MLB 2016: New rules that you need to know.

On Tuesday, Major League Baseball and the players union announced that they made an agreement to a couple new rules for the 2016 season. One of these rules deals with take-out slides at the bases and the other dealing with their continuing efforts to speed up the pace of the game.

The changes to the slide rules come in the wake of a couple very questionable late-season and season-ending slides to infielders. Pirates shortstop Jung Ho Kang was slide into my Cubs Chris Coghlan trying to break up a double play. The take-out slide broke Kang’s left tibia plateau, tore his MCL and meniscus. The injuries required surgery and Kang will not be ready for Opening Day.

Chase Utley going after the player not the base in the NLDS is the cause of the new slide rules. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada was egregiously slide into at second base by Dodgers Chase Utley and suffered a broken right fibula on the play. Utley’s slide received more national attention because it was done in Game 2 of the National League Division Series. Utley didn’t even begin his slide until he was just about even with the base.

This is how MLB announced the new rule:

“Under new Rule 6.01(j) which has been added to the existing rule 6.01 on ‘Interference, Obstruction, and Cather Collisions,’ slides on potential double plays will require runners to make a bona fide attempt to reach and remain on the base. Runners may still initiate contact with the fielder as a consequence of an otherwise permissible slide. A runner will be specifically prohibited from changing his pathway to the base or utilizing a ‘roll block’ for the purpose of initiating contact with the fielder. Potential violations of Rule 6.01(j) will be reviewable using instant replay. Also reviewable will be ‘neighborhood play’ calls which previously were exempted from replay review.”

Here is how the new rule is actually written out in the rulebook for us baseball nerds who care:

Rule 6.01(j) — SLIDING TO BASES ON DOUBLE PLAY ATTEMPTS

If a runner does not engage in a bona fide slide, and initiates contact with the fielder for the purpose of breaking up a double play, he should be called for interference under this Rule 6.01 A “bona fide slide” for purposes of Rule 6.01 occurs when the runner:

begins his slide [i.e., makes contact with the ground before reaching the base;

is able and attempts to reach the base with his hand or foot;

is able and attempts to remain on the base {except home plate} after completion of the slide; and

slides within reach of the base without changing his pathway for the purpose of initiating contact with a fielder.

The idea of the “Chase Utley Rule” is to minimize the number of collisions at second base, particularly the dangerous ones that could blindside a middle infielder who is receiving the ball from third base. This rule is very similar with the rule that started in 2014 about collisions at home plate for the “Buster Posey Rule”. Both rules come with the intention of enhancing player safety.

The “neighborhood play” is in regards to a middle infielder being within neighborhood of second base while trying to turn to two and avoiding being taken out. Due to the new rule if the infielder does take his foot off the base before the ball is caught, it is reviewable and can be overturned.

I’m not a big fan of this rule change or even the review process as a whole at this point. This new rule puts players in jeopardy of being taken out by hanging in at the bag too long. Think about when a player the size Trout (6’2, 235lbs) is barreling down the base path towards a player the size of Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (5’5, 165). Altuve having to hang in there a second now is going to get steamed rolled.

Current Mets manager and former Angels manager Terry Collins weighed in on the neighborhood play. Via ESPN’s Adam Rubin: “We’re making a slide rule that keeps you on the bag. You’ve got to be near the bag. And now we’re making a decision on the neighborhood play that you’ve got to stay on the bag. You know what that means? Someone is going to get their clocks cleaned.” HERE! HERE! Terry! You said what I was thinking but in different words!

As far as reviews go, they take too long. They don’t get the call right most of the time anyway. What’s the point then?

The other new rule is a two part rule but much simpler than the sliding into second and neighborhood play rule. It puts a 30 second time limit on coaches and managers visiting the mound, whereas before it was umpires discretion. The time starts when the coach or manager steps out of the dugout. The second part of the rule was met with almost unanimous approval and that is taking 20 seconds off the between innings times that were introduced last year. The times are going from 2 minutes and 25 seconds to 2 minutes and 5 seconds for locally televised games and 2 minutes and 45seconds, instead of 2 minutes and 25 seconds for nationally televised games.

Speeding up the game rules like this are fine and don’t make a big impact on the game but I think the sliding rules will be revisited in the not so distant future.

MLB 2016: New rules that you need to know.

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