New rules limit visits
Only 6 mound trips per game
FORT MYERS — The much-anticipated rule changes for the 2018 season were released yesterday, and while they aren’t as drastic as some thought — there is no pitch clock, to the relief of many — there are questions as to how they will be enforced.
The changes fall under two umbrellas. There’s the new rule that will limit teams to only six mound visits per nine innings. And there’s another that cuts the time between innings and during pitching changes.
There was suspicion the league would institute the 20-second clock between pitches, which was used in the minors last year, but commissioner Rob Manfred chose to wait on that one and give the players a chance to reduce the time of game without adding such a highly debated rule.
“My strong preference is to continue to have ongoing dialogue with players on this topic to find mutually acceptable solutions,” Manfred said.
Manager Alex Cora said he didn’t see a problem with the pace of game last year, but under John Farrell, the 2017 Red Sox set a major league record by averaging 3 hours, 20 minutes per game.
Under the new rules, each team gets six mound visits per game, unless there are extra innings, in which case teams will get another visit per extra inning played. Mound visits are defined by any manager or coach leaving the dugout to talk to the pitcher, or any position player leaving his position to talk to the pitcher.
The old rule still stands that if a pitcher receives a second mound visit from a coach within the same inning, he must be removed from the game.
There are a handful of exceptions to the rule. One will allow for position players and pitchers to chat as long as neither one has to “relocate.” Another exception allows for players to visit the mound if they’re cleaning their spikes during “rainy conditions.” Visits can take place if there is any concern about a potential injury. And if the hitting team makes a substitution — on the bases or at the plate — the defensive team can visit freely without it counting against their total.
Cora was concerned that if teams can’t communicate about signs, they will be easier to steal.
“Everyone is working hard from second base to take an advantage,” Cora said. “And with that, we have to be very careful because I saw it first-hand. Teams are very aware of switching signs and everything that is going on, and there’s a lot of cross-up. We’ll see how it goes.”
Any team that is out of mound visits still can visit the mound freely if the umpire decides the catcher and/or pitcher has been crossed up and needs to talk about signs. The potential problem is that such visits will still count toward the six if the team is not yet out of mound visits.
While the 2017 Sox were punished for using Apple Watches to communicate opponents’ signs, the dugout phones that were supposed to be used for replay conversations also were an easy way to cheat, the league ruled.
This year, dugout phones for replay reviews will be recorded, and all conversations must strictly be about the replay.
An additional new rule will limit time between innings to 2 minutes, 5 seconds for locally televised games and 2 minutes, 25 seconds for nationally televised games. The pitcher has to complete his warm-up pitches by the time there is 20 seconds left in the break.
Stevens chimes in
Celtics coach Brad Stevens was at JetBlue Park with his son yesterday and spoke to the team after the Red Sox’ first “company meeting” in which the entire organization was on hand to kick off spring training.
Stevens spoke for around five minutes, Cora said.
“That was cool,” Mookie Betts said. “Pretty cool to have another big name in Boston come in and speak. He’s doing a great job where he is, so we can kind of look at him and use what he has to say and apply it.
“He shared a couple of stories about when he was younger and he played baseball. Just to go out and play, enjoy it.”
Cora thought Stevens’ presence might have an added benefit for the Celts.
“One thing he mentioned that got my attention,” Cora said, “is they’re in their (AllStar) break, and he wanted to have that feeling of the first day again. When it’s the first day, everybody has that extra hop, everybody’s energized, everybody’s into it. He wanted to come down here, not only to hang out with us and be part of it but to have that feeling again. Hopefully it helps out.”
Betts and Stevens are not strangers.
“I’ve been to my fair share of games,” Betts said. “I pretty much watch ... if I’m not there, I pretty much try to watch all of them.”
On the run
The first official workout ended with the position players and pitchers running 300-yard shuttles.
Everybody except Dustin Pedroia participated in the workout.
Recovering from knee surgery, Steven Wright and Eduardo Rodriguez were limited. Wright threw from the bottom of the mound, Cora said, and Rodriguez from flat ground.
Anybody stand out on the first day?
“Hanley (Ramirez) hit a rocket off somebody and was hitting to right-center,” Cora said. “Defensively, Mitch (Moreland) obviously. He is that good at first base. Moving his feet, the footwork, communication with everybody. That was good to see.”