke the camel’s back (and Posey’s left ankle.)  See it here at Buster Posey Video. 

The new rules say a catcher can't block the plate (in front of the plate facing third base) unless he has the ball.  This means he can’t stand in front of the plate waiting for the ball to be thrown to him. He has to have the ball first, then move to tag the runner.  A runner can be called safe without touching the plate if a catcher without the ball blocks his direct path.   Unless the catcher has to move into a position of blocking the plate in order to field the ball and contact with the runner is unavoidable. Got that distinction? Good, because you are going to need it.  

 

Under the new rules, runners must stay on a direct path to the plate and cannot veer from it to hit a catcher who does not have the ball. This means he can’t hit the catcher in hopes of dislodging the ball or pushing him out of the flight path of the incoming ball. (Or throw a flying tackle like Cousins did to Posey, which was legal at the time.)    If the runner veers from the direct line to home in order to hit the catcher, the umpire can call him out even if he is not tagged. If the catcher has the ball and is blocking the plate, and the runner has to plow through him to get to home, so be it. He just can't make contact in a malicious manner (egregious is the word.) If he slides head first or feet first (basically some part of his body needs to hit the ground before he makes contact with the catcher) he will always be okay, but he cannot use his elbows, arms or shoulders to shove the catcher. So slide or dive, but don’t tackle, shove or push if you are heading home.

Collisions, however, happen in lots of ways and these two new rules have already collided. (Softball Diva, you know what I’m talking about.)  Hang with me on this one.

In the Yankees and Toronto game this past weekend, Yankee Francisco Cervelli charged toward home as Blue Jay Outfielder Colby Rasmus threw the ball to Blue Jay Catcher Josh Thole.  In order to field the ball that was thrown, Thole had to position himself in front of the plate before he had the ball. He tagged the runner and Cervelli was ruled out.  In the old days, this was okay. Under the new rules, not so good.  Yankee Manager Joe Girardi (who was a catcher in his playing days)  protested that Thole was blocking the plate and the umpire agreed there was cause for televised review. Upon review, the umpire ruled that the call stood.  In order to field the ball that was thrown, Thole had to block the plate and collision with runner was unavoidable. Cervelli was out. But instant replay also showed that Cervelli got his foot to the base before the tag. Because the review was of Thole’s position and not a challenge of whether Cervelli actually scored, the umpire could not change that part of the call.

Ironically, it was Joe Torre, former Yankees Manager and current MLB vice president of baseball operations, who said back in February, “It's going to be a little tricky because if the manager comes out and wants to question the safe-out call, then he uses the challenge. If he wants to check if he violated the collision rule, then that's not a challenge. It's like a home run; the umpire has the discretion.”  

Girardi was checking to see if Thole violated the collision rule, and wasn’t challenging whether the runner was safe or out. So the ruling came only on the collision question and the instant replay could not be used to challenge the safe at home question. If Girardi had challenged whether his runner was safe or not, the Yankees might have gotten the run.

Is your head spinning yet?  Yeah. Me, too. And we’ve only had one week of official baseball.  Everybody is still learning these rules and how to apply them for the maximum benefit of the team.  Prepare yourself for a bit more waiting in the game (perhaps a good time to refill your beverage?)  Instant replay is also supposed to also cut down on the epic enraged-manager-spitting-in-the-face-of-the-ump confrontation when a manager wants to protest a call.  We’ll see.  I think the traditionalists really won't let that one go without a fight.