old ballgame/odd ballgame

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by spider25

I know the basepath has always been at firstbase but i was referring to if you have a rule at one base then why not all bases. l do not think you are wrong but as a younsgter playing baseball I was taught to play different then what I see in todays game . Now they made a lot of stadium outfields with shorter distances to make it easier for home runs ////. there are a lot of very good players today but also a lot that would not have been on a major league team 30 yrs ago

Can you be more specific about which rule(s) apply at only one base?

Sure. There are more teams than there used to be -- so 25 x whatever the expansion number is wouldn't be on any teams at all xx years ago.

[Benchcoach]

I think your gripe derives from the fact you are comparing apples and oranges. Wide turns are permitted and coached when the batter/runner is attempting to obtain extra bases. We use to tell the little guys it was running the banana. Running wide to first only slows batter/runner when the play is at first (the shortest distance between two points is a straight line) but running wide allows him not to break stride when trying to achieve an extra base. The rules have never allowed the runner to interfere with the play. But the feeling was if the slide was at 2b was “In the vicinity” intent to interfere would not be inferred. This was kind of absurd when we saw runners executing roll blocks to break up the double play. Baseball is not a blood sport. It was always a shame to watch gold glove catchers have seasons and careers shortened by plate collisions and the same can be said for F4s and F6s injured by roll blocks and high spikes. Sandy Koufax pitched from the high mound and had Tommy John been invented in his day, he would not have had to quit in his prime.

[CoachPaul]

Originally Posted by Benchcoach

...This was kind of absurd when we saw runners executing roll blocks to break up the double play. Baseball is not a blood sport. It was always a shame to watch gold glove catchers have seasons and careers shortened by plate collisions and the same can be said for F4s and F6s injured by roll blocks and high spikes...

I couldn't agree more. This rule change has so many "purists" throwing fits. I think I'm a purist, too, however I'm not at all bothered by this rule change.

Fans pay way too much money to see back up shortstops, second basemen, and catchers playing due to lower body injuries to the top players. I further love that the rule has been dubbed "The Chase Utley Rule." He's a dirty player. He's not simply going in hard and playing hard, etc. He's intending to injure or at least get in a free cheap shot, and that DB has been doing it for YEARS.