Archives for March 2014

The Last Great Call

March 29, 2014 Leave a Comment

Jayson Stark of ESPN.com has a written a terrific long read about the end of World Series Game 3, the game that ended with that now-famous obstruction call that gave the Cardinals the win. It was just the 2nd game in modern history, regular or postseason, to end on any sort of obstruction call.

Stark interviews everyone involved, Middlebrooks, Saltalamacchia, Craig, Farrell, and Matheny, but the real stars of the piece are home plate umpire Dana DeMuth and third base umpire Jim Joyce. It’s interesting to hear them walk through their thoughts as the play unfolded. [Read more…]

Ortiz contract keeps him focused on his health

March 25, 2014 Leave a Comment

RSNStats, for one, is glad our long national nightmare is over. David Ortiz has a contract extension and options that will, as Owner Henry says, gives us all “near certainty that David Ortiz will finish his career in a Red Sox uniform, which is something we have all wanted and that we are all proud of.” Henry went on to call Big Papi exactly what he is, “[an] ambassador of our game…as he continues on this road to Cooperstown.”

Ortiz Games PAs More details from the extension are coming out. Basically, after a guaranteed 2014 and 2015, the 2016 season starts at $10 million but increases based upon his number of plate appearances. If he makes 425+ plate appearances in 2015 he qualifies for a 2016 contract worth $11 million. It goes up from there:

475 plate appearances – $12 million
525 plate appearances – $13 million
550 plate appearances – $14 million
575 plate appearances – $15 million
600 plate appearances – $16 million

Over the past four seasons Ortiz has averaged 129.5 games and 548.5 plate appearances.

WEEI has more details about how the extension works. For those who can’t get enough, here’s more from the Interwebs: Gordon Edes on ESPN’s web site talks about the contract and David’s lack of Spring Training production. NESN has some quotes from Big Papi on the hunger to win is still there for him. New York Daily News says David has now joined the “pantheon of Boston’s most-beloved sports stars, a group that includes the likes of Bobby Orr, Larry Bird, Bill Russell, Tom Brady and Ted Williams.”

Going over the ground rules

March 1, 2014 Leave a Comment

As we get closer to the start of the regular season it’s a good time to refamiliarize ourselves with the ground rules.

There are so-called “universal ground rules,” such as a ball on the top step (or lip) of the dugout is in play, and then specific ones for each of Major League Baseball’s individual parks.

Here are the ground rules at Fenway Park:

Batted ball over line on top of the left field wall: Home Run.
Fair ball going through scoreboard, either on the bound or in flight: Two Bases.
Batted ball in flight striking to the right of yellow line on left center field wall behind flagpole: Home Run.
Batted ball in flight striking left center field wall to left of line behind flagpole and bounding into seats on topof center field wall: Home Run.
Batted ball in flight striking left of line in right center field and bounding into bullpen: Home Run.
Fair ball striking the ladder below top of left field wall and bounding out of park: Two Bases.
The extension from the right field foul pole to the front of the wall is part of foul pole:
- Ball in flight striking extension: Home Run.
- Ball hitting the top of outfield wall then extension: Home Run.
- Bounding ball (off of playing surface) striking the extension: Two Bases.