EVERYBODY misinterprets ML Baseball rule 5.06 (b) (4) (h) and Cleveland Guardians lose to the Cincinnati Reds as a direct result.

Here is what happened on May 17, 2022 between the Cleveland Ardians (I call them Ardians in 2022 as a protest because Jose Ramirez's contract was only partially front loaded instead of fully front loaded) and the Cincinnati Reds in the bottom of the 10th inning with a runner on second base for Cleveland.

The pitch went past the catcher, ricocheted off the backstop and then rolled quite a bit. AFTER the Ardians runner had touched 3rd base, the ball THEN rolled into the Dugout.

Runner had already touched and passed third base BEFORE the ball went into the dugout.

EVERYBODY has misinterpreted rule 5.08 (b) (4) (h) and as a result the Ardians runner was never awarded his one base! Below is the rule that was misinterpreted.

5.06 (b)(4)(h)

One base, if a ball, pitched to the batter, or thrown by the pitcher from his position on the pitcher’s plate to a base to catch a runner, goes into a stand or a bench, or over or through a field fence or backstop. The ball is dead;

APPROVED RULING: When a wild pitch or passed ball goes through or by the catcher, or deflects off the catcher, and goes directly into the dugout, stands, above the break, or any area where the ball is dead, the awarding of bases shall be one base. One base shall also be awarded if the pitcher while in contact with the rubber, throws to a base, and the throw goes directly into the stands or into any area where the ball is dead.

If, however, the pitched or thrown ball goes through or by the catcher or through the fielder, and remains on the playing field, and is subsequently kicked or deflected into the dugout, stands or other area where the ball is dead, the awarding of bases shall be two bases from position of runners at the time of the pitch or throw.   end of rule quote..

So here is the question that was not asked but should have been....How can an umpire award a base that the base runner already has already reached BEFORE the ball went into the dugout?

By ruling that the runner only can advance one base, the runner could have literally sat his butt on the second base bag, watched the pitch go by the catcher, still sitting on second base, watch the ball roll around in foul territory, take one step off of second base, watch the ball fall into the dugout, and then be "awarded" one base, third base, because the ball went into the dugout.

In this instance, an umpire cannot "award" a base that a baserunner has already "earned" before the ball left the field of play. Period, end of story, wrong call, everyone got it wrong. 

The base runner EARNED third base before the ball left the field of play and therefore should have been AWARDED one base, home plate, by the Umpire. 

An umpire can't award what a baserunner has already earned. 

The rule as written envisioned a situation in which the pitched ball goes into the dugout before the base runner reached the next base. 

The scenario that actually happened in the game was NOT what the rule was written for. The ball in the dugout rule was meant for a runner running TO the next base and the ball goes into the dugout BEFORE  the runner has EARNED the next base under their own power.

MLB has failed to to define how a base runner EARNS a base versus being AWARDED a base.

However, just because MLB does not define what Earning a Base is does not change the reality that when a baseball player reaches the next base by running to it before they are tagged out and while the ball is in play, they have earned that new base.

The Cleveland runner EARNED third base, and the umpire should have then AWARDED one base, namely, home.

Video clip of play. Runner had already rounded third base before the ball went into the dugout.

If you have MLB.TV and can view the actual play from the game, the replay clearly shows the ball did not roll into the dugout until after the runner had rounded third base.

The bounding ball is directly in front of the Reds player's knee just before going into their dugout, meanwhile Indians Runner has already passed third base.

Indians Television announcer Matt Underwood's instincts were 100% right when he asked if the runner had already reached and passed third base. 

Unfortunately, this rather unique situation that probably rarely comes up, runner on second, ball goes by catcher and takes so long to end up in the dugout the runner has already reached and passed the next base, resulted in everyone who thought they knew the rule based on past experiences failed to remember the one golden rule about baseball; some times a play happens that either never happened before, or happens so rarely it mistakenly gets clumped into other scenarios when the rules are applied.

Los Angeles Emmy winning Producer Alessandro Machi combines his editing, camera and observational skills to provide unique insights into the World of Sports.

Cleveland Ardians and Jose Ramirez agree to a partially front loaded 7 year deal, Almost as Sportscam Detective had suggested in previous article.

When I first heard the Cleveland Dians had signed Jose Ramirez to a 5 year contract extension, I felt Cleveland had earned their new name that starts with Gu.

When I heard the Cleveland Dians had actually been willing to front load Jose Ramirez's contract, I definitely felt the Dians had earned the Guar at the front.

However, The Cleveland Dians almost followed Sportscam Dectectives advice from my prior article on this site.  Almost, and for that reason, because they just could not do a solid and could only do the partial right thing, I am going to expand to the Cleveland Ardians. 

Perhaps the Cleveland Ardians lost a lot of money from COVID-19 and they just can't afford to completely front load Jose Ramirez's contract as I suggested, so they offered half of what I suggested, Front loading the first year of Jose's contract, and then dropping back down the following year and slowly incrementing up each and every year.

