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The MLB Daily Dish is a daily feature we're running here at MLBDD and rounds up roster-impacting news, rumors, and analysis. Have feedback or have something that should be shared? Hit us at @mlbdailydish on Twitter.
Good morning baseball fans!
Diamondbacks ace Zack Greinke pitched with the flu, or not. It's not really clear what was up with the right-hander.
Here is a roundup of the latest news surrounding the National League Central.
It didn't take too long for the new slide rule (or the Ruben Tejada rule, as I like to call it) to be put into action. FanGraphs' Craig Edwards took a look at Jose Bautista and this new slide rule.
That very last part of the rule above mentions Rule 6.01(j), which is the new slide rule put into effect this season. It is not the only rule that now references 6.01(j) as 5.09(b)(3) (“intentionally interferes with a thrown ball”), 6.01(a)(5) (a runner just out who “hinders or impedes any following play being made on a runner”), 6.01(a)(6) (“base runner willfully and deliberately interferes”) and 6.01(a)(7) ( batter-runner willfully and deliberately interferes”) all do, as well. There is clearly an emphasis on clarifying interference rules — not solely takeout slides — and Bautista was in clear violation of the new version of the rule.
For those who wonder if that type of call might lead to controversy in the playoffs, recall that in 2013 a World Series game ended on an obstruction call when Allen Craig tried to move past Will Middlebrooks to get home, or that in Game 6 of the 2004 American League Championship Series, Alex Rodriguez was called for interference for slapping the glove of Bronson Arroyo, ultimately preventingDerek Jeter from scoring. Baseball has a lot of rules and sometimes games hinge on interpretations of those rules. There will be more plays like Bautista’s throughout the season, and fans and players will become acclimated to the rule due to plays like this one. The new rules were set out for player safety, and while they do slightly more than that, better player safety and better clarification of the interference rule are both better for the game of baseball.
Some managers are on the hot seat before the season began, and some might find themselves on the hot seat already. Take a peak at our way too early hot seat watch.
The MLB approved four wearable pieces of tech for on the field use in 2016.
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Today in Baseball History: The first official save is credited in 1969 to Dodgers pitcher Bill Singer.