This is absolute NONSENSE. Jose Ramirez is in his prime. The Ardians should have offered the following.... 22, 22, 22, 22, 22, 15, 15. It's actually 1 million less but it FAIRLY front loads 17 million dollars instead of the approximately 10 million the way the contract is actually constructed. Front loaded money allows a ballplayer to re-invest and actually make more long term profit. It's probably the best way for smaller market teams to compete with the larger market teams.

This isn't just about the amount of the contract. It's about paying a player what he is worth when he is in his prime and then backing it down just a bit as he gets older but is still productive. As the contract is presently constructed, Jose's final year with the Indians, when it is quite possible his overall contributions will be less than they are now, he will be paid the most!

Six years from now fans with short attention spans may think Jose is selfish for being paid so much money at an older age when it was Jose Ramirez who produced so much more when he was in his prime. 

Pay the man what he is worth in his prime, now, with the knowledge that the final two years are at a lower salary, which makes a lot of sense.  Jose has been so steady and reliable for so many years that logic, AlexLOGIC dictates that the 21 million a year for the next five years, when he is in prime, is the Guardian thing to do.

You can study the foolishness the Ardians created for Jose Ramirez below. Counting every dollar in a way that is not in the interest of the player means I will not be using the GU whenever I write about the Ardians. Consider it my form of protest over not doing the right thing and front loading Jose's contract in a more equitable manner.

Mark my words, when this contract is in its final 2 years, and the Indians have to pay Jose Ramirez 22 million and 25 million dollars and as a result perhaps cannot make another Jose Ramirez type of deal to a future up and coming star, we will all see how unnecessarily selfish this deal was.

According to Spotrac

• Jose Ramirez signed a 7 year / $141,000,000 contract with the Cleveland Guardians, including $141,000,000 guaranteed, and an annual average salary of $20,142,857. In 2022, Ramirez will earn a base salary of $22,000,000, while carrying a total salary of $22,000,000. 

  CONTRACT:7 yr(s) / $141,000,000

  SIGNING BONUS:-

  AVERAGE SALARY:$20,142,857

  FREE AGENT:2029 / UFA

  
  
  

  YEAR		AGE	STATUS	BASE SALARY	LUXURY TAX SALARY	PAYROLL SALARY	ADJUSTED SALARY	YEARLY CASH
  2022		29		$22,000,000	$20,142,857	$22,000,000	$22,000,000	$22,000,000($22,000,000)
  2023		30		$14,000,000		$14,000,000	$14,000,000	$14,000,000($36,000,000)
  2024		31		$17,000,000		$17,000,000	$17,000,000	$17,000,000($53,000,000)
  2025		32		$19,000,000		$19,000,000	$19,000,000	$19,000,000($72,000,000)
  2026		33		$21,000,000		$21,000,000	$21,000,000	$21,000,000($93,000,000)
  2027		34		$23,000,000		$23,000,000	$23,000,000	$23,000,000($116,000,000)
  2028		35		$25,000,000		$25,000,000	$25,000,000	$25,000,000($141,000,000)
  2029		36	UFA

As you can see 

Los Angeles Emmy winning Producer Alessandro Machi combines his editing, camera and observational skills to provide unique insights into the World of Sports.

Cleveland Dians and Jose Ramirez could EASILY resolve their Contract Extension Negotiations, here's how.

Cleveland Dians could resolve the Jose Ramirez contract in the following way. FRONTLOAD the five year extension offer, place the current 2 year deal at the back end after the new five year deal. The extra 16 million over the next 2 years, if invested properly, will give Ramirez an extra 10 to 20 million five years from now when his salary would be reduced near the twilight of his career. If that is not enough, then offer a modest inflation adjustment on the present two years that would be pushed back to the end of the deal with a cap at 15 million a year. 

Done Deal. Or this going to be another example of the Dians "We tried" BS in which they know how to get to the precipice of a deal without actually making the deal by not doing the reasonably obvious.

If the Dians don't take my suggestion, and don't extend Jose Ramirez's contract when they easily could considering their paltry 50 million dollar 2022 payroll when their Television revenue is 100 million dollars, then it just proves what a joke the name the Guardians actually is. A team that cannot keep their own home grown talent for more than the customary 6 years has not earned the name Guardian. Guardian's don't get replaced over silly and solvable contract disputes.

Ballplayers who sign long term deals once they are 30 or older face the prospect of being overpaid as their skills begin to diminish. If Jose is able to produce six years from now, but maybe not as he did in his prime, the 13 to 15 million dollar per year over the final two years will still be a good deal for both Jose and Cleveland, 

I would hate to see Jose booed near the end of his career because he was making 21 million a year when at 13 to 15 million he is still either a good deal or fans are just glad he stayed.

Two perfect examples to consider are Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera. Pujols final few years with the Los Angeles Angels were somewhat of a disappointment in part because he could barely run and also because he became more of a singles hitter. At 30 million a year that is crazy, at 13 million fans probably would have been ok as Pujols seemed to get some key hits.

Miguel Cabrera is another example. There is a chasm of a difference between a successful power hitter being paid 30 million a year versus 13 million a year when they are in the twilight of their career. 

Not sure how Jose Ramirez will fare five years from now, but hopefully he will still be a contact hitter who knows how to run the bases, and the lower amount over the final two years of his deal will just keep Cleveland fans liking him as he probably is breaking some type of Cleveland offense records, whereas six years from now 21 million a year he may be seen a hostile light, and nobody wants that. 

Los Angeles Emmy winning Producer Alessandro Machi combines his editing, camera and observational skills to provide unique insights into the World of Sports.

Just how much time do Female Track and Field Runners lose because of their Floppy Pony Tails?

Why do Track Coaches let their Female Track Athletes run races with flopping pony tails? There is absolutely NO WAY that a flopping pony tail does not slow down a track athlete. Even if the slow down is of the most microscopic amount, micro seconds can easily turn into 0.1 seconds each time around the track. 

A race with 6 laps could conservatively mean 0.6 seconds lost because of a floppy pony tail. I would suggest a floppy pony produces a loss of 0.15 to 0.20 seconds each time around the track. So a race comprised of 6 laps equals 0.9 seconds to 1.2 seconds lost because of a floppy ponytail.

On a quarter mile track, a floppy pony tail probably equals 0.25 seconds lost each time around the track. The cruel irony is were a female to take my advice and get their hair put into a bun instead of a pony tail, DO NOT go to the local hair salon and breath in who knows what chemicals and fumes while you there getting your hair put into a bun as the inhaling of who knows what chemicals will probably offset the gain the bun would otherwise give.

You don't believe me that a bun makes a difference, check this video out. Only one runner in this field had a bun...

In case you are wondering why the idea of going with a bun versus a pony tail has probably not been widely discussed before, the pony tail flopping braking effect has been neutralized because normally everyone in the field with bouncy hair, has a pony tail! If everyone with bouncy hair has a pony tail, then the negative effect of the pony tail is neutralized.

You don't believe me? Check out this race. Everyone had a Pony Tail and the result was one of the closest finishes among the top three runners, all sporting Pony Tails. If the woman who finished third did not look over at her competition, and also had gone with a bun, she probably wins this race instead of finishing third.

Sure this article has been posted on April 1st, 2022 but it is not an April Fools Joke, It just has been made to look like an April Fools Joke. Or, is it even a crueler joke by posting a serious article that sounds like a joke, on April Fools day?

 

Either way, you Track Coaches and your Female Track Stars won't know until you start asking your star female track runners to run with a bun.

Los Angeles Emmy winning Producer Alessandro Machi combines his editing, camera and observational skills to provide unique insights into the World of Sports.

Philadelphia Phillies Kyle Schwarber / Nick Castellanos signings made possible courtesy of the DH in the National League.

When Nick Castellanos was a Detroit Tiger a few years ago there was talk of trading him to a playoff contender. Allegedly the Cleveland Indians (now the Guardians) were considered interested in Castellanos.   

My memory of Castellanos back then was he was a poor defensive outfielder and any marginal advantage he would provide offensively would be offset by poor fielding and limited defensive range in right field.

What was even more troubling was the Tigers had offered Castellanos a chance to play first base, a position Castellanos could probably handle effectively, and Castellanos refused.

To Castellanos's credit he has improved his outfield defense from a few years back while his offense has improved by an even more remarkable amount.

However, the DH being added to the National League basically makes the Castellanos signing of 5 years for 100 million dollars somewhat of a no brainer for the Philadelphia Phillies. Should Castellanos falter or start to diminish on the defensive side of the field, the Phillies now have the DH where Castellanos can still flourish.

Not only is 20 million dollars a year an interesting number for both sides, the DH probably allowed Philadelphia to agree to a five year deal. If there was no DH in the National League, I wonder if Philadelphia would have gone more than 3 years.

Having just turned 30 during 2022 spring training, and having had his best offensive year last season, the Castellanos signing by Philadelphia most likely pleases Bryce Howard, who had asked for another big bat in the line-up and the Phillies complied by getting both Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos

However there is a DH X-Factor to consider. Bryce Harper has been known to rough himself up playing defense and having the DH available allows Howard to both heal and still DH, a situation that most likely will come up in 2022. Can Philly remain competitive with both Schwarber and Castellanos playing in the field at the same time whenever another player needs a defensive day off by hitting DH?

The Revenge of the DH occurs when average to below average defenders end up playing the field so other regulars can have a defensive day off at DH, the result being that the regular DH has to play the field and doesn't make plays better defenders would make, thus extending the inning and the pitcher's pitch count. It is this DH X factor which could prove meddlesome for the Philadelphia Phillies in the coming years since both Schwarber's and Castellanos's best position may be DH.

Los Angeles Emmy winning Producer Alessandro Machi combines his editing, camera and observational skills to provide unique insights into the World of Sports